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Price can be calculated two ways...
		1. Enter the revenue you would like to receive and Lulu will calculate the Lulu commission and the price.
		2. Enter the price you want for your project and Lulu will calculate the revenue you will receive and the Lulu commission.

Click the "Review Project" button to move on to the next step in the wizard.

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:50:48 | Back to top

Use any of three currencies to price your content: euros (€), pounds sterling (£), or dollars ($).

Modify your currency preference in the My Account section of your My Lulu page. Select a currency from the dropdown menu.

If you opt to receive your Creator Revenue payments by Paypal, we pay you in your currency of choice. (We issue paper checks only in US dollars.)

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:48:31 | Back to top

Our commission is 25% of the creator revenue (or 19¢, whichever is greater) that you, the creator, set for the items you publish. This provides a commission for Lulu that is equal to 20% of the total profit of each item sold.

For example, if your creator revenue is $4.00, we add a $1.00 Lulu commission. The total profit from the item is $5.00. $1.00 is 25% of $4.00 (your creator revenue) and 20% of $5.00 (the total profit). This leaves 80% of the total profit to you, the creator.

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:50:27 | Back to top

Books can be available in one or both formats (published book and downloadable file). Check the box in front of each format you would like to offer. You cannot complete the publishing process until at least one box is checked.

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:50:57 | Back to top

After you receive your book and are happy with it, go to your Project List and click Approve/Deny Book next to the title. This displays the Approve Book page. In the Retail Pricing & Royalty section, click Edit to set the retail price. The Retail Pricing & Royalty section has a real-time calculator to help you work through the retail price and royalty combinations.

When it is first displayed, the amount in the Retail Print field is the minimum retail price for the book. At a minimum, the wholesale price (retail price / 2) must be enough to cover the production cost of publishing the book, your royalty, and the Lulu commission:

Minimum wholesale price = Production cost + Royalty + Lulu commission

It is probably easiest to set the retail price and let Lulu calculate your maximum royalty. Using our $20 retail price, the wholesale is automatically $10. $10 minus production costs = what's left over for your royalty and the Lulu commission. The calculator maximizes this.

You can

• Enter a Retail Print price and Lulu calculates your royalty and the Lulu commission.
• Enter a royalty amount and Lulu calculates the retail price and the Lulu commission.
• Enter $0 in the Your Royalty field to reset the price back to the minimum.

IMPORTANT: The retail price is a suggested retail price. You have the option of pricing your book even higher, which will allow for greater profits, and greater royalties. However, if the book is overpriced or "priced out of market," it may not sell as many copies as it would at a lower price.

Would you like to see an example?

Retail Price Calculator

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:48:38 | Back to top

When you publish your book on Lulu, you set a selling price. This is the Lulu selling price. Remember:

Price = Production Cost + Royalty + Lulu Commission

For books, the production cost is the materials/base cost ($4.53) + printing costs (# pages × either 2¢/page black & white or 15¢/page color).

Distribution introduces two other "prices" — retail and wholesale. Retail price is the price a customer pays for your book without any discounts. When your book is listed in the Books In Print, the retail price is listed.

Wholesale price is the price at which Lulu sells your book to a wholesaler or retailer. The distributor, pays for your book and decides what to charge retailers for your book; retailers then decide what to charge consumers for your book. The wholesale price is based on discounts extended to the wholesaler or retailer. When you price your book, the Lulu website sets a minimum wholesale price, but you may always set the price higher.

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:47:28 | Back to top

Books with distribution have one retail price for all retail sales; on Lulu, on Amazon, and through other bookstores. A single retail price is not only a good business practice, it ensures that our retail partners are not selling your title at a disadvantage, and it is compliant with markets that operate under a "fixed-price law". Your royalty on sales through the Lulu Marketplace, however, is significantly higher than the royalty on sales where the retailer buys at a discount from Lulu.

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:47:56 | Back to top

Retailers and Wholesalers make money by buying books at a discount off of the retail price you as a creator have set on your work. Most retailers and wholesalers buy at a 50% discount, returnable, with freight paid to the store or warehouse. This is a full "trade discount". A "short discount" is typically 20% off retail and often restricts the availability of books as there is not enough margin for a retailer to carry it. Because of Lulu's relationships with wholesalers and retailers, and our automated bibliographic feeds and print partners, we enable your book to be made available through these channels on a non-returnable, free freight basis. The discount extended to retailers and wholesalers may vary, however, given different laws, conventions within certain markets, and what the retailer will buy. Lulu's pricing calculator doubles Manufacturing Cost plus Creator Compensation and Lulu fee. This is an intuitively clear calculation and it allows Lulu to have the margin to negotiate with retailers and wholesalers to list your book. In dealing with channel partners there are setup costs, cross-docking charges or in-bound freight costs to reach that wholesaler, which are in addition to the discount.

Last updated: 2009-11-18 09:48:50 | Back to top