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 [...]
Uploading Your Book to Lulu
The next step is uploading your files onto the Lulu platform. Things have changed since I chronicled my publishing experience last year. Lulu is constantly adding new features to improve their users’ experiences.
As I said in my previous post, you can opt to upload each chapter for conversion. They’ve updated their software so you [...]
Pulling Your Book Together
Lulu allows you to upload files individually for conversion or as one PDF file. But first, you’ll need to organize your book’s sections so they’ll be reader friendly. I’ve included layouts for fiction and non-fiction books as guidelines.
Fiction
1. Review page(s)
2. Published book page (if this isn’t your first book)
3. Title page
4. Copyright page
5. Dedication page [...]
Obtaining an LCCN Number for Your Book
Is it necessary to obtain an LCCN Number to publish your book through Lulu? No, it isn’t. But if you want to sell your books to libraries, then you’ll need to get one.
Self-published books, as a general rule, are ineligible because the PCN (Preassigned Control Number) program is reserved for books that will be [...]
Hiring a Book Designer
If the learning curve of designing your book is too daunting, hire a professional. Fees for professional book design range from $250 - $5,000. That’s quite a spread.
Professional designers discourage authors from hiring designers who charge cheap fees. The big reason is that these junior designers make printing mistakes that the pros have to [...]
Designing Your Book Cover
Should you design your own book cover or have someone else do it for you? This is a critical question because we all judge books by their covers. The biggest and first mistake POD and self-published authors make is trying to design their own covers when they have little or no design knowledge.
To gain [...]
