Much like Bigfoot and Chupacabra, ISBNs and Distribution remain a mystery to many Lulu authors. While we can’t explain Chupacabra or Bigfoot, we can help you understand Distribution and ISBNs.

What is distribution?
Distribution is a service that gets your book out to the world. We make your book available through bibliographic databases, online marketplaces and distribution catalogs. Lulu currently offers 3 distribution options: extendedREACH, globalREACH, and marketREACH. I will explain each of those in a little bit.

What is an ISBN?
An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is a controlled, 10- or 13-digit identification number that allows publishers, libraries, and book dealers to locate books. You may get a free ISBN from Lulu or you can bring an ISBN you own and assign it to your book.

In September 2009, Lulu separated distribution and ISBNs so authors could get distribution for ISBNs that they own and bring to Lulu. We offer distribution options for ISBN and non-ISBN titles. Each Lulu project may have one distribution option and/or ISBN. Once an ISBN or distribution option has been applied to a project, you cannot change it.

Our current distribution options:

extendedREACH – Free This distribution option can be applied to books with a free Lulu ISBN that are an eligible size. When your book is approved for extendedREACH distribution, it is submitted to bibliographic databases, Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

globalREACH – $75 This option can be applied to an eligible size book with an ISBN (bring your own or Lulu ISBN). When you approve your proof copy, your book is submitted to bibliographic databases, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com and other online retailers. Your book will also be listed at Ingram Book Company. Most brick and mortar bookstores can order from this listing.

marketREACH (non-ISBN distribution) -$25  This option is for non-ISBN paperback books, paperback photo books, and calendars. Hardcover books, eBooks, CDs and DVDs are not eligible. Your project will be listed in Amazon’s Marketplace and eBay.com.

You can view the eligible sizes for extendedREACH and globalREACH here.
Read more about getting distribution for your book.

Our current ISBN options:

Lulu-owned ISBN: You can get an ISBN from Lulu FREE in the Lulu Publishing Wizard. You will need to purchase a Distribution package to have your ISBN submitted to Bowker’s Books in Print and Nielsen Book Data (ISBN agencies).

Bring-your-own ISBN: Assign an ISBN you already own to your book. The imprint (publisher name and information) attached to your ISBN will remain the same and Lulu.com will not be listed as the publisher. You must be the owner of the ISBN and cannot use this ISBN with any other distributor. You will need to purchase globalREACH for Lulu to distribute your book.

yourISBN: This is a service for Lulu to obtain an ISBN for you from the US ISBN agency using your registered details as a publisher.  You must be a resident of the U.S., Guam or Puerto Rico to order this service.  After you receive your ISBN, you may assign it to a project as a Bring-your-own ISBN. You will need to purchase globalREACH for Lulu to distribute your book.

You’ll now find their works — and about 200,000 other eBook titles from traditionally published authors — in the Lulu Marketplace. We’ve added them through agreements with Ingram and other distributors to make their public catalogs available on our site.

It’s a significant shift for Lulu, but one rooted in a strategy to maximize author success that has guided us from the beginning. To sell more books, you need more exposure. We’ve long provided distribution choices to help you reach customers in myriad stores, including Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. We’re continuing to expand those options, and we’ll have more to share soon.

But that’s not enough. The time has come for a better marketplace. Like many of you, we’re discouraged by some trends in the industry and what they might mean for the future of books. Here at Lulu we champion books, and the people who create them, because of what they represent. Books are conversations between generations that convey our best thinking and help move us forward. They deserve appreciation. And authors deserve success.

The open marketplace we’re building will have the broadest selection. It will be a one-stop shop with content from all authors, in all styles and in all formats, paper and electronic. The goal is to give readers access to the best knowledge, ideas and entertainment and to give authors access to the best audience for their works. We believe the increased choice offered by increased selection will attract more readers. And as we attract more readers, we will have more opportunity to get Lulu authors in front of people most likely to buy. In fact, we’ve invested in recommendation technology to help with that by steering readers based on their browsing patterns.

Adding 200,000 eBooks is just the first step in a journey that will unfold over the coming months, one intended to bring more success to Lulu authors every day. As always, I welcome your suggestions and feedback as we move forward.