The Humble Beginning

When we first launched WriteAway, it was a simple experiment: could we build a blog entirely powered by Google Sheets? The idea was compelling—use a familiar interface that non-technical writers already understand, with all the version history and collaboration features built in.

The result was surprisingly effective. Our initial implementation used a single Google Sheet connected to a Next.js frontend hosted on Vercel and a powerful CMS system built entirely on Google Sheets. Authors could write on a WYWYG editor (on Google Sheets!), format their posts, add pictures, organize with tabs, and publish with a single click. The system would sync content to Supabase, and our Next.js app would serve beautiful, fast blog pages.

But as more writers expressed interest, we faced a challenge: our system was built for a single author. How could we evolve into a platform that supports multiple writers while maintaining the simplicity of the original concept?

The Multi-Author Challenge

Transforming a single-author blog into a multi-author platform involves more than just database changes. We needed to solve several key challenges:

Content ownership: Ensuring authors can only modify their own content
Authentication: Creating a secure, easy-to-use auth system for multiple authors
URL structure: Designing a permalink system that scales with many authors
User roles: Differentiating between admin authors and regular contributors
Resource limits: Implementing reasonable quotas for different author tiers

Rather than building a traditional CMS with login screens and complex dashboards, we wanted to maintain our unique approach: let authors continue writing in Google Sheets, but with proper isolation and permissions.

Architecture Decisions

The core architecture decision was to create two distinct pathways for content:

Limited to their own subdirectory (/{handle})
Authentication via personal author tokens
Post limits (starting with 20 posts per author)

This division allowed us to maintain full backwards compatibility for existing authors while opening the platform to new contributors.

Implementation Details

Author Authentication

Instead of forcing writers to remember passwords, we generate unique API tokens for each author. These tokens are stored in our Supabase database and used to authenticate API requests from their Google Sheets.

Content Ownership

Each post in our database now includes an author_handle field that links content to its creator. This simple addition enables us to:

Filter queries so authors only see their own content
Create author-specific pages at /{handle}
Validate that incoming content belongs to the authenticated author

URL Structure

We implemented a clear URL hierarchy for author content:

Author profiles: /{handle}
Author blog index: /{handle}/blog
Individual posts: /{handle}/blog/{slug}

This structure scales well with many authors and provides clear ownership of content. It also improves SEO by organizing content logically.

The Author Onboarding Flow

Our author onboarding process is designed to be frictionless:

Potential authors complete a simple signup form
Admin reviews applications through the admin dashboard
Upon approval, authors receive their API token and Google Sheets template
Authors can immediately start writing and publishing to their section

This flow balances accessibility with quality control, ensuring we can maintain content standards while making it easy for new authors to join.

Lessons Learned

1. Simplicity Wins

By leveraging familiar tools (Google Sheets) and focusing on core functionality rather than complex dashboards, we've created a system that authors actually enjoy using. The learning curve is minimal because most writers already know how to use spreadsheets.

2. Separation of Concerns

Keeping the content creation flow (Google Sheets) separate from the presentation layer (Next.js) gives us tremendous flexibility. Authors focus on writing while the platform handles optimization, delivery, and presentation.

3. Progressive Authentication

Not forcing a traditional username/password system allowed us to implement a more seamless authentication flow for authors. Their Google Sheet contains their API token, so the publishing process feels magical—just click a button and content appears on the site.

What's Next

With our multi-author foundation in place, we're excited about several upcoming improvements:

Author analytics: Giving writers insights into their content performance
Custom themes: Allowing authors to personalize their section of the site
Monetization options: Exploring ways for authors to earn from their content
Publishing workflows: Adding optional review processes for team publishing

Conclusion

Transforming a single-author blog into a multi-author platform presented significant technical challenges, but by focusing on the unique value proposition—publishing directly from Google Sheets—we've created a system that's both powerful and approachable.

The architecture we've built supports our current needs while providing a foundation for future growth. Most importantly, it maintains the simplicity that made the original concept compelling: anyone comfortable with a spreadsheet can now be a publisher.

Want to become an author on WriteAway? Apply here and start publishing from your spreadsheet today.

Jeff Tester

Jeff Tester's Blog Posts

Jeff Tester

Jeff Tester's Blog Posts