WEBSITE REVIEW – LULU. COM. www.lulu.com Lulu is a very effective way in which authors can publish books on demand for any and who wish to buy them. There is a difference between self-publishing and vanity publishing. Lulu is not a vanity publisher in that the author does not pay to the cost of his or her own book though writers will have to buy their own copies of any work produced. The real advantage at Lulu is that they do not have a minimum print run for any book, so even if you want just one copy of a book, they will produce it. You create your book on your own website, for example, in Microsoft Office, and save it to a file. You then go to Lulu and decide whether to produce in paperback or hardback, and whether your work is geared up to adult audiences only, or is suitable for a younger audience. You give your work a title, and a brief summary description, rather like the blurb you would find on a book’s back cover. You now work through the book production process and then add a cover design. Lulu has various sample covers and invites you to download your own too, but the formatting can’t handle big glossy pictures. Once covered and formatted o your approval you price the book up – Lulu will set a minimum price which covers production costs, and you decide what reasonable profit to pursue over that.
You now launch your book on the public. Get the URL for your sales page, - here is one of mine - http://www.lulu.com/content/757452 BRAINWASHED! A CULT SURVIVORS' TALE (The true story of my years in The Divine Light Mission cult) and promote your book link to your blogs and relevant websites you may have. You should also set up a Lulu Storefront page such as this one of mine http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=952521 which will promote all of the work you have for sale. Lulu may not be Faber & Faber, but it is a good place to produce a modest volume of your work for yourself and your friends. Lulu can be slow to use – the Storefront is Hell to set up, but there is a very useful forum community to turn to for help and advice. Good luck with your book if you take the Lulu route.