diff --git a/prisma/dev.db b/prisma/dev.db
index 403cac6..9c0bb04 100644
Binary files a/prisma/dev.db and b/prisma/dev.db differ
diff --git a/src/app/layout.tsx b/src/app/layout.tsx
index fed526e..a42e354 100644
--- a/src/app/layout.tsx
+++ b/src/app/layout.tsx
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ export default function RootLayout({
         >
           <div id="layout-container" className="md:p-4 w-screen h-screen mt-2 md:mt-6 flex justify-center">
             <div className="w-full md:w-5/6 flex flex-col md:flex-row">
-              <div id="sidebar" className=" flex flex-row md:flex-col w-full justify-between"> <header className="">
+              <div id="sidebar" className=" flex flex-row md:flex-col  justify-between"> <header className="">
                 <h1 className="font-black text-4xl text-primary-foreground bg-primary antialiased w-full p-2 rounded-tl-3xl pl-6 pr-4 hidden md:block">SubMan</h1>
                 <p className="mt-2 mx-1 text-sm antialiased w-40 hidden md:block">The self-hosted literary submission tracker.</p>
               </header>
diff --git a/src/app/lib/create.ts b/src/app/lib/create.ts
index 6b90dc9..d0f2d2b 100644
--- a/src/app/lib/create.ts
+++ b/src/app/lib/create.ts
@@ -7,26 +7,16 @@ import { z } from "zod"
 import { storySchema } from "app/ui/forms/schemas"
 import { pubSchema } from "app/ui/forms/schemas"
 import { subSchema } from "app/ui/forms/schemas"
+import { prepGenreData, prepStoryData } from "./validate"
 
 //TODO - data validation, error handling, unauthorized access handling
 
-export async function createStory(data: Story & { genres: number[] }): Promise<Story | undefined> {
+export async function createStory(data: Story & { genres: number[] }): Promise<Story | boolean | undefined> {
 	// will return undefined if middleware authorization fails
 	"use server"
-	//Prepare data
-	const genresArray = data.genres.map((e) => { return { id: e } })
-	const storyData = {
-		title: data.title,
-		word_count: data.word_count,
-	}
-	//prepare schemas
-	const schema = storySchema.omit({ id: true, genres: true })
-	const genreSchema = z.object({ id: z.number() })
-	const genresSchema = z.array(genreSchema)
 	try {
-		//validate
-		schema.safeParse(storyData)
-		genresSchema.safeParse(genresArray)
+		const storyData = await prepStoryData(data)
+		const genresArray = await prepGenreData(data.genres)
 
 		//submit
 		const res = await prisma.story.create({ data: storyData })
@@ -40,12 +30,13 @@ export async function createStory(data: Story & { genres: number[] }): Promise<S
 		return res
 	} catch (error) {
 		console.error(error)
-		return undefined
+		return false
 	}
+
 }
 
 
-export async function createPub(data: Pub & { genres: number[] }): Promise<Pub | undefined> {
+export async function createPub(data: Pub & { genres: number[] }): Promise<Pub | boolean | undefined> {
 	"use server"
 	//prepare data
 	const pubData = {
@@ -79,7 +70,7 @@ export async function createPub(data: Pub & { genres: number[] }): Promise<Pub |
 		return genresRes
 	} catch (error) {
 		console.error(error)
-		return undefined
+		return false
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/src/app/lib/del.ts b/src/app/lib/del.ts
index 7e38300..499551a 100644
--- a/src/app/lib/del.ts
+++ b/src/app/lib/del.ts
@@ -10,24 +10,33 @@ const tableMap = {
 	"/submission": "sub"
 }
 
-export async function deleteRecord(id: number, pathname: Pathname) {
+export async function deleteRecord(id: number, pathname: Pathname): Promise<undefined | boolean> {
 	const table = tableMap[pathname]
-	const res = await prisma[table].delete({ where: { id } })
-	console.log(`deleted from ${table}: ${res.id}`)
-	console.log("revalidating: " + pathname)
-	revalidatePath(pathname)
-	redirect(pathname)
-}
-
-export async function deleteRecords(ids: number[], pathname: "/story" | "/publication" | "/submission") {
-	const table = tableMap[pathname]
-	ids.forEach(async (id) => {
-		const res = await prisma[table].delete({
-			where: { id }
-		})
+	try {
+		const res = await prisma[table].delete({ where: { id } })
 		console.log(`deleted from ${table}: ${res.id}`)
-	})
-	revalidatePath(pathname)
-	redirect(pathname)
+		revalidatePath(pathname)
+		return true
+	} catch (error) {
+		console.error(error)
+		return undefined
+	}
+}
+
+export async function deleteRecords(ids: number[], pathname: "/story" | "/publication" | "/submission"): Promise<boolean | undefined> {
+	try {
+		const table = tableMap[pathname]
+		ids.forEach(async (id) => {
+			const res = await prisma[table].delete({
+				where: { id }
+			})
+			console.log(`deleted from ${table}: ${res.id}`)
+		})
+		revalidatePath(pathname)
+		return true
+	} catch (error) {
+		console.error(error)
+		return undefined
+	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/app/lib/update.ts b/src/app/lib/update.ts
index 88c4807..e9c38be 100644
--- a/src/app/lib/update.ts
+++ b/src/app/lib/update.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 "use server"
-import { Genre, Sub } from "@prisma/client"
+import { Genre, Story, Sub } from "@prisma/client"
 import prisma from "./db"
 import { revalidatePath } from "next/cache"
 import { redirect } from "next/navigation"
-import { subSchema } from "app/ui/forms/schemas"
+import { storySchema, subSchema } from "app/ui/forms/schemas"
+import { z } from "zod"
 
 
 export async function updateField({ datum, table, column, id, pathname }: { datum?: string | number | Genre[], table: string, column: string, id: number, pathname: string }) {
@@ -56,7 +57,28 @@ export async function updateSub(data: Sub): Promise<Sub | undefined> {
 }
 
 
-
+export async function updateStory(data: Story & { genres: number[] }): Promise<Story | undefined> {
+	"use server"
+	//prepare data
+	const genresArray = data.genres.map((e) => { return { id: e } })
+	const storyData = {
+		title: data.title,
+		word_count: data.word_count,
+	}
+	//prepare schemas
+	const schema = storySchema.omit({ id: true, genres: true })
+	const genreSchema = z.object({ id: z.number() })
+	const genresSchema = z.array(genreSchema)
+	try {
+		//validate
+		schema.safeParse(storyData)
+		genresSchema.safeParse(genresArray)
+
+	} catch (error) {
+		console.error(error)
+		return undefined
+	}
+}
 
 
 
diff --git a/src/app/lib/validate.ts b/src/app/lib/validate.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b1bdb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/lib/validate.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import { z } from "zod";
+import { storySchema } from "app/ui/forms/schemas";
+import { Story } from "@prisma/client";
+
+//schemas
+
+const schema = storySchema.omit({ id: true, genres: true })
+const genreSchema = z.object({ id: z.number() })
+const genresSchema = z.array(genreSchema)
+
+export async function prepStoryData(data: Story & { genres: number[] }): Promise<{ title: string, word_count: number }> {
+	const storyData = {
+		title: data.title,
+		word_count: data.word_count,
+	}
+	//prepare schemas
+
+	//throw an error if validation fails
+	schema.safeParse(storyData)
+
+	return storyData
+}
+
+export async function prepGenreData(data: number[]): Promise<{ id: number }[]> {
+	"use server"
+
+	//prepare data
+	const genresArray = data.map((e) => { return { id: e } })
+
+	//prepare schemas
+
+	//throws error if validation fails
+	genresSchema.safeParse(genresArray)
+	return genresArray
+
+}
diff --git a/src/app/publication/create.tsx b/src/app/publication/create.tsx
index 1946173..91ef6ed 100644
--- a/src/app/publication/create.tsx
+++ b/src/app/publication/create.tsx
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ export default function CreatePubDialog({ genres }: ComponentProps<"div"> & { ge
         </DialogHeader>
         <PubForm createPub={createPub} genres={genres} />
         <DialogFooter>
-          <Button form="pubform">Submit</Button>
+          <DialogClose >
+            <Button form="pubform">Submit</Button>
+          </DialogClose>
         </DialogFooter>
 
       </DialogContent>
diff --git a/src/app/story/create.tsx b/src/app/story/create.tsx
index 13baed7..487719e 100644
--- a/src/app/story/create.tsx
+++ b/src/app/story/create.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import { createStory } from "app/lib/create"
 import { Dialog, DialogHeader, DialogTrigger, DialogContent, DialogClose, DialogTitle, DialogFooter, DialogDescription } from "@/components/ui/dialog";
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
-import { ComponentProps } from "react";
+import { ComponentProps, useState } from "react";
 import { Genre } from "@prisma/client";
 import StoryForm from "app/ui/forms/story";
 import { Plus } from "lucide-react";
@@ -10,8 +10,10 @@ import { Plus } from "lucide-react";
 
 export default function CreateStoryDialog({ genres }: ComponentProps<"div"> & { genres: Genre[] }) {
 
+  const [isOpen, setIsOpen] = useState(false)
+
   return (
-    <Dialog>
+    <Dialog open={isOpen} onOpenChange={setIsOpen}>
       <DialogTrigger asChild>
         <div>
           <Button className="hidden md:block">Create new story</Button>
@@ -23,9 +25,12 @@ export default function CreateStoryDialog({ genres }: ComponentProps<"div"> & {
           <DialogTitle>New story</DialogTitle>
           <DialogDescription>Create an entry for a new story i.e. a thing you intend to submit for publication.</DialogDescription>
         </DialogHeader>
-        <StoryForm createStory={createStory} genres={genres} existingData={null} />
+        <StoryForm createStory={createStory} genres={genres} className="" />
         <DialogFooter>
-          <Button form="storyform">Submit</Button>
+          <DialogClose>
+            {/* TODO: pass setIsOpen to form as prop, to be handled post-verification */}
+            <Button form="storyform">Submit</Button>
+          </DialogClose>
         </DialogFooter>
 
       </DialogContent>
diff --git a/src/app/ui/forms/editSub.tsx b/src/app/ui/forms/editSub.tsx
index 4c1df4c..2bd23c8 100644
--- a/src/app/ui/forms/editSub.tsx
+++ b/src/app/ui/forms/editSub.tsx
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import { useState } from "react"
 import { createSub } from "app/lib/create"
 import { subSchema } from "./schemas"
 import { updateSub } from "app/lib/update"
+import { useRouter } from "next/navigation"
 
 export type SubForm = z.infer<typeof subSchema>
 
@@ -67,13 +68,14 @@ export default function EditSubmissionForm({ stories, pubs, responses, defaults
 	))
 
 
-	// 2. Define a submit handler.
+	const router = useRouter()
+
 	async function onSubmit(values: z.infer<typeof subSchema>) {
 		try {
 			const res = await updateSub(values)
 			if (res === undefined) throw new Error("something went wrong")
 			toast({ title: "Successfully created new submission!" })
-			window.location.reload()
+			router.refresh()
 		} catch (error) {
 			toast({
 				title: "UH-OH",
diff --git a/src/app/ui/forms/pub.tsx b/src/app/ui/forms/pub.tsx
index 149db14..3c75149 100644
--- a/src/app/ui/forms/pub.tsx
+++ b/src/app/ui/forms/pub.tsx
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import { ComponentProps } from "react"
 import { Genre } from "@prisma/client"
 import GenrePicker from "./genrePicker"
 import { pubSchema } from "./schemas"
+import { useRouter } from "next/navigation"
 
 export default function PubForm({ genres, createPub, className }: ComponentProps<"div"> & { genres: Array<Genre>, createPub: (data: any) => void }) {
 	const form = useForm<z.infer<typeof pubSchema>>({
@@ -32,21 +33,20 @@ export default function PubForm({ genres, createPub, className }: ComponentProps
 		},
 	})
 
+	const router = useRouter()
+
 	async function onSubmit(values: z.infer<typeof pubSchema>) {
 		try {
 			const res = await createPub(values)
-			if (res === undefined) throw new Error("something went wrong")
-			toast({
-				title: "Successfuly submitted:",
-				description: values.title
-			})
+			if (!res) throw new Error("something went wrong")
+			toast({ title: "Successfully submitted:", description: values.title })
+			router.refresh()
 		} catch (error) {
 			toast({
-				title: "UH-OH",
+				title: "Oh dear... ",
 				description: error.message
 			})
 		}
-		window.location.reload()
 	}
 
 	function onErrors(errors) {
diff --git a/src/app/ui/forms/story.tsx b/src/app/ui/forms/story.tsx
index a689a9f..37db8de 100644
--- a/src/app/ui/forms/story.tsx
+++ b/src/app/ui/forms/story.tsx
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import { ComponentProps } from "react"
 import { Genre, Story } from "@prisma/client"
 import { randomStoryTitle } from "app/lib/shortStoryTitleGenerator"
 import GenrePicker from "./genrePicker"
+import { useRouter } from "next/navigation"
 
 export const formSchema = z.object({
 	id: z.number().optional(),
@@ -27,35 +28,30 @@ export const formSchema = z.object({
 	genres: z.array(z.number())
 })
 
-export default function StoryForm({ genres, createStory, className, existingData }: ComponentProps<"div"> & { genres: Array<Genre>, createStory: (data: any) => void, existingData: Story & { genres: number[] } | null }) {
+export default function StoryForm({ genres, createStory, className }: ComponentProps<"div"> & { genres: Array<Genre>, createStory: (data: any) => void, className: string }) {
 	const form = useForm<z.infer<typeof formSchema>>({
 		resolver: zodResolver(formSchema),
 		defaultValues: {
-			id: existingData?.id,
-			title: existingData?.title ?? "",
-			word_count: existingData?.word_count ?? 500,
-			genres: existingData?.genres ?? []
+			word_count: 500,
+			genres: []
 		},
 	})
 
-
+	const router = useRouter()
 
 	async function onSubmit(values: z.infer<typeof formSchema>) {
 		try {
 			const res = await createStory(values)
 			//server actions return undefined if middleware authentication fails
-			if (res === undefined) throw new Error("something went wrong")
-			toast({
-				title: "Successfully submitted:",
-				description: values.title,
-			})
+			if (!res) throw new Error("something went wrong")
+			toast({ title: "Sucessfully submitted:", description: values.title })
+			router.refresh()
 		} catch (error) {
 			toast({
-				title: "UH-OH",
+				title: "Oh dear... ",
 				description: error.message
 			})
 		}
-		window.location.reload()
 	}
 
 
diff --git a/src/app/ui/forms/sub.tsx b/src/app/ui/forms/sub.tsx
index c81ea00..c8dbf41 100644
--- a/src/app/ui/forms/sub.tsx
+++ b/src/app/ui/forms/sub.tsx
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import {
 import { useState } from "react"
 import { createSub } from "app/lib/create"
 import { subSchema } from "./schemas"
+import { useRouter } from "next/navigation"
 
 export type SubForm = z.infer<typeof subSchema>
 
@@ -65,8 +66,8 @@ export default function SubmissionForm({ stories, pubs, responses, defaults }) {
 		</SelectItem>
 	))
 
+	const router = useRouter()
 
-	// 2. Define a submit handler.
 	async function onSubmit(values: z.infer<typeof subSchema>) {
 		try {
 			const res = await createSub(values)
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ export default function SubmissionForm({ stories, pubs, responses, defaults }) {
 				description: error.message
 			})
 		}
-		window.location.reload()
+		router.refresh()
 	}
 
 	function onErrors(errors) {
diff --git a/src/app/ui/tables/data-table.tsx b/src/app/ui/tables/data-table.tsx
index 4765b7c..8833fa6 100644
--- a/src/app/ui/tables/data-table.tsx
+++ b/src/app/ui/tables/data-table.tsx
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ import {
   TableRow,
 } from "@/components/ui/table"
 import { EyeIcon, Trash2 } from "lucide-react"
-import { usePathname } from "next/navigation"
+import { usePathname, useSearchParams } from "next/navigation"
 import FormContextMenu from "./contextMenu"
 import { deleteRecord, deleteRecords } from "app/lib/del"
 import { Pathname } from "app/types"
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ import { tableNameToItemName } from "app/lib/nameMaps"
 import { Genre, Pub, Response, Story } from "@prisma/client"
 import EditSubmissionDialog from "app/submission/edit"
 import { DialogTitle } from "@radix-ui/react-dialog"
+import { toast } from "@/components/ui/use-toast"
+import { useRouter } from "next/navigation"
 
 export interface DataTableProps<TData, TValue> {
   columns: ColumnDef<TData, TValue>[]
@@ -119,6 +121,9 @@ export function DataTable<TData, TValue>({
   }
 
 
+
+  const router = useRouter()
+
   const [filterBy, setFilterBy] = useState(table.getAllColumns()[0])
   const [isContextMenuOpen, setIsContextMenuOpen] = useState(false)
   return (<>
@@ -181,8 +186,11 @@ export function DataTable<TData, TValue>({
           <DialogFooter>
             <DialogClose asChild>
               <Button variant="destructive"
-                onClick={() => {
-                  deleteRecord(dialogRow.original.id, pathname)
+                onClick={async () => {
+                  const res = await deleteRecord(dialogRow.original.id, pathname)
+                  if (!res) toast({ title: "Oh dear...", description: "Failed to delete." })
+                  if (res) toast({ title: "Successfully deleted record of id:", description: dialogRow.original.id })
+                  router.refresh()
                 }}>Yes, delete it!
               </Button>
             </DialogClose>
@@ -206,11 +214,14 @@ export function DataTable<TData, TValue>({
           <DialogFooter>
             <DialogClose asChild>
               <Button variant="destructive"
-                onClick={() => {
+                onClick={async () => {
                   const selectedRows = table.getState().rowSelection
                   const rowIds = Object.keys(selectedRows)
                   const recordIds = rowIds.map(id => Number(table.getRow(id).original.id))
-                  deleteRecords(recordIds, pathname)
+                  const res = await deleteRecords(recordIds, pathname)
+                  if (!res) toast({ title: "Oh dear...", description: "Failed to delete." })
+                  if (res) toast({ title: "Sucessfully deleted records of id:", description: JSON.stringify(recordIds) })
+                  router.refresh()
                 }}>
                 Yes, delete them!</Button>
             </DialogClose>
diff --git a/src/app/ui/tables/inputs/genrePickerInput.tsx b/src/app/ui/tables/inputs/genrePickerInput.tsx
index 1b4d075..2bc0927 100644
--- a/src/app/ui/tables/inputs/genrePickerInput.tsx
+++ b/src/app/ui/tables/inputs/genrePickerInput.tsx
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { toast } from "@/components/ui/use-toast"
 import GenreBadges from "app/ui/genreBadges"
 import { updateField, updateGenres } from "app/lib/update"
 import { Genre } from "@prisma/client"
+import { useRouter } from "next/navigation"
 export default function GenrePickerInputCell(props: CellContext<any, any>) {
 
 
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ export default function GenrePickerInputCell(props: CellContext<any, any>) {
   const value = props.cell.getValue()
   const genres = props.table.options.meta.genres
   const [isActive, setIsActive] = useState(false)
-
+  const router = useRouter()
   async function onSubmit({ genres }: { genres: number[] }, event: Event) {
     event.preventDefault()
     try {
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ export default function GenrePickerInputCell(props: CellContext<any, any>) {
       })
       if (res === undefined) throw new Error("Something went wrong.")
       toast({ title: "Field updated successfully." })
-      window.location.reload()
+      router.refresh()
     } catch (error) {
       console.error(error)
       toast({ title: "Something went wrong." })
diff --git a/src/app/ui/tables/inputs/textInput.tsx b/src/app/ui/tables/inputs/textInput.tsx
index 6aee8e8..1be4ea5 100644
--- a/src/app/ui/tables/inputs/textInput.tsx
+++ b/src/app/ui/tables/inputs/textInput.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { zodResolver } from "@hookform/resolvers/zod";
 import { toast } from "@/components/ui/use-toast";
 import { Form, FormControl, FormField, FormItem, FormMessage } from "@/components/ui/form";
 import TitleContainer from "app/ui/titleContainer";
+import { useRouter } from "next/navigation";
 
 export function TextInputCell({ cellContext, className }: { className: string, cellContext: CellContext<any, any> }) {
   const [isActive, setIsActive] = useState(false)
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ export function TextInputCell({ cellContext, className }: { className: string, c
       [column]: cellContext.cell.getValue()
     },
   })
-
+  const router = useRouter()
   async function onSubmit(value: z.infer<typeof formSchema>) {
     try {
       const res = await updateField({
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ export function TextInputCell({ cellContext, className }: { className: string, c
       })
       if (res === undefined) throw new Error("something went wrong")
       toast({ title: "Field updated successfully." })
-      window.location.reload()
+      router.refresh()
     } catch (error) {
       console.error(error)
       toast({ title: "Something went wrong." })