Purchasing a Distribution Package
Before you read any further, I’d like you to click on the above screenshot. Take a look at the first entry, where you’ll see a link that says “Purchase a distribution package” in the ISBN column. That is what you can expect to see after you’ve published the first draft of your book.
Provided you don’t [...]
You’re Published . . . almost!
This screen is also self-explanatory. Before you do anything, bookmark it because it has some important links that you may need later.
Lulu requires you to publish a copy of your book before you make it available to the public. This is so you can check for copy editing mistakes as well as typos within [...]
Pricing and Licensing Screen
This screen does just what it implies. Let’s start with the licensing. Most authors choose the standard copyright license. However, there are a variety of licenses you can choose from, such as the GNU or the public domain. You decide.
Okay, now let’s get on with the pricing. This is where I see many authors screw [...]
Project Description Screen
I like the fact that the Project Description screen comes near the end. It wasn’t that way last year, which made any revision processes a pain because you had to reenter everything. The form is self-explanatory, so I won’t go into any detail explaining this. You’ll notice the green question marks after every box in [...]
Cover Previews
Lulu gives you two options for creating a book cover. The first option involves uploading the front cover or choosing from their gallery. Either click on the book cover template or click on the tabs.
If you’ve decided to upload your own book cover, you’ll need to format your file to measure 1838×2775 pixels and [...]
Project File Menu
This is where you’ll be uploading all of your files. The first step is uploading and converting your manuscript. Before you click the Browse button, make sure you’ve set your document to the correct size and that any non-compatible fonts are embedded. The nice thing about Lulu’s interface is that you can correct mistakes up [...]
Book Options Screen
This screen comes with the defaults already set for the standard novel. Change this only if you’re publishing anything other than a novel. I’ve found that the US Letter format with the coil-bound binding works great with workbooks or cookbooks. I used this format to bind my manuscript for editing. The quality of the paper [...]
Publishing Your Book
You’ve set up your account. Now it’s time to publish your book. The screenshot above illustrates what you can publish with Lulu. If you’re not logged in right now, do so.
Notice the tabs at the top of the screen. The screenshot was taken after I clicked the Publish tab. Take a look at the orange [...]
BookWright
While reading through The Writer’s Digest, I found a listing of the best software for writers. BookWright caught my attention because it’s an extension of Word that allows you to format your manuscript for publication. It does other things, but what I’m really interested in is how it handles headers and footers.
I’m curious to [...]
Picking Up Where I Left Off
I’m back from my vacation. The break felt good, and it allowed me to think about the direction I want to take this blog. Thanks to those of you who gave me your feedback. It is greatly appreciated.
Starting Monday, I’m going to walk you through the process of publishing your book with Lulu. For [...]
