diff --git a/lib/decentralised_book_index/metadata/author.ex b/lib/decentralised_book_index/metadata/author.ex
index b8b392f..dbe0272 100644
--- a/lib/decentralised_book_index/metadata/author.ex
+++ b/lib/decentralised_book_index/metadata/author.ex
@@ -62,8 +62,18 @@ defmodule DecentralisedBookIndex.Metadata.Author do
       end
     end
 
-    create :sync do
-      accept [:id, :name, :description, :avatar_url, :dbi_server_id, :author_alias_registry_id]
+    create :sync_create do
+      accept [
+        :id,
+        :name,
+        :description,
+        :avatar_url,
+        :dbi_server_id,
+        :author_alias_registry_id,
+        :inserted_at,
+        :updated_at,
+        :dbi_server_id
+      ]
 
       change fn changeset, _ ->
         server_id = Ash.Changeset.get_attribute(changeset, :dbi_server)
@@ -128,6 +138,37 @@ defmodule DecentralisedBookIndex.Metadata.Author do
       pagination offset?: true, default_limit: 10
     end
 
+    update :sync do
+      require_atomic? false
+
+      accept [
+        :id,
+        :name,
+        :description,
+        :avatar_url,
+        :dbi_server_id,
+        :author_alias_registry_id,
+        :inserted_at,
+        :updated_at,
+        :dbi_server_id
+      ]
+
+      change fn changeset, _ ->
+        server_id = Ash.Changeset.get_attribute(changeset, :dbi_server)
+        Ash.Changeset.force_change_attribute(changeset, :author_alias_registry_id, server_id)
+
+        registry_id = Ash.Changeset.get_attribute(changeset, :author_alias_registry_id)
+
+        if registry_id == nil do
+          {:ok, registry} = DecentralisedBookIndex.Metadata.create_author_alias_registry()
+
+          Ash.Changeset.force_change_attribute(changeset, :author_alias_registry_id, registry.id)
+        else
+          changeset
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
     update :update do
       primary? true
       accept [:name, :description, :avatar_url]
@@ -156,7 +197,10 @@ defmodule DecentralisedBookIndex.Metadata.Author do
       public? true
     end
 
-    timestamps()
+    timestamps do
+      writable? true
+      public? true
+    end
   end
 
   relationships do
diff --git a/lib/decentralised_book_index/sync/data_transformers/author_transformer.ex b/lib/decentralised_book_index/sync/data_transformers/author_transformer.ex
index 6333ec6..126aed3 100644
--- a/lib/decentralised_book_index/sync/data_transformers/author_transformer.ex
+++ b/lib/decentralised_book_index/sync/data_transformers/author_transformer.ex
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 defmodule DecentralisedBookIndex.Sync.DataTransformers.AuthorTransformer do
-
-  alias DecentralisedBookIndex.Metadata.Author
-
   def from_json(json_body) do
-    author =
+    attrs =
       if Map.has_key?(json_body, "data") do
         %{
           id: get_in(json_body, ["data", "id"]),
@@ -20,6 +17,6 @@ defmodule DecentralisedBookIndex.Sync.DataTransformers.AuthorTransformer do
         }
       end
 
-    {:ok, author}
+    {:ok, attrs}
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/decentralised_book_index/sync/sync/author_sync.ex b/lib/decentralised_book_index/sync/sync/author_sync.ex
index bfdd9ef..dfc7737 100644
--- a/lib/decentralised_book_index/sync/sync/author_sync.ex
+++ b/lib/decentralised_book_index/sync/sync/author_sync.ex
@@ -1,26 +1,27 @@
 defmodule DecentralisedBookIndex.Sync.AuthorSync do
+  alias DecentralisedBookIndex.Metadata
   alias DecentralisedBookIndex.Metadata.Author
 
-  def create_update(author_attrs, server_id) do
-    case DecentralisedBookIndex.Metadata.get_author_by_id(author_attrs.id) do
+  def create_update(attrs, server_id) do
+    case Metadata.get_author_by_id(attrs.id) do
       {:ok, author} ->
-        author_attrs =
-          author_attrs
+        attrs =
+          attrs
           |> Map.delete(:id)
           |> Map.delete(:author_alias_registry_id)
 
         author
-        |> Ash.Changeset.for_update(:update, author_attrs)
+        |> Ash.Changeset.for_update(:sync, attrs)
         |> Ash.update!()
 
         :ok
       {:error, %Ash.Error.Query.NotFound{}} ->
-        author_attrs =
-          author_attrs
+        attrs =
+          attrs
           |> Map.put(:dbi_server_id, server_id)
 
-        DecentralisedBookIndex.Metadata.Author
-        |> Ash.Changeset.for_create(:sync, author_attrs)
+        Author
+        |> Ash.Changeset.for_create(:sync_create, attrs)
         |> Ash.create!()
 
         :ok
diff --git a/test/decentralised_book_index/sync/sync/author_sync_test.exs b/test/decentralised_book_index/sync/sync/author_sync_test.exs
index 3ff738e..3f9d072 100644
--- a/test/decentralised_book_index/sync/sync/author_sync_test.exs
+++ b/test/decentralised_book_index/sync/sync/author_sync_test.exs
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ defmodule DecentralisedBookIndex.Sync.DataTransformers.AuthorSyncTest do
   use DecentralisedBookIndex.DataCase, async: true
 
   alias DecentralisedBookIndex.Sync.AuthorSync
-  alias DecentralisedBookIndex.Metadata.Author
   alias DecentralisedBookIndex.Metadata
 
   alias DecentralisedBookIndex.TestEndpoints