Help

Lulu.com is a marketplace for digital content on the Internet, created by people in more than 80 different countries. Lulu enables authors to publish their work themselves with complete editorial and copyright control and empowers them to sell directly to their customers and the rest of the Lulu.com global marketplace. With free web storefronts, social networking offerings and available global distribution, Lulu creators are fully supported to profit from their work.

Important Reading

• Lulu Member Agreement
• Lulu Copyright and Intellectual Property Notice
• Privacy Pledge
• Disclaimer

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:46:39 | Back to top

Print on demand (POD) is a method of producing books or other media using a digital file. The books or other media are produced only at the time of purchase.

Traditional publishers usually print thousands of copies all at once. Although this costs less per copy, it requires a large publishing company that can pay for and store all that merchandise.

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:48:53 | Back to top

Lulu is a technology company, not a vanity press. Vanity presses typically offer many services, all of which must be paid for in advance. It is not unusual for vanity presses to require an initial order of hundreds of copies of any book they print. Lulu not only offers Print On Demand services, but also provides a marketplace to make it easier for you to sell your books yourself.

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:49:50 | Back to top

Reason 1: You don't want to be the one selling your book.
Traditionally, publishers do all the marketing for their authors' books. That takes resources, which is why it is hard to get a book accepted by a publisher. Lulu lets you publish your work without going through a publisher, but that means that the burden of selling and marketing your book falls to you. There are ways to do this, and the Web makes self-marketing easier than it has ever been. We do offer tips for marketing your book.
Reason 2: If you are looking to sell your book primarily through bookstores, there isn't much we can do to help.
While we do offer ISBNs for books published through us (which means that your book can hypothetically be ordered through bookstores), print-on-demand economics prohibit large discounts that bookstores require to stock books. Bookstores depend on the economy of scale available to large publishers and print distributors. Bookstores are only going to buy Lulu books when they are special-ordered by customers. The Web is a terrific way to sell books, as Amazon.com has demonstrated.
Reason 3: You're a very picky author.
In order to make our publishing system both affordable and scaleable, we have to limit choices about things such as paper and book size. We don't offer alternative paper selections or custom-trim books. We do offer download versions of books (e-books). For detailed specifications about the sizes we offer, see "What paper will my book have for the cover and interior?".

There are plenty of companies out there who will provide more options if you give them money. Lulu is the only publisher that offers you all that it does for free.

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:49:38 | Back to top

Creating a book and offering it for sale on Lulu.com doesn't cost anything, it only costs money when you purchase an item!

Lulu takes a small commission when your content is purchased. Lulu's commission is 20% of the profit from a purchased item. The purchase price of all products includes a base cost for raw materials and printing service.

Prices for specific products can be found in their Product FAQs or using the Cost Calculators.

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:49:26 | Back to top

Lulu is available in 7 languages and 3 currencies. You can change your language and currency on the bottom of most pages. In addition Lulu ships to most locations. See more information on shipping here.

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:48:47 | Back to top

Lulu provides tools to publish and sell products online, but you are responsible for the formatting and layout of your work before you publish it on Lulu.

If you need help with the pre-publishing tasks, see the Lulu Services or visit the Lulu Services Marketplace. Our expert users provide many tips and tricks for preparing your manuscript in the forums. Make sure to search the help on the site for the answers to your questions before posting to the forums.

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:48:36 | Back to top

Lulu holds no rights or copyright on your work and makes no claims or restrictions on the ownership of your work. Rights and copyrights remain with you as the author and creator. You continue to own the rights in your name or, if you have arrangements, on behalf of others. Your purchase and use of any Lulu services does not undermine your rights or copyright. We will do everything we can to discourage the violation of intellectual property rights. The Content section of the Membership Agreement outlines rights maintained by both Lulu and the account holder.

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:49:38 | Back to top

Project status level offered during the publishing process provide control over who can see and buy the work. See more about Status levels in What does each status in the Project List mean?

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:46:37 | Back to top

Lulu does not allow fan fiction.

Fan fiction, also known as "FanFic," is any work based on another creator's story, idea, or character. Lulu is a strong supporter of copyrights and does not allow fan fiction because FanFic authors generally do not have permission from the original author. The Stanford Center for Internet & Society maintains a FanFic FAQ that explains many of the copyright and trademark issues surrounding Fan Fiction.

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:48:48 | Back to top

There is no requirement to purchase a book, CD or DVD, and no minimum order. Customers make their own purchases, or you can purchase the copies you need and distribute them yourself. We strongly urge those who publish through us to purchase a copy of their work to proof it before purchasing multiple copies.

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:48:00 | Back to top

• Lulu's default service does not list anyone as the publisher. If you get a Lulu ISBN in the Lulu Publishing wizard, Lulu will be listed as the Publisher.
• If you bring your own ISBN that you purchased elsewhere, you will be listed as the Publisher.

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:46:51 | Back to top

Many small publishers use Lulu. Advantages of using Lulu include the competitive cost of professional printing in small quantities, order fulfillment and royalty tracking, a free storefront of your own, access to online bookstores, and great search engine visibility for your products. Lulu's Services Marketplace even gives you a venue for offering publishing, editing, or illustrating services to other Lulu members.

We require everyone who publishes through us to have the legal right to the material. This might require model releases in addition to copyrights and permissions.

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:46:52 | Back to top

Lulu offers two fee-based distribution options that will send your book through our unique network in the global marketplace. This network reaches online retailers like Amazon.

For more information, see the Distribution FAQ.

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:47:06 | Back to top

Lulu doesn't restrict the marketing of your work, but other companies may do so. Make sure you understand the terms and conditions of all the businesses you deal with. We urge authors to take advantage of all the sales venues available to them and to share their successes with us and with other authors.

If you have a Lulu ISBN or purchased Published by Lulu distribution, you may not use your ISBN with another publisher.

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:47:32 | Back to top

Our Forums are the best place to get help. In the forums you can interact with Lulu support staff as well as with other members of the Lulu community.

• When you post to the forums, give your posts a subject describing your problem, such as "How do I use Buy Now buttons?" or "My document won't convert." This makes it easier for others to provide and use the information you receive in response to your inquiry.
• Keep your language and your subject matter suitable for all age groups and people of all comfort levels.
• Please stay on the topic and be civil.
• Inappropriate messages will be moved or deleted.
• For details, see our Posting Policies.
• You may also contact support.

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:49:26 | Back to top