Lulu Blog

Every so often we receive an email asking if we are affiliated with the Lulu Book Review blog. While we aren’t officially affiliated with the great review team of the LLBR blog, we are big fans of the work they do, and are thrilled that these authors and reviewers chose Lulu!

On March 1st, The Lulu Book Review celebrated its very first birthday! We wanted to mark this joyous occasion with an interview with the Lulu Book Review’s founder,  Shannon Yarbrough.

Be sure to visit the Lulu Book Review blog this month and join in the festivities, read some reviews and wish them a happy birthday! And don’t forget to follow the LLBR on Twitter, too!

Why did you create the Lulu Book Review?

I published my first book in 2003 with another print-on-demand publisher.  In 2006 I came across Lulu.com and used it to republish a more inexpensive version of that book and a book of poetry.  In 2008, I decided to use Lulu again to publish my second novel.  I’ve always been an advocate for the POD community so with that second book I decided to create a blog devoted to reviewing print-on-demand books.  Just having someone out there read my book always brought me great satisfaction, so I wanted to give that feeling back to other authors.

Why is your blog specifically for Lulu authors?

When I decided to create The Lulu Book Review, I took a look at other review blogs to see what they were doing.  Of course, I wanted to be different in some way.  There are already some long running blogs on the web devoted to particular POD companies, so I decided to go with Lulu because it was a company I knew a little about and had a good experience with.

Who reviews the books? Do you have a team?

I’m the lead reviewer and average about two to three reviews each month plus I also post commentary and information about Lulu and about others news or events going on in the POD industry.  I focus mainly on fiction, poetry, some nonfiction and pictorials.

LK Gardner-Griffie joined me last August as a part-time reviewer.  She averages 1 to 2 reviews a month and also helps me develop informational posts.  She focuses on young adult, children’s books, some general fiction, and some nonfiction.

Dan Marvin came on board this year.  Dan focuses on particular genres that I felt we were lacking in reviews on the blog last year.  Science fiction, politics, mysteries, adventure, fantasy, and more.

Julie Elizabeth Powell also joined us this year and she is our “roving reviewer.”  She searches Lulu for other books that may not have come to our attention and writes several “mini-reviews” each month.

Most importantly, we are all Lulu authors with experience in either creative or professional writing, or both.

How have your reviews helped authors? Why are they important?

While it’s hard to determine if we are directly responsible, I hope that we help authors sell copies of their books.  Outside of that, every author appreciates feedback and is usually excited to hear from someone—a stranger they don’t know—who took time to read their book.  And who doesn’t like to have their book in the spotlight? We also cross post our reviews to both Lulu and Amazon for the author.  Since both of these facets use a star rating system that can often attract readership for them.  The blog has also become a point of reference for some authors seeking out tips or advice on self-publishing.

While a review is just one constructive opinion from one reader, it is often the scarlet letter for a book and can make or break readership.  In today’s online world of internet shopping, those stars are the first thing we look at on Lulu or Amazon whether we admit to it or not. While I often avoid reading reviews of a book I’m about to review myself for the blog, those reviews are the first thing I read when I’m considering a book for my own pleasure.

The Lulu Book Review is a bit different in that we only post positive reviews that would be worthy of three or more stars.  If we read a book that we would rate anything less for whatever reason, we kindly let the author know why and then we do not post a review of it.  Some may think that’s biased, but remember what I said first.  Our ultimate goal is to help an author sell books. So, I’d like to think our reviews are very important.

Are you still looking for books to review?

We are ALWAYS looking for books to review.  We are one of the few blogs that will accept PDF files instead of hard copies, so turn-around time for a review is sometimes very quick.  Authors only have to submit a brief query on our Pick Me! Page to request a review.  On this page, there’s also a list of genres we aren’t accepting right now.  And authors should always look for our “themed” months; we did horror last October and teen fiction for Back to School in August.

What are your favorite books and top picks?

“OH Brother” by Paul Ciccone Jr. was the top pick for 2008.  It was our one review that got the most traffic on the blog.  I wrote this review myself and have to admit that Mr. Ciccone is a brilliant writer who just has a magical way with words.  I’m looking forward to reading and reviewing his next very soon.

“Entrekin” by Will Entrekin is a personal top pick for me only because it had already received a lot of attention before I reviewed it.  The opinions from readers and reviewers were so varied, so it was a lot of fun to join in on all the commentary.  Will has a unique writing style that will definitely be getting some attention from the traditional market in the future.

“Sisypuss” by Patricia Halloff was the first book I reviewed that brought tears to my eyes.  The main character is a stray cat and the book basically follows his life on the streets.  It’s a Disney movie like Bambi or Old Yellar just waiting to be discovered. Halloff’s writing is very personal, brutally honest, and yet sensitive enough to pull at your heart strings if you are an animal lover or not.  I told Patricia she should market this book to shelters, pet stores, and vets.  The potential success for this book is like a ticking time bomb just waiting there to explode.

“30: A Sense of Adventure and No Sense of Direction” by Mark Callaghan is one book I’m still talking about.  I actually suggested it to someone at work this week.  It’s a true life adventure about Mark quitting his job and traveling the world…30 countries in 1 year – 1 country for each year of his life.  I expect to find Mark with his own show on the Travel channel very soon.

Here are two more from reviewer LK Gardner-Griffie:

“Motherless Child” – stories from a life by Sarah Gordon Weathersby.   Sarah captivated my attention from the start of the book and kept it throughout.  I felt as if I now know Sarah and consider her a good friend.  I normally don’t read memoirs but Motherless Child kept me turning the pages because I became interested in Sarah and wanted to know what happened next.  Throughout this book, historic events have come alive through Sarah’s perspective, and I still think about some of the happenings in this book months after.  She is an amazing woman and a definite recommended reading for adults.

“Bob the Dragon Slayer” by Harry Gilleland, Jr. Harry pens a tale that is worthy of all of the stories you read as a child and does it in a delightfully tongue-in-cheek manner.  For sheer entertainment, this book tops my list of those read so far.  A quick read, with chuckles and full out belly laughs throughout, Bob is an excellent escapist choice.

Shannon Yarbrough’s second book, “Stealing Wishes,” has been nominated for a Lambda Literary Award for 2008.  (Winners will be announced this summer.)  He recorded his publishing adventure of this book in a “POD Diary” online at the Lulu Book Review and has recently published the diary as a reference guide called The POD Pocket Guide.