LuLu.com: For the Author or for the Money
Bob Young Says LuLu Publishes Bad Books
However, after Ella D. Curry suggested that new authors pick up a copy of Dan Poynter's "Self-Publishing Manual" and finding out that Poynter is also not too big a fan of print-on-demand companies, I reflected on my decision to work with LuLu. I tried to complete a Q&A interview with LuLu's Public Relations department about Bob Young's (the owner of LuLu) comment in Publishers Weekly article stating, "We publish a huge number of really bad books." After weeks waiting on a response, LuLu did not respond. Not only is this a bad business move for LuLu.com, but I continue to see newsletters from LuLu about new products and ways to celebrate self-publishing without correcting or defending their owner's statements. LuLu, like other print-on-demand companies, appears to be more interested in getting money from the authors and less in profiting or promoting to customers.
In Poynter's "Self-Publishing Manual: How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book," so much of the information within this helpful read are tasks that I was already completing as a LuLu writer. As I read Poynter's book, I wondered about my statement in my previous Associated Content article Self-Publishing With a Print-On-Demand Company, in which I stated, "The best way to self-publish is to go with a print-on-demand (POD) company such as LuLu.com, which gives you the opportunity to design your book and make it saleable, without putting down any money." While I do agree that if a book is marketed effectively, it is less money out of the author's pocket, fulfilling big orders can be a downside. In addition to that, $8 to $10 for one proof copy is far more than paying $2 per book with a printing company. There are printing companies who are willing to charge less for each copy and allow authors to look at a proof copy before even a small order (500) are printed. LuLu does charge far less for acquiring an ISBN ($49.95) and gives authors the opportunity to publish under their own name with the Published By You option, but in the back of my mind, I wonder why pay so much for printing one book when that still does not take into account review copies to be sent out, orders to be fulfilled from people who are anti-online payers, and book signing events from companies who don't go through Ingram to buy books. Bookstores still ask for approximately 40% off the list prices when ordering your titles, and although the books are available to stores like Barnes & Noble and Borders, what LuLu.com will not tell you is that Border's does not backorder books. Border's will place orders from Ingram, but with print-on-demand companies, books are printed through LightningSource. This means that when a book is ordered, it is sent to LightningSource to print, then sent to Ingram, then to the store. The delay can frustrate potential customers as well as make bookstores put off by getting your books in their stores or ordering them.
While I will continue to sell Round Trip and Change for a Twenty through LuLu.com, I am disappointed to find out that Amazon.com recently refused to buy print-on-demand books that are not printed with BookSurge. Publishers who do not want to use BookSurge can still have their books sold through Amazon.com by enrolling in Amazon Advantage, which costs $29.95 per year plus 55% of the list price of the book. By using BookSurge, Amazon.com can let buyers take advantage of their free shipping option. For more information on Amazon.com and BookSurge, visit DMNews.com. With such big news like this, you would think LuLu.com would issue a statement to their authors, right? Wrong. While I received an e-newsletter today from LuLu.com, it was about their rates for Published By You and celebrating World Publishing and Book Day. Why? LuLu will still collect money from authors who want their product out to the public regardless of whether Amazon.com sells the books or not. So as authors, I'd strongly advise evaluating your decision to continue to use print-on-demand companies or take the traditional printing route. While it may be economical if you're only selling to family and friends, as book sales increase and more exposure comes to your title(s), the price for proof copies does not decrease. Do you want to affiliate yourself with a company who believes they publish bad books?
Published by Shamontiel
Shamontiel is the author of Round Trip and Change for a Twenty, and in mid-October became the Chicago Tribune s Digital News Editor. She works on National Travel, Health and occasionally Breaking News, and w... View profile
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15 Comments
Post a CommentMr. Pacione, it looks like you didn't finish your last sentence. Was there something more you wanted to share? I still like LuLu. I don't know if I'd use them a third time, but I feel like they were the best for me economically. I still get royalties from Amazon.com and BN.com sales, and at this point, I do so much freelancing, I don't want to dedicate the time to marketing full time and trying to get rid of books sitting around my apartment. I do think it depends on the person though. If I was doing constant book signings and speaking events like I was when the books first came out, I think LuLu would be entirely too expensive.
Ouch regarding the comment on Lulu publishing alot of bad books. It is nice that they provide a cover. I paid for my own ISBN and my own cover art work but ended up using a Lulu cover because the original ended up being rated as too scary for kids. This is a great article.
Delores, why would someone want less than 100 of their own books? I'd think 100 would be a minimum to buy to place orders, or is the book you're talking about just for a small audience. When it comes to a small audience, I can understand why someone should go with LuLu. I did just that because I didn't know how my first book would move. But you pay an arm and a leg for ONE book because since they are printing one-by-one, it's more expensive to print. By the time you've bought a few copies from LuLu that are full-color print, that could've been a charge on a whole gang of books from a traditional printer. You don't think so?
Great article, but I am a fan of LuLu. What people don't seem to realize is that printers have to set up to print a book, expecially one with a full color cover. That costs money. Which is why most will not print less than 100 or some 1000. Createspace has the same program as LuLu, but is a little more expensive, but they include the ISBN.
Hey Monique! I actually like the marketing part. I enjoy it because I grew up watching it (refer to "How Booth Attendants Can Get Customers"), but sometimes the networking can get a little clique-ish. I'm about 90% loner, so I think that's my biggest obstacle. As for LuLu, they have contacted me alone to tell me that they have a relationship with Amazon.com, so the BookSurge decision isn't an issue. However, I still think they should clarify important topics like that in their newsletter. Again, I'm going to stick it out with them for the first two titles, but with the third one, I'm strongly considering going the "traditional" self-publishing route. I'm not anti-print on demand, and I've seen some good books come from PODs, but it does get expensive after awhile. I have four book exhibits coming up, and while I'll file this stuff on my taxes, I believe I'm spending more than I would with a "traditional" printer.
That's a lot of stuff to think about. I think you may be right. Writing the novel is more fun than all that.
Herstory, as much as I'd like to take credit for knowing all this stuff, if I had NOT listened to the Black Author Network for the 29-day Black History ceremony, it wouldn't have occurred to me to question LuLu. I was so frustrated with a ghostwriting project I'd worked on before I joined LuLu that I went through their terms and immediately committed my work to them. But because of Ella D. Curry and other authors on the show, I started questioning my own decisions. Thank BAN, not me! Even when I may have disagreed with some of the comments, I agreed with WAY more of them. Every night was a time to self-reflect and improve.
S - The vast array of your knowledge never fails to amaze me! Thanks for all you share - H
Donna, I re-read page two, and now I see why you corrected me about LuLu being a printer. Yes, they are a printer, but I meant it in the traditional sense. If they were JUST for printing, their prices would not be so high to print those books. How else can you explain someone paying almost triple the amount for the same book? The more books that are bought, the less money that will be spent. I calculated the amount I spent on copies that I bought to be sold, and although I did make my money back from outside sales and through the IRS, I know far too many LuLu authors who did not. Marketing a book is not nearly as fun as writing it, and I'm saying this with a marketing/sales background.
Aww, thanks for the congrats. I am still a little excited about that. Also, thanks for the extra insight. I hope I get famous enough to need it. :-)