How to Revise a Project on Lulu
Posted on September 1, 2007
Filed Under Copyediting, Self-Publishing with Lulu | Leave a Comment
Cheryl at Blooking Central asked me how an author would go about revising a project once it’s posted. You can revise a project as many times as you need to before you buy an ISBN number. Once you’ve bought this number, you still have the option to revise your book, should you notice a gross error (examples: a misrepresentation of a fact or missing pages) that could potentially damage your book’s success. Be aware that Lulu will charge you for this revision. I’ll talk more about that in a later post.
For now, I’ll assume that you haven’t bought an ISBN number yet and that you’ve just combed through the pages of your first proof. You’ve caught 58 typos in Chapter One. Plus, something is going wrong with the headers. For some reason, the title of your book isn’t showing up. The most challenging aspect of self-publishing is catching every single mistake. You won’t be able to, I promise. If you can’t afford to hire an editor, ask your family and friends to proofread your manuscript. Bribe them with Starbucks or free babysitting, if you have to.
After you’ve combed through the entire proof and corrected each error, you’ll be uploading a new file into your project. In the Projects screen, click on the Red Pencil icon in the Revise column.
The one thing I don’t like about the Lulu interface is the revision process, which forces you to start from the beginning. Let’s say you’ve completely filled out your book’s description form. You won’t have to fill out everything again, but I’ve found myself retyping the edition and copyright information every time. That’s annoying.
Fill out any empty spaces you see. If you didn’t enter your book’s description and keywords, now would be a good time to do it. Click Save & Continue. When you get to the File Uploading screen, click on the red “X” to delete the old file. Then upload and convert your new one. Click Save & Continue when you’re finished with the conversion.
In some cases, the author’s manuscript file is fine but they aren’t satisfied with the cover. If that’s the case with your book, then you can bypass uploading a new manuscript file and click through the Cover Preview screen. Upload a new file or experiment with the typeface. When you’re finished, click the Publish button. Lulu will send you to their options screen, where you can purchase a proof, promote your book, etc.
Purchasing a Distribution Package
Posted on July 23, 2007
Filed Under Self-Publishing with Lulu | 1 Comment
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 have to revise your book, click on this link in your account panel. You’ll be taken to the Lulu Distribution Packages page, where you’ll find all the available options. Right now Lulu is offering the Published by You distribution for $50. Normally, the cost is $100 for either the Published by You or the Published by Lulu.
Select the service you want to buy. Lulu requires you to buy yet another proof of your book. When you receive the book, check out the back cover. There should be a barcode and and ISBN number printed at the bottom.
Once you receive this ISBN number, you have the option of revising your copyright page to include this number. Or, you can publish your book as is. I would do the last revision because it gives you one last chance to comb through your pages to check for mistakes that weren’t caught in your previous proofreading passes. Don’t be surprised to find at least one.
You’re Published . . . almost!
Posted on July 20, 2007
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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 your manuscript. Go ahead and purchase your copy. Unless you’re in a hurry, I’d go for the standard shipping, which can take anywhere from 1-3 weeks.
Once your book arrives, check each page. If everything looks okay, you’re set to buy your Distribution service, if that’s what you choose. If not, then you’ll have to make the necessary corrections, and then start the revising process. This could mean uploading the corrected manuscript and/or the cover.
Pricing and Licensing Screen
Posted on July 20, 2007
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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 up. They price their royalties too high, which drives up the price of their books. I’ve seen prices as high as $25 for a standard 320-page paperback novel. How many sales do you think these authors made? Aside from their family, probably none.
The average trade paperback costs $7.00. The authors of those books are lucky to receive 5% for each book sold. That’s the reality for traditionally published authors. Like it or not, it’s a reality for us too. I took the generous end with this book and calculated what my royalty would be at 5%. It was a paltry .35, which brought the price to $7.54 for a 133-page book.
Set your royalty payment as low as possible, keeping the book’s price between $12 and $16. The lower the price, the better. Your royalties for each book will be low, but it’s more important to sell by the volume. The more people who buy and enjoy your book, the bigger the chance that they’ll spread the word.
Project Description Screen
Posted on July 19, 2007
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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 the form. These will give you tips and examples in the event you don’t know what to write.
Cover Previews
Posted on July 18, 2007
Filed Under Self-Publishing with Lulu | 1 Comment
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 set at 300dpi. These measurements are a bit over the 6×9 format, which allows for bleeds (when images extend to the very edge or just over the document’s edge). Once your cover is formatted correctly, upload it.
Let’s say you want a very plain book cover, or your cover contains an image only. This screen will allow you to add a title and the author’s name in a variety of fonts and colors. You also have a variety of colors for a plain book cover.
One of the more advanced features of Lulu is uploading a one-piece cover. This feature allows you to design the spine and back covers so they will have the same font consistency. I didn’t have to worry about using this feature when publishing the anthology because I used the standard Lulu fonts. My upcoming novel is a different story. I’ll be testing this feature out then.
In the meantime, we’ll finish this exercise by formatting the spine and back cover. You can enter the text for your synopsis directly into the dialog box or paste it from a file. With the spine, you can opt to display the Lulu imprint or leave it out.
Once you finish choosing your colors and fonts, click “Save & Continue.”
Project File Menu
Posted on July 17, 2007
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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 until the time you choose the Distribution Service. You can also cancel your project at any stage before then.
After receiving an “unknown error” when trying to upload an .rtf file, I decided to upload the .pdf that I created. So far, I’ve never had a problem uploading a .pdf from my Mac.
Once your manuscript is converted, click the Continue button. This will take you to the book cover screen.
Book Options Screen
Posted on July 17, 2007
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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 and the coil was excellent.
The bottom half of this screen shows the different binding options. Choose the one that is appropriate for your book, and then click “Save & Continue.”
Before I close, I thought I would mention the pricing dialogue box on the right hand side of the screen. Type in your book’s page number for an instant price quote. This is a neat little feature that Lulu didn’t have last year.
Publishing Your Book
Posted on July 16, 2007
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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 sidebar on the left. You’ll see several links at the very top. Ignore those for now.
Instead, click on the “More Information” link in the Paperback Book section. This will take you to the FAQ section especially for publishing paperbacks. You’ll learn about pricing, printing specifications, etc. Once you’ve read though this information, click on the Paperback Book link. This will take you to the Start a New Project dialogue box (pictured below.
Enter your book’s information. Lulu automatically defaults the project to the Private mode. Leave it set at that and hit the Save & Continue button.
BookWright
Posted on July 15, 2007
Filed Under Writing Software | 2 Comments
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 see if this program will format manuscripts according to Lulu’s specifications. If it does, then it will be a great tool for Lulu authors. If not, then I’m glad they offer a free trial. $130 is a lot to spend on a program that doesn’t work.
I’ll be testing that out once I get my copy of MS Office. Check back for my review. If you have used this program, I’d love to hear your thoughts about it.
Update: This program is great for creating formatted manuscripts to submit to publishers but not for designing your book. The fonts were very limited, and I couldn’t create custom headers to look like a trade paperback. So, I will not be using it.
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