The Self-Publishing Dream: Not an Easy Ride

How to Become a Published Author on the Web, by Jeannette Murray, at http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/71746/how_to_become_a_selfpublished_author.html, has some very interesting points about Lulu.com.

Bob Young, the creator of Red Hat the leader in open source products, founded Lulu.com in 2002 because he had been trying to find a publisher for his own work and realized how hard it was to get recognition from commercial publishers. So he started Lulu.com where you, the author, have the control over the content of the book, how it looks, and how much you sell it for. You can choose to have Published by You distribution for $149.00 where you are the publisher or you can purchase Published by Lulu distribution for $99.95. The later was formerly known as Global Distribution. With either purchase you also buy an ISBN number which is now thirteen digits instead of ten. The thirteen digit ISBN number will be standard for all publications come January 1, 2007.

The Published by Lulu means that Lulu buys the ISBN number and you grant them the rights to publish your work. They are mapped as being your publisher. The Published by You distribution allows you register and buy your own ISBN number and this signals you as the official publisher. Granted with this feature you have to fill out a form and extract more dough from your pocket, but it gives you more control over all aspects of your work.

Once an author goes through the whole process of uploading their book, creating a cover, and buying a distribution selection, many think that is all there is to the self-publishing phenomenon. This is not true. Yes, you have published your book, but how is anyone going to know about it unless you tell them. In order to be successful in the "published" world, you will need to take the next big step and that is marketing your book to the public. Once amateurs realize they have to market the book on their own in order to achieve any amount of accomplishment, they are intimidated. Their minds are in a whirlwind of questions: "Where do I market the book?", "How do I market it?", "What are the means available for promotion?", "Do I have enough money to have someone else do it for me?"

Besides these questions bouncing around the author's brain, they begin to realize that through marketing they may actually be discovered by a large amount of people. For some this is their dream and they're more than ready to be noticed. For others, even though being published is what they greatly desire, they are afraid to take the next step to gaining a steady flow of fans. Yet, they know they cannot make it as a full-time author if they don't have a dedicated following as say Stephen King or Anne Rice have. So they force themselves to beat down the fear, take a deep breath and venture into promoting their new book.

Lulu.com offers services or tools to help the new author market their book. They provide free services such as an example of a press release, your own store front and marketing advice. For a fee they offer author marketing kits, as well as offering services from third parties including publishing services and marketing and publicity services. Now most authors when they are starting out cannot afford to pay for services and thus must do the work themselves. They must spend time and a little bit of money to create and send out press releases and direct mail to news media, family and friends and other interested parties. Authors should try and get their book in local bookstores and do a book signing. They can also contact their local library and set up a date and time to do a reading and answer any questions.

The aspiring author must learn patience and study up on marketing trends in the literary world in order to promote their book effectively. They may have to take time out to learn how to write press releases and any other materials they may need to promote their work. Even though this may take time, the skills they will learn will be invaluable in the future.
Lulu definitely has made self-publishing easier for people by not asking for hefty fees like AuthorHouse or other print-on-demand companies, and they allow the author to control most every aspect of designing their book. Authors who step into the self-publishing realm may not always have a clue as to what the publishing industry entails or what will be required on their part. Lulu.com is one way for the novice to learn about what is involved in the process of the publishing world.
It may not be as easy as the beginning author perceived, as in once the book is published they can sit back and watch magic happen. Once they learn all they will have to do to put their work in front of the world, they will appreciate their efforts more and their work will have more meaning.

Whatever needs an author may have, Lulu's staff is always there to help.