Welcome, Readers in Residence

Thank you for being part of Fiction Flock as a Reader in Residence.

This space is designed to help you explore the platform, contribute recommendations, test features before launch, and help shape the future of the community as we continue building.

Right now, Fiction Flock is still in active development ahead of our June 15 launch, which means you may still encounter placeholder content, unfinished areas, or features that are actively being refined. That’s actually part of why this early access matters so much. Your feedback, ideas, and recommendations help improve the experience before everything goes public.

Use the sections below to get started, learn how recommendations work, and find information about contributing content, affiliate links, testing, and upcoming launch needs.

Getting Started

Accessing Your Account

Use the special invitation link provided in your Readers in Residence welcome email to create and access your account.

That invitation link is unique to the current Readers in Residence onboarding process and is intended only for approved contributors.

Explore the Reader Experience

Once logged in, take some time to explore the current Beach Bag Adventure and overall reader experience.

You can:

  • complete quests
  • earn badges
  • browse recommendations
  • test interactive features
  • experience the site the same way readers will at launch

Please note that some sections may still contain placeholder or temporary content while final launch updates are being completed.

Explore Your Dashboard

Your Reader Dashboard is your main home base inside Fiction Flock.

From there, you’ll be able to:

  • access current adventures
  • track badges and quests
  • manage your account
  • access the Readers in Residence Studio

Creating Content in the RIR Studio

The Readers in Residence Studio is designed to be a flexible contributor space where you can help shape the Fiction Flock experience through recommendations, reviews, features, and reader-focused content.

Right now, contributors can currently create:

  • Book Picks
  • Book Reviews
  • Top Five Lists
  • Author Features
  • General Blog Posts

Additional content tools and contributor features will continue expanding over time as the platform grows.

At this stage, I honestly encourage you to simply click around, experiment, and get a feel for how the system works. This early access period is as much about exploration and testing as it is about creating content.

Updating Your “Meet the Reader” Profile

Please also take a few minutes to update your Meet the Reader profile information.

These profiles may eventually appear:

  • on front-facing community pages
  • in Readers in Residence spotlights
  • in newsletters
  • in social media features
  • and throughout future Fiction Flock content

This helps readers get to know the real people behind the recommendations and contributes to the overall community feel of the platform.

You do not need to make your profile overly formal or polished. Personality is absolutely welcome here.

Launch Help Needed!

We officially launch on June 15, which means we are currently in the final stretch before opening Fiction Flock to the public.

Right now, the biggest area where I would love help is building out recommendation content for the Beach Bag Adventure.

If you have one or two favorite:

  • beach reads
  • vacation books
  • poolside page-turners
  • fun summer escape stories

please consider adding them through the RIR Studio.

To add a recommendation:

  1. Open the RIR Studio
  2. Select “Book Pick”
  3. Search for your title
  4. Attach the recommendation to the Beach Bag Adventure
  5. Complete the recommendation details
  6. Submit

Those recommendations may then appear:

  • in quiz results
  • inside the Blind Blurb Swipe quest
  • on the Fiction Flock homepage
  • in recommendation collections
  • and in launch-related social media content

Some parts of the current adventure still contain placeholder content specifically because I wanted to leave room for Readers in Residence contributions before launch. 

Affiliate Information

When books are added to Fiction Flock, the system automatically generates affiliate buy links for both Amazon and Bookshop.org.

Amazon Affiliate Tracking

Each Reader in Residence will be assigned an individual Amazon affiliate tracking ID by our system.

This means that when readers purchase books through your recommendations, the associated affiliate income can be tracked directly back to your recommendations. The goal is for contributors to directly benefit from books they help promote and recommend within the community.

Because the contributor and reporting systems are still being built and refined, payout logistics are still evolving, but the long-term goal is full transparency around recommendation performance and affiliate earnings.

Please note:

  • affiliate payouts will likely require a small minimum earnings threshold ($5) before payment is processed
  • payout timing and reporting tools are still being finalized
  • some systems may evolve over time as the platform grows

Bookshop.org Links

Bookshop.org currently does not allow contributor-level affiliate tracking in the same way Amazon does.

Because of that, revenue generated through Bookshop.org links will function more as a shared Readers in Residence support pool that can be used to help reward contributors and support the program as it grows.

Over time, that may include things like:

  • contributor bonuses
  • surprise mail and bookish gifts
  • RiR perks
  • other things we think up!

Because Fiction Flock is still in active development, the exact structure of those systems will likely continue evolving over time.

Questions, Bugs, & Feedback

If you run into bugs, confusing workflows, broken links, or have ideas for improving the experience, please reach out.

This platform is still actively evolving ahead of launch, and your feedback genuinely helps shape what Fiction Flock becomes.