Apprentice House Press, an initiative of Loyola University Maryland, is the nation’s only student-run publishing house. In addition to offering hands-on experience to students in all aspects of the publishing process, the press supports a growing roster of authors whose work reaches both academic and commercial audiences. But behind the scenes, its royalty reporting and administrative workflows had become increasingly outdated—limiting both efficiency and engagement. Loyola recognized the need for a more modern approach and partnered with DatAchieve to develop a secure, scalable platform built for today’s publishing demands.
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Loyola University | Apprentice House PressModernizing Publishing Royalty Reporting
What They Needed
Apprentice House Press had long relied on a legacy reporting process to track and distribute royalty payments. The system required significant staff oversight and manual effort, resulting in inefficiencies and potential for error. Authors had no direct access to their data, leading to time-consuming back-and-forth communications and a less-than-optimal user experience.
Loyola’s goals were multifaceted:
- Security was a primary concern—author earnings and publishing data needed to be protected at every level.
- Usability mattered too, both for authors and internal staff, who needed to manage data independently without additional technical support.
- Scalability was also important, with the potential to repurpose the platform for other university departments or even external publishing organizations.
The solution needed to deliver on all of these fronts—modern in design, intuitive in function, and robust in capability—while respecting the unique academic context in which Apprentice House Press operates.
What We Delivered
DatAchieve partnered with Loyola to design and develop a custom, cloud-based application tailored to the needs of a busy university publishing house. The new system allows authors to securely log in, view, and download royalty reports from any device. Administrative staff can easily update content, manage report data, and onboard new authors—without relying on developers or IT.
In addition to platform development, DatAchieve provided:
- Custom Cloud Application: Built specifically for publishing workflows, with secure user roles and permissions.
- Responsive Design: A clean, mobile-friendly interface for authors and staff on the go.
- Platform Training: Ensuring internal teams were equipped to manage the system confidently and independently.
- Scalable Architecture: Designed with the potential for future expansion to other publishing entities or institutions.
Ease for Authors. Control for Admins.
The royalty platform developed for Apprentice House Press combines secure functionality with a user-friendly design. Authors and staff can log in from any device to access real-time data, manage publications, and export reports with just a few clicks.
Key Features:
- At-a-glance dashboard with total sales data
- Secure, role-based access for staff and authors
- Downloadable, year-specific royalty reports (PDF)
- Built-in messaging and author notification tools
- Fully responsive design for mobile and desktop use
