Articles tagged "Lulu"

by Jordan & Taylor The Interns
July 28, 2010
Comments (4)

Being a Lulu

In Howto, Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized — Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

Lulu’s a place where individuality is “in.” People are celebrated for who they are – even us, the lowly interns. This how-to guide to being a Lulu documents our experiences working here. The philosophies we’ve picked up along the way are some of the same ones that go into Lulu’s approach to our authors:  celebrate people, appreciate them, help them be remarkable. Without further ado, here’s how to fit in with the Lulu crowd.

  1. Develop a shtick. Seriously, everyone at Lulu is a character. For instance: 
    • Bob always wears red socks
    • Manny has an extensive elephant collection
    • Jonathan always tucks his t-shirts into his jeans and somehow pulls it off
  2. Hoard Pirate’s Booty Cheese Puffs from the break room. None of the other chips will fulfill your craving for cheesy goodness. Trust us. We’ve been there.
  3. Don’t drink the coffee labeled “Jet Fuel”- yes, it’s delicious, but you’ll be bouncing in your chair and will not be able to concentrate.
    Continue Reading »

by Gavin
July 26, 2010
Comments (3)

Find Authors and Readers Like You at Wattpad

In Howto, Lulu Blog, Marketing Tips, Tips and Tricks — Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Introducing our partner, Wattpad

Read what you like. Share what you write.™

What is Wattpad?
Wattpad is the world’s largest eBook community, and a platform for remarkable writers, just like you, to connect with readers, collaborate with fellow authors, and expand your fan base.

Continue Reading »

by Nick
June 3, 2010
Comments (2)

From the Vault: How Previews May Help You Sell

In Marketing Tips — Tagged: , , , , , ,

Picture 10A while back, I explained why previews and reviews are crucial to sales. Seeing as more and more people are publishing every day, I thought it would be helpful to share this post again. Please enjoy this post “From the Vault.”

I tend to come across a lot of material on the site because of my job. Sometimes, it’s because I’m looking for something to buy for content to highlight. Regardless of the reason, I am often surprised by how many books lack a preview. According to Chris Anderson, author of the “Long Tail,” on average, 500 copies of a book are sold per year. For a self-published author, selling 500 copies in a year is considered a huge success, but how do you get 500 people to buy your book when most of them haven’t ever heard of you? The simple answer is to let them read it.

If I have never heard of a writer before, three things help me decide to take a chance on a book. First, does the summary grab me? If a book has a good description and it sounds interesting, I will take a closer look at it. I can’t tell you how many books I come across with descriptions that don’t tell me enough about what the book is about. So, that’s step 1 – think about your description and try to tell people what your book (or CD or whatever) is about, why they should give it a shot. Show it to people you trust to give you constructive criticism and get their advice. Remember, if you don’t draw people in, they probably won’t take a chance on your book.

Continue Reading »

by Carol
April 16, 2010
Comments (2)

What's Your Lulu Find?

In Contest, Lulu Blog, Promotions — Tagged: , , , , , ,

Picture 1

To celebrate our newly expanded open marketplace, we’re giving away a book a day to one lucky follower! From April 16 -21, follow Lulu on Twitter and tweet us your favorite Lulu find (make sure to use #LuluFind in your tweet). You could be the lucky daily winner of a $20 coupon for your favorite Lulu find!

by Carol
April 8, 2010
Comments (1)

Focus: Spring Gardening

In Lulu News — Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Spring has certainly sprung around Raleigh, NC. In fact, it’s sprung so much that everything outside is covered in a beautiful yellow coat of pollen. I’m certain that those with allergies are doing their best to keep their windows closed and stay inside, but I personally cannot spend enough time in my new garden. Because I have the opposite of a green thumb, whatever color thumb that may be, and I am certain to be the cause of any nightmares my houseplants may have (if that’s possible), I’ve decided that it would be best to get some gardening advice from my fellow Lulus. In case you are looking forward to playing in the dirt, too, I thought I’d share some of the great Gardening Books I’ve found on Lulu!

Growing Points

Growing Points
by Colorado Master Gardeners El Paso County
For many years as part of the Colorado State University Extension, Colorado Master Gardeners in El Paso County have enriched the local gardening landscape with research-based writings and stories from their personal experience. Here you will find this eclectic collection in one place, sorted by general topic, and written in tones from humorous to “no nonsense.”

Organic Gardening - A Way of Life- Inspiration and Instructions for Starting Your Own Organic GardenOrganic Gardening – A Way of Life: Inspiration and Instructions for Starting Your Own Organic Garden
by Barbara Hardy, Julia Anne Lis
Organic Gardening – A Way of Life provides instructions and inspiration for planning, growing and harvesting your own organic vegetables, fruits and herb. It also includes time tested recipes and instruction for canning and freezing the produce you raise.

Continue Reading »

by AJ
April 7, 2010
Comments (2)

Update on the "Ask. Answer. Win." Contest

In Contest, Lulu Blog, Lulu News, Promotions — Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

KnowledgeBaseContest_BlogBanner

Hello everyone!  I just wanted to give a quick recap of our Ask. Answer. Win. contest.


It’s going great.  We’ve gained a number of new contributors eager to join the conversation. And we’ve had fun rewarding those with a strong presence in our online community.

Our winners for most active posters have been:

Belinda D’ Alessandro

Keith Dixon

Valerie J Long

Tammys_books

Ron Miller

Julie Ann Dawson

veinglory

theresa_moore

john_jenatcomcastdotnet

Ken Anderson

Mad Dog Wilson

GiuseppeFurnari

holesinthehills

Jean-Charles
tony_hawken

Continue Reading »

by Sherrie
April 2, 2010
Comments (2)

Lulu University is FREE!

In How to Publish, Howto, Lulu Help, Marketing Tips, Promotions, Tips and Tricks, Walkthroughs — Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Picture 2We offer a variety of free online webinars to help educate our authors on a variety of publishing topics – from how to create a press release to social networking. We’ll be adding to our list of topics and even have guest speakers joining the classes. Take advantage of our knowledgeable experts and learn the tips and tricks of publishing and marketing your books.

Please let us know what other classes you would be interested in seeing in our course catalog.

April 5 @ 7PM EST- Red Hot Internet Basics: Touring Yourself Online
If you’re ready to market your book online but don’t know where to start, you’ll love this class. We’ll look at creating and launching your very own Virtual Author Tour. During this class we’ll look at:

by Sherrie
March 31, 2010
Comments (9)

Free iPad with any All-Inclusive Pack Purchase

In How to Publish, Lulu News, Marketing Tips, Promotions — Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

FreeiPadReady to publish your next book? Let us help. Lulu’s all-Inclusive Publishing Packages are fantastic for getting the professional pre-publishing services your book deserves. Our publishing experts will make your title bookstore-ready and, for a limited time, we’ll help you celebrate the momentous occasion with a free iPad!

That’s right, we will give you a Free iPad with the purchase of any All-Inclusive Package between now and April 10, 2010. Choose from three options —  3 Star, 5 Star or  7 Star — all carefully crafted to meet the varying needs of our authors.

You’ll work with the industry’s best — a publishing consultant to guide you through the process, professional designers to create your cover and format your manuscript, and our team of editors to fine-tune your work.  Throw in 125 books to get you through your first book signing, and you’ll be inspired to write your next bestseller.

Continue Reading »

by Sherrie
March 26, 2010
Comments (6)

$150 Book Fair Coupon with the Purchase of a Publishing Pack

In Events, Marketing Tips, Promotions — Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

BookFairSvcs_BlogGraphicWhat better way to show off your newly published book than at a book fair?  Purchase any one of our publishing packages from now through March 31, and we’ll give you a coupon for $150 towards any one of our book fairs.  Most of the book fairs we offer start at $150, so you essentially can get a great promotional tool for free!

Marketing your book at a book fair is a great way to get exposure to booksellers, librarians, agents, the media, and more.  Your book is displayed at the show and is also included in the book fair catalog.  This catalog is a valuable tool that book buyers use when they’re making their annual purchases.

If you’re ready to publish and were going to use one of publishing packages anyway, why not get some extra icing on your cake?  Not only will we help with editing, formatting, cover design, and ISBN distribution, with our book fair offer you’ll get a great marketing push as you introduce your work to the market.

This promotion cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. Author is responsible for cost of shipping 2 books to be displayed at the book fair. The $150 coupon is applied toward a book fair service, but may not cover the entire cost of the book fair. When selecting a book fair, the publisher should consider the time it will take to go through the pre-publishing process.

by Carol
March 16, 2010
Comments (3)

Focus: eBooks

In Author Spotlight, Holiday reading material, Lulu News — Tagged: , , , , , ,

You may have noticed that eBooks are quickly becoming a very popular option for readers. They offer instant gratification and can conveniently be read on portable eReaders, computers, and in some cases, even on your smart phone. eBooks are a great option for authors too, sometimes even allowing for higher royalties. Some authors even use eBooks to market their print books by providing a free sample of their work – a great technique sure to get new readers hooked.

One of the reasons I love Lulu eBooks so much is the content. Without a doubt, we have a unique selection that can’t be found anywhere else. Below, I’ve chosen a few that caught my interest. Take a look at my top eBook pics for the week!

Fight On! #7 Fall 2009 PDF VersionFight On! #7 Fall 2009

Deep under the misty mountains, the proudest and toughest keep Fighting On! Join us in those days of blood and plunder by picking up a copy of issue 7, dedicated to M.A.R. Barker and featuring EIGHT adventures, tables, settings, reviews, encounters, monsters, spells, magic items, new classes, non-canonical expansions to Empire of the Petal Throne, and much, much more!


The Crochet Dude's Flying AfghanThe Crochet Dude’s Flying Afghan!

Download version – As seen in the Accord Crochet Pattern-a-Day Calendar, here are all the patterns you’ll need to create this sampler afghan by The Crochet Dude. In no time you will have a wonderful gift (perhaps for yourself).

Included are the instructions for twelve large squares and sixteen small squares. Mix and match to create your own layout! Oh, and you also receive the Dudessembly instructions to put it all together!

Continue Reading »