Qwyre is intended to enable cooperative and collaborative literary publishing and distribution of fiction online, and by conversion to downloadable standards compliant EPUBs, by facilitating Web Monetization of proportional micropayments for writers and editors.
Our solution
Qwyre is intended to be an open-source Python and Vue.js web framework, and progressive web application, permitting multiple authors and editors to collaborate on preparing a literary work for publication, publish that work, and share proportionally in web monetization micropayments.
Instead of accumulating micropayments and making bulk transfers to stakeholders, incurring numerous transaction fees along the way, the system will pay proportionally after each download or read, directly to the writer, editor or publisher’s account. E.g. For 100 reader payments, 70 to be directed to the author, 10 to the editor, and 20 to the publisher.
The publication workflow for creators will be:
- Upload a Word document, convert to html and standardised EPUB3 format, including managing cover and metadata,
- Manage the editing workflow between author, editor and publisher, including version control,
- Present work for reading online, or download as an EPUB,
- Charge for reading as microtransactions, using Web Monetization technology (reading per page, per download, etc.) proportionally,
- Present readership and payment statistics.
Outcomes
Software was released as individual packages, and as an integrated progressive web application:
- Chapisha package to import and convert Docx to EPUB3, including support for cover page and metadata,
- Helper for cooperative proportional and variable micropayment via Web Monetization integration,
- Qwyre cooperative publication and distribution progressive web app, and documentation for self-deployment.
Qwyre.com went live in 2022.
