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Lulu offers two choices for distributing your titles – Published by Lulu and Published by You. These options are mutually exclusive and cannot be changed once purchased. To select a distribution option for your book, click the PUBLISH tab and click the link for Distribution Options next to your title.

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Lulu offers the Published by You distribution service for $99.95 This new Lulu service allows you, the author, to register to become your own publisher and purchase your own unique ISBN from the official US ISBN Agency. This ISBN is directly mapped to you as the official, registered publisher. The Books In Print database and others will show your registered details as publisher.

To purchase this service, click the "Purchase a Distribution Package" link to the right of your project in your Projects List. Select the Published by You option. You will be required to complete a form with the following information before you may purchase this service.

Note: Published By You distribution service is only offered to publishers located in the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.

Publisher Name
Address
Telephone
E-mail

ISBN Coordinator Information
Rights Coordinator Information

Book Information
Audience Information
Contributor Information
Categories and Subject Area

Once the service has been purchased, Lulu will work with the US ISBN Agency to process your information. Your ISBN will be assigned within 3-4 business days.

Registration includes:
• You will be registered as the publisher.
• A single, unique ISBN which you should allocate to a single, available book title. The ISBN should never be re-used. The ISBN is the property of the registered publisher and as such is non-transferable.
• A scannable Bookland-EAN bar code placed on the back cover. (Not applicable to one-piece covers.)
• Bibliographic data on your book will be fed by Lulu to major international bibliographic databases and available to booksellers. At the booksellers' discretion, your book may be made available for sale online or in bookstores.
• Lulu will convert your retail price into five currencies (US dollars, British pounds, Australian dollars, Euros, and Canadian dollars) to facilitate global availability and purchasing.
• A listing in a wholesaler's catalog, giving you access to online retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Published By You License Agreement

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Lulu offers the "Published by Lulu" Distribution Service for $99.95 FREE. With this service you grant publishing rights to Lulu and receive a Lulu-owned ISBN for your book. This is an ISBN that Lulu purchased in advance and makes "Lulu.com" the registered publisher of the ISBN and the book it is applied to. This does not affect your rights as owner of the book. The US ISBN Agency’s database and services and other national ISBN agencies will see "Lulu.com" as the publisher. Lulu has the responsibility to maintain the correct data with the US ISBN Agency including retail price and availability.

This service also gives your book the benefit of Lulu’s unique network into the global marketplace. Lulu data feeds cascade to international bibliographic databases as well as leading wholesalers and retailers including Amazon.

Registration includes:

• Publishing rights granted to Lulu.
• Immediate assignment of a unique ISBN for your title, visible in your project’s data. "Lulu.com" will be listed as the publisher.
• A scannable Bookland-EAN bar code placed on the back cover (Not applicable to one-piece covers.)
• Bibliographic data on your book will be fed by Lulu to major international bibliographic databases and available to booksellers. At the booksellers' discretion, your book may be made available for sale online or in bookstores
• Lulu will convert your retail price into five currencies (US dollars, British pounds, Australian dollars, Euros, and Canadian dollars) to facilitate global availability and purchasing.
• A listing in a wholesaler’s catalog, giving you access to online retailers such as Amazon and others.

To purchase this service, click the "Purchase a Distribution Package" link to the right of your project in your My Projects list. Select the Published by Lulu option. Your ISBN will be assigned immediately upon purchase. See "How does the distribution process work?" to learn what to do after you purchase your Distribution package.

Published By Lulu License Agreement

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The industry requires that your book adhere to certain standards, and it is up to you to ensure your book meets these requirements. If your book is submitted before it meets these requirements, it will be rejected and your book distribution will be delayed while you work to bring your book into compliance.

1. Requirements for all book covers
   1. If including the retail price on the cover, it must exactly match the retail price for the book. Lulu does not add the price to the book cover.
   2. Keep all important text and images at least 0.375" (.25" bleed area + .125" safety area) from all sides (including the spine) of the cover. This area may be trimmed off or obscured by the cover bend.
   3. Keep in mind that B&W 8.5 x 11" books will be printed at 8.25" x 11" through the retail channels, so you may need to increase the distance of any text or images from the edges to take this into account.
   4. Spine text must be at least .0625" away from all edges of the spine. Text that is too close to the edge of the spine will be reduced in size to fit. (This may result in very small text on the spine of the book.)
      1. Additional requirements for one-piece covers:
         1. Use these dimensions.
         2. Cover must have correct 13-digit ISBN/EAN.
         3. Bar codes must be provided in black and white.
         4. Bar codes should be 1.833" wide by 1" high.
         5. There cannot be spine text on books with less than 80 pages.
2. Requirements for book interiors
   1. If providing a PDF it must be distilled using Adobe; if uploading a word processing document, Lulu will distill it using Adobe.)
   2. Embed all fonts (and all font family members used) when distilling the PDF.
   3. Book must have a Title page.
   4. Book must have a Copyright page with your correct 13-digit ISBN/EAN and a copyright notice. The Copyright page must come after the Title page.
   5. Final page of each book must be completely blank.
   6. Margins must be at least .5" on all sides. The left margin must be equal to the right margin, and the top margin must be equal to the bottom margin.
   7. A gutter may be added to the document in addition to the margins. (What does this mean?)
   8. Page numbering must be correct. No page numbers may be skipped. A page can go without a number, but it must be counted and consistent.
   9. All files should be submitted at high-resolution (between 300 dpi and 600dpi).
   10. If any page in the book will have color or images that extend to the edge of a page (full bleed), format the document according to the full bleed specifications.
   11. If the page count is not divisible by 4, the printer adds enough blank pages to the back of the book to make it so.
3. Requirements for the Publishing Wizard
   1. Book Description, Author and Title must use a Latin Character set. We cannot accept Russian, Chinese, Japanese and other non-Latin characters.

See also - Which books are eligible for Distribution?

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Published by Lulu and Published by You Distribution Services are available for the following sizes and pages counts:

Note: If the page count is not divisible by 4, the printer adds enough blank pages to the back of the book to make it so.

See Also: Mandatory Requirements for Distribution.

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Yes. You can upgrade from Basic to Published by Lulu distribution at any time and keep your ISBN.

Go to your Project List and scroll to the title of the published book. The ISBN link now says "Upgrade to Published by Lulu Service." Click this link and follow the checkout process. You are credited the money you already paid for Basic Distribution; Lulu automatically applies this discount to your shopping cart.

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If you find you are unable to purchase or upgrade to a distribution service, it is most likely because your book does not meet the distribution requirements. For all the details, see Which books are eligible for a distribution service?

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Here are the main steps from purchasing a distribution process to being available online:

1. Purchase Published by Lulu or Published by You service and receive an ISBN.
   "Published by Lulu" ISBN's are assigned immediately.
   "Published by You" ISBN's take up to 3 business days to be assigned. This is because extra information needs to be processed with the ISBN Agency.
2. Revise the book to contain the ISBN number in the copyright page and add a bar code to the back cover (for one-piece covers). The book must also meet the Mandatory Distribution Requirements.
3. Purchase a proof copy of this newest version of the book.
4. After receiving and carefully reviewing the book, either:
   a. Approve the book on Lulu. Go to Step 6.
   b. Deny the book and make changes. Go to Step 5.
5. Make revisions and upload this new manuscript. Go back to Step 3.
   See, How do I make changes before approving my book? to learn how to make changes.
   
6. The book is uploaded to the distribution center within:
   3-5 business days for "Published by Lulu" distribution
   2 to 3 weeks for "Published by You" distribution.
7. Printer reviews the book to ensure it is up to standards. This can take up to 2 weeks.
   Once accepted for printing, it can take another 6 to 8 weeks before the book is available through online retailers.
   If rejected for not meeting requirements, you will be notified via e-mail that the book must be revised. Go back to Step 2.
8. The book becomes available for listing with online booksellers.
9. Online booksellers like Amazon decide whether or not they would like to list the book. (In our experience, they almost always list it.
   Once a month, online booksellers update their databases with new books. When they update (if the booksellers choose to list your book), you will see the book listed as "currently available." This can take 6-8 weeks.

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No. If you plan to purchase a distribution service, please leave the ISBN field blank during the publishing process. We will assign a new Lulu-specific ISBN to your book when you purchase distribution after publishing.

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The proof copy is a last minute check for errors before the final published work is sent into the distribution system. Use this opportunity to read through the entire book again, looking for spelling, grammar, formatting, and page number errors.

If you make any changes to your book you must purchase a copy of this new revised version.

If you have to revise a book after having approved it for distribution it is possible that the book will show up as "unavailable" while it goes through this process again.

NOTE: This copy of your book will vary slightly from the books produced through distribution channels. Lulu has partnered with multiple print on demand (POD) vendors for printing books: some print books ordered through Lulu; others print books ordered through our distribution channels. This proof copy will be identical to all copies of your book purchased through Lulu. Unless you purchase your book through an online retailer you will not receive a copy from a wholesaler's printer. See "Paperback Printing Specifications", for more information about the differences between printers.

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If you received your first copy and want to make changes, deny the book to go back and edit it. This process creates a new revision of your book and automatically transfers (reassigns) the ISBN to it.

1. Revise your manuscript.
2. Go to your Project List.
3. Click Approve/Deny Book next to the title.
4. On the Approve Book page, click CREATE REVISION.
5. Go through the Publishing Wizard, fix the problems you found, and upload the revised manuscript for the project.
6. Publish the new revision.
7. Purchase a copy of this new revised version. When it arrives, review it carefully.
8. Complete the Retail Pricing & Royalty section. If you do not set your retail pricing & royalty, a default retail royalty of $4 will be used.
9. If you are happy with this proof and have set your Retail Pricing & Royalty, approve the revised book.

Note: If you want to make changes after you approve a book, you must pay a non-negotiable change fee. This fee is set by our distributor and cannot be waived.

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Review the proof copy of your book very carefully before approving it. After approving the book, it is sent into our distribution channels. If you discover a change is needed after approving the book, you must pay a non-negotiable change $49.95 Free. This fee is set by our distributor and cannot be waived.

Once the book has been approved you cannot change:

• The title.
• The binding type.
• The trim size.
• The interior color.

1. Go to your Project List.
2. Click the Revise icon next to your title.
3. Click the "Purchase Revision" button at the bottom of the Project Details page.
4. When you purchase the revision, a new version of your book will be generated and you will be able to change the cover, the interior, the metadata and the price.
5. Go through the Publishing Wizard, fix the problems you found, and upload the revised manuscript for the project.
6. Publish the new revision.
7. Purchase a copy of this new revised version. When it arrives, review it carefully.
8. If you are happy with this proof, approve the revised book.

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No. This is not possible at this time. You may only purchase distribution services for published books, because ISBNs must be assigned to specific content. If you plan to use a one-piece cover, you may follow these steps to include your ISBN on your cover:

1. Publish your book. (Must be set to Direct Access or Available to Public in order to continue to step 2)
2. Purchase a Distribution Service. An ISBN will be assigned to your book and will appear in your Project List next to the title.
3. Revise your cover to include the ISBN (More info)
4. Order your proof copy
5. If the proof copy is acceptable, approve your book for Distribution. If not, make any necessary changes, and re-order proof copy.

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No. You must purchase a new ISBN for other projects.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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Once Lulu submits your book to our distributors it takes 6 to 8 weeks to appear on places like Amazon. The cover art can take a couple weeks longer to appear. If you do not want to wait for it to appear on Amazon, you can submit a customer image.

To upload your own cover art, click the "Share your own customer image" link on your book listing and follow Amazon's instructions.

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Your book will start to show up on retailers’ sites 6-8 weeks after you approve the title.

See, "How does the distribution process work?", for more information.

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The decision to list a book is up to the individual retailer. Published By You and Published By Lulu distribution services gets your book listed with the distributor used by major retailers like Amazon. This means major booksellers will have the option and ability to list your book as available for sale, which they did not have before. In our experience, Amazon will almost always list a book for sale once they have access to it through the wholesaler.

Then again, when you purchase a distribution service, it can take 6 to 8 weeks for your book to hit an online bookshelf. This is because most booksellers only update their database with new listings once a month. The overall process and timing is explained in "How does the Distribution process work?".

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This is because the warehouse ran out of stock, not because the book has been removed. The problem is simply that the wholesaler needs to keep more copies of your book in stock, so that your availability will be maintained on those retailer sites. Your book will probably be listed as "currently available" again just as soon as the wholesaler gets a new copy in stock. We are working to improve this process.

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To remove your book from the distribution channels, you must retire your book:

1. Go to your "Project List".
2. Click on the red X next to the book to attempt to delete it. A distribution book can't be deleted so the system will retire it.
3. This will remove your book from our distribution channels.

Note: It will take another 6 to 8 weeks before your book's status changes on online retailers' sites. It is possible that your book will not be removed entirely from retailers' sites, but instead be marked "out of print." Please keep in mind that used books or copies that were sold through distribution before you canceled your title will still be available for sale.

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Go to the "My Lulu" tab, click on the "My Projects" tab and then click on the "Show retired projects". Find and click on your project. Scroll down to the "Availability/Project Status" section and you will see a link to un-retire.

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When you un-retire your distribution book, it will return to whatever state it was in before it was retired. You will not be charged anything to un-retire a distribution book.

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