Vibe Bookstore/ Vibe Reader FAQs
At the Vibe Publishers Preview last March 30, 2012 was very well-attended by local publishers. The organizers thought only 30 would show up but it seemed the publishers were excited about this as well. Gus Vibal presented the Vibe Bookstore and Vibe reader. There were many features that were not present when I saw it last November.
The public launch will be sometime early May. Bloggers and media will be invited here so stay tuned when I send out an invite. In the meantime, browse through the Vibe Bookstore for more details. While at it, check out the free books as well as the other titles that can be bought via Paypal. Soon G-cash, credit cards, and other payment scheme will be added.
Watch this Vibe app/ bookstore video
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Vibe?
Vibe is the first electronic bookstore of the Philippines. This year Filipinos will be able to easily access and buy all kinds of reading material on their smart phones and mobile devices. Vibe is also the name of a reading application (app) that will be downloaded for free and installed on users’ PCs and Mac computers, Android devices, as well as on iPhones and iPads.
What is the mission of Vibe?
Aligning itself with the core mission of and inspired by National Book Development Board’s Booklatan sa Bayan program, Vibal Foundation is using this cloud-computing project to make available to the reading public the widest number of newly published, out of print or public domain book titles, as well as magazines and newspapers. The project addresses the problematic issues of high prices, fragmented distribution channels, and delayed time to market that all printed matter in the Philippines face. Vibe is also a wonderful tool for independent publishers and authors who wish to sell their works directly to the public.
What are the advantages of Vibe?
With Vibe, publishers can reduce their time to market. E-book versions can be simultaneously launched with its print version, assuring nationwide availability as long as there is a mobile phone signal or Internet access. Depending on each publisher’s strategy, electronic editions can be substantially reduced in price considering that publishers save on paper, printing, distribution and marketing costs. Publishers can also offer more affordable reading options to budget-minded consumers by offering limited-time licenses, which allow readers to read print material that automatically lapses within an agreed 7-day, 14-day or one-year period. Magazine and newspaper publisher may even offer subscriptions directly within Vibe. Independent publishers will be able to publish books as solely electronic editions, foregoing completely the cost of manufacturing and distribution, with the added benefit of instantly reaching millions of readers. Textbook publishers will be able to sell tablets with interactive textbooks directly to schools with their content already pre-loaded in a secure and traceable manner. Vibe is a universal reading application (app) program. Vibe can read and display both flat and interactive reading material. Vibe has the functionalities of several reading apps currently available in the market such as PressReader (e-newspapers), Zinio (e-magazines), Apple AppStore (storybook apps), Kindle and Apple iBooks (e-PUB formatted books).
What makes Vibe different from other e-book stores like Amazon Kindle, iBooks, etc.?
Vibe is designed with the needs of Philippine readers and publishers in mind. Unlike foreign-based e-bookstores like Amazon Kindle and Apple iBooks, which utilize credit cards as their main payment method, Vibe accepts payments through Globe GCash, SMART Money, and other widely used local services, such as load wallets or pass-a-load, thus having great appeal to the Philippine market. Philippine publishers however can also simultaneously deploy their content to the international market, because Vibal Foundation has direct accounts with the three major international e-bookstores: Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks and Barnes and Noble Nook.
As a publisher, how can I sell my books in the Vibe store?
Simply open your own publisher’s account using Vibe’s business front end called PublishersConnect. You can directly and securely upload your own ePUB or PDF files to Vibe. We strongly advise publishers not to attach unsecured book files to e-mails or to copy them to USB devices or CD- ROMs.
What electronic publication formats does Vibe support?
Upload electronic versions of your magazines or newspapers as PDFs. Submit electronic versions of your books as ePUB files.
What is ePUB?
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