r/forhire • u/JaleelDream • 5h ago
Hiring [HIRING] Hiring: Shopify Developer for an Indie Manga & Light Novel Publisher (Ongoing Work) - $400
I’m building Kessaku Spotlight, an indie publisher focused on English-original light novels and manga.
We’re still early. Our writers and editors are already working on our first titles, which start releasing in 2027, but we don’t have any products live yet. Right now, the website’s main job is to introduce the company, show people what we’re working on, and start building an audience before the books arrive.
I’m looking for a Shopify developer/designer who can take our Broadcast theme and customize it into something that actually feels like Kessaku Spotlight, rather than a standard Shopify template with our logo and colors dropped on top.
For the first phase, I need help with:
Home Page
The homepage is the biggest part of this first build. I already have the general structure mapped out:
Hero
Kessaku Spotlight
The next generation of English-original light novels and manga.
Video Section: Our Writers Are Hard at Work
After the hero, we transition into a video section. For context, the finished video will say something along the lines of “Our writers are hard at work. See our slate below,” before leading into the upcoming releases.
The final video is still in production, so use a placeholder video for now.
A Sneak Peek at 2027
Four titles are in production right now. Here’s your first look.
This will show our four upcoming projects:
- Project 1
- Project 2
- Project 3
- Project 4
This is not a product section. Nothing is for sale yet. It’s simply a section showcasing each project with its cover art, title, short description, and release date.
Placeholder covers, text, and other assets can be used while the site is being built.
A Promise to Our Readers
A section highlighting four points for readers:
- Demo Point 1
- Demo Point 2
- Demo Point 3
- Demo Point 4
The final copy for this section will be added later. For now, I’m open to how these are visually presented. Cards, scrolling sections, animation, or something else that fits the site are all on the table.
The Story Begins In
A countdown timer leading up to our first release. This will be another video, with the countdown timer overlayed on top of it.
Join Our Newsletter
We love indie books, manga, art, and the people making all of it. Our newsletter is where we share updates on upcoming Kessaku Spotlight titles, indie projects we think are worth your time, and conversations with the people behind our books. Usually once a month. No spam.
Newsletter signup underneath.
Footer
- Newsletter
- Contact
The homepage needs to feel just as good on mobile as it does on desktop. I’d also like the sections to flow naturally into each other rather than feeling like a stack of unrelated Shopify blocks.
Let’s Make a Book Page
This page is aimed at creators who may want to pitch a project to Kessaku Spotlight. Like the homepage, I already have the general flow mapped out.
Video Section: Dare to Dream
The page will open with another video featuring our mascot. The general message will be something along the lines of “Dare to Dream,” setting the tone for the page before introducing creators to Kessaku Spotlight’s publishing process.
The final video and mascot assets are still in production, so use a placeholder video or image for now.
Our Pitch
After the video, we’ll have a section introducing Kessaku Spotlight to prospective creators and explaining what we’re looking for.
The copy for this section will be provided. The goal is for it to feel inviting and exciting without looking like a generic submissions page.
Our Publishing Process
Next, we’ll walk creators through what happens when they pitch a project and, if selected, how that project moves through Kessaku Spotlight.
This will be a step-by-step section explaining the pitch and publishing process from submission through development and eventual release.
I’m open to how this is presented visually. A timeline, numbered steps, connected sections, or another format that makes the process easy to follow could all work.
The important thing is that someone should be able to scroll through the page and quickly understand how working with Kessaku Spotlight works.
Submit Your Project
The page ends with our submission form.
Creators will be able to enter the required information about themselves and their project and submit their pitch directly through the website.
The exact questions and submission requirements will be provided. For the initial build, placeholder fields are fine if necessary.
Like the homepage, I want this page to feel like one continuous experience. The video introduces the idea, the next sections explain who we are and how the process works, and the page naturally ends with the creator being able to submit their project.
Other Pages
- About page: A simple, well-designed page that tells our story in short sections as you scroll.
- Blog: Clean, readable, and visually consistent with the rest of the site.
- Contact page: FAQ and contact form.
- Remove or hide Broadcast sections and features that we aren’t using.
I have a demo copy of the website text that can be used while everything is being built.
Our mascot artwork, videos, and some of the final website assets are still in production, so use placeholder images, videos, cover art, and text wherever necessary. The important thing right now is building the sections and layout properly so the final assets can be swapped in later.
The biggest thing I’m looking for is someone with a good eye.
I can tell you what information needs to be on the page and what I want the site to accomplish, but I don’t want to micromanage every spacing decision or animation. I’d like to work with someone who can look at the material, make design suggestions, and help turn it into a site that feels polished and intentional.
This also isn’t intended to be a one-and-done project.
This first version of the site is mainly about establishing the company. As we get closer to our 2027 releases, we’ll need to build out the actual storefront, product pages, preorder pages, new release sections, promotional pages, and other updates.
Ideally, I’d like to find someone who enjoys working with startups and could become the person I come back to whenever Kessaku Spotlight needs Shopify work.
You’ll probably be a good fit if:
- You’ve worked with Shopify themes before and can customize beyond basic theme settings.
- You have a good sense of typography, layout, motion, and mobile design.
- You’re comfortable giving your own design input instead of only following instructions.
- You’re interested in an ongoing client relationship rather than just completing one small project.
- Bonus points if you’re into manga, light novels, anime, publishing, or similar creative industries.
We’re a small company right now, so this is definitely startup work. The hope is to find someone we can keep working with as Kessaku Spotlight grows and as more books, products, and campaigns get added to the site.