Full-Stack Developer Needed for StoryPad – Online Novel Reading & Publishing Platform

We are looking for an experienced Full-Stack Web Developer to develop StoryPad, a production-ready online platform for reading, publishing, and monetizing Sinhala serialized novels.

StoryPad will allow writers to publish novels and episodes, while readers can discover stories, read free content, purchase Coins, unlock paid episodes, purchase completed novels, interact with writers/readers, and participate in community and gamification features.

This is not a WordPress website, template customization, or basic prototype. We are looking for a developer capable of building a secure, scalable custom web application suitable for real users and real financial transactions.

The platform includes reader accounts, writer accounts and onboarding, novel/episode publishing, Admin approval workflows, Coin wallet and transaction ledger, paid episode unlocking, completed-novel purchases, writer earnings and payouts, reader library and reading progress, comments/replies/reactions, ratings/reviews, follows, notifications, XP/streaks/badges/leaderboards, reporting/moderation, and a complete Admin dashboard.

Payments will include card payments and manually verified bank transfers. Financial functionality such as Coin balances, purchases, permanent content ownership, writer earnings and transaction records must be implemented securely on the backend.

The complete StoryPad V1.0 Production Development Specification will be attached to this project and should be reviewed before providing your final quotation.

The complete UI/UX will be provided in Figma. The selected developer will be expected to accurately implement the supplied designs across desktop, tablet and mobile, including responsive behaviour, component states, loading states, validation, errors, modals and interactions.

We are open to recommendations regarding the final technology stack, database and deployment architecture. Please propose a suitable production stack based on the attached requirements rather than assuming WordPress or another CMS.

When submitting your proposal, please include: your recommended technology stack; examples of similar custom web applications you have developed; your estimated development timeframe and fixed project cost; what is included/excluded from your quotation; your proposed milestone structure; and a brief explanation of how you would implement the Coin wallet → payment → content purchase → permanent ownership → writer earnings flow securely.

Please read the attached specification before submitting a detailed quotation. Generic proposals that do not address the actual StoryPad requirements will not be considered.

Skills May need: Full Stack Development, Web Development, React.js, Node.js, PostgreSQL, API Development, Database Development, Payment Gateway Integration, Web Security, Software Architecture

Deliverables: Final delivery must include deployment and configuration of the complete production-ready StoryPad application on the Client's hosting/VPS and domain. The website must be fully operational and tested in the production environment before final project acceptance. All source code, database, repositories and project-specific technical assets must be handed over to the Client.