Robert Morrison

Thanks,
Curtis

1. Lulu is print-on-demand, which means we print a book only once the order has been placed for it. We do not have fulfillment services. You are welcome to buy in bulk and do your own fulfillment.

2. You can select the type of license you want for your book during the publishing process. Enter in license into the search tab and it will give you more details. It is not anything you need to purchase, you just click a button.

3. You can do your own cover design and interior formatting if you like. Make sure you follow all distribution formatting guidelines to ensure your book qualifies for distribution.

4. At Lulu, you’re self publishing so you are the publisher…you can promote it any where you like. Just be sure when you’re doing your online marketing you direct people to your Lulu storefront…you make more than selling on Amazon.

Good luck!

Let’s break this down for you. First, I want to address your book size. You’ve noted you’re publishing a hard cover, 6×9 and that is great. You should also publish the same book as a paperback, you’ll get better pricing and those will sell more. It’s nice to have the hardcover option, but I recommend doing both. It will be easy for you to publish both versions once the book is in it’s final format.

Now when you calculate the price of your book, you’ll get the manufacturing price. You can expect to double that for the retail pricing.

When you’re in the final publishing phase, you’ll be asked to price your book and one aspect of that is your royalty. This is what you will earn when your book is sold via Amazon or another retailer. You can increase your royalty option, I would stay in the $1 range. The retailers need to make their money when they sell your book. They will probably be buying in multiple quantities, so if that is the case…that $1 turns into $5 or $10 because you’re selling more than one. That is the goal, right?

Now here is the good news you are looking for…you get a free online storefront at Lulu.com and when you sell your book directly from your Lulu storefront YOU are the retailer, so you not only get your $1 royalty, you also get 80% of the retail mark-up. For simplicity sake, let’s say your retail mark-up is $10…you’ll get your royalty AND the $8 (80% of the retail mark-up). My numbers are just for example sake, but you make more money selling directly from your Lulu storefront, so be sure to market your book there.

You can also purchase your book directly at the manufacturing cost and sell them on your own…you then make the full difference from what you paid and what you’re retailing it for.

Market your book directly and do your own sales…you’ll make a great profit!

Good luck and let me know when the book is published, I would love to take a look.

Thanks!
Sherrie

I’m in the pre-publishing stage, and have a few questions to help me along:

1. Does Lulu also provide fulfillment services? If yes, where can I read more about these services? If no, what do you recommend on how I am to stock and ship inventory, while awaiting orders to come in?

2. I see I am to secure a ‘license’ prior to publishing. What is this ‘license’ and how do I obtain one?

3. In addition to designing the jacket cover, can I also design the page layout for my book (within your printing guidelines, of course)?

4. In addition to selling my book via Lulu, can I also promote and sell my book outside of Lulu? Or, is selling outside of Lulu a violation of Terms?

Thank you for your time Sherrie, it’s greatly appreciated!

I took a look at your book, first it is available, just enter in your book title in the search box and select “books”.

Every author at Lulu gets a free online storefront to promote their books, you can click on My Storefront in your account to edit the marketing copy if you like. Here is a link to your storefront.

http://stores.lulu.com/universalistoutpost

Let’s talk about the book.

1. You have not set a royalty on your book…so if you sell it right now…you will not make any money on it. Log into your account, click on My Projects, then click on Un-publish and then re-set your pricing to include a royalty. Your book is worth it.

2. Where is your book cover? It looks like you’ve put a great deal of time and effort into the content, however you need a book cover to better promote it.

3. Your formatting. You have some great images inside the book, however you need to be consistent with the layout and keep your diagrams all vertical, some are currently horizontal and I think it disrupts the read.

3. Distribution. Your margins do not qualify for ISBN distribution. You should be looking at marketing it to your targeted demographic.

Another thing while you’re reformatting…change the book size to 6″x 9″ so that it is more marketable.

Robert, you have what a lot of other authors do not have, some great content. Invest in getting this book more marketable from the inside out. You can make the changes yourself or if you need our professional publishing services help, I would recommend our Classic Pack. Not only will it give you the cover design and formatting you need…it includes an Editor’s Analysis.

Good luck to you!
Sherrie

The subject is a good one. I think you’ll want to consider marketing this hard at the end of this year, to bring in the next, as it is a seasonal type of book, that can actually be purchase year after year. Great thinking!

Here are my recommendations…

1. The cover. It doesn’t cut it. It needs some work. I’m not sure if it is a book on relationships or finances. Decide what the book is and have the cover reflect that. I would also repeat the title at the top of the back cover and highlight three key words, as it relates to the book…like “finance”, “relationships” and “organization”. That will help set the tone for the book.

Since you are talking financial, the cover doesn’t speak to a reason that shows the author is a financial expert. Honestly, I would recommend investing $80 in our basic cover design to get the exterior wrapping done right.

2. Interior. I think inside the book is done very well, as far as the layout. Make sure your table of contents is .5″ from the edge of the book to meet ISBN distribution requirements…it was hard to tell with your layout.

Where are your chapters? The book is well thought out, but I would reformat to include actual chapters that start all on the right page. It is a little overwhelming with everything blended together.

I think you’re off to a great start. Be sure to capitalize on your ability to resell this to the same customers every year…get it right with this first edition.

Let me know if you need help with marketing!

Good luck!
Sherrie