Are you wanting to self-publish your indie book but not quite sure which platform to use? Well look no further.
In today’s video I’m going show you how to publish your book with Lulu.com, so stick around.
Hey everybody, it’s Keith Wheeler here and if you want to continue to get all of the hints, tips and tricks on how to make self publishing easier to navigate then be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and hit the little bell icon so you get alerted each time I put out new content.
Save Time
First, I know time is a precious commodity so, if you want to speed up your learning process, feel free to click on the gear icon on the bottom right part of this video. When you hover over it, it should say settings. Next click the speed option and you can then increase the speed of this video to 1.25, 1.5 or even 2 times the normal speed.
Now, while I may touch base on some pros and cons about Lulu publishing, I will do a more in depth Product Review in a later video.
But for now, I’m going to get started.
First Book Free
How would you like to try Lulu.com and not even have to pay for your first proof copy of your book? Head on over to my affiliate link at lulu.kwheelerbooks.com and get a free first copy of your book when you publish.
Let’s Get Started
Log in. You can go either to my projects or Create and select the project you’d like to create.
1. Choose print book or ebook
For this tutorial, I’m going to select a print book as there are a few more steps.
You now will select the type of print book you’d like to create. You can choose from paperback, hardcover and photobooks and calendars.
2. Pick trim size, paper type, binding and enter page count.
Now we’re going to choose the trim size, I’m going to go with 6 x 9.
Next enter in the number of pages for your book. It will give you a min and max page count. You’ll also see the default cost per page.
This price may change with the next few steps. Scroll down and select the binding type and the interior print type. Black and white on cream paper, black & white on white paper or Full-color on white.
Notice that you can check out volume discounts as well as the spine measurements. No more need for calculating the cover spine yourself.
Now click “Make this book”
3. Enter title, contributors, channels and ISBN
Enter in your title. It will auto fill your author name, but if you’re using a pen name you can change this info here.
Select how you’d like to s
ell this.
Select your ISBN option.
Note: you can download a pdf copy of your barcode so you can add it to the cover of your book if you are creating the cover yourself. If you use Lulu’s online cover creator tool, the system will add the barcode on automatically.
Also, Lulu will email you the ISBN number associated to your book so you have it on file as well.
4. Upload interior files
Next we’re going to upload our files. Lulu accepts, .doc, .docx, .pdf, .txt, .rtf, .jpg, .gif and .png files.
Browse to your books manuscript and click upload. It should be noted that this is only your self-published interior file, not your cover. That will come later.
Click make Print-Ready file
If you want to review your interior, you can select “Download” and it will show you a pdf version of your manuscript.
5. Create the cover
Next it will bring you to the cover wizard. If you don’t already have a cover spread made, it is a fairly intuitive tool. You can choose your background, layouts, themes and even add in extras like adding the lulu url to the back cover near your isbn.
You can upload images and drag and drop elements as you see fit.
Since I already have a cover spread set up, I’m going to select “advanced one piece cover designer”
Your browser may ask if you want to leave the page, just select yes.
Browse to your cover image, remember to add in the isbn to the back. This screen will show you the dimensions your cover should be.
Once your cover is uploaded click save and continue
6. Project info page
Next up, your project info page on Lulu. Start by selecting a category.
If this book is intended for mature audiences, be sure to click this box.
Next, it’s time to add in some relevant keywords. There is a max of 3 terms per “keyword” so choose
wisely
Now it’s time to add in your book description. Your job here is to make your book inticing to your potential reader.
You have a 50 character minimum and a 1000 character max. Luckily there’s a progress bar that let’s
you know when you’re getting close to your max character count.
Next up is the language and copyright info.
You must select a license type. For this, most people will probably just qualify as the Standard Copyright License
Edition # and Publisher is not required but the spaces are there if you need it. Remember, if this is the first time you’re publishing this book, you do NOT need to put a 1 in the edition spot.
Click save and continue
7. Set price
And now for the important part, the price. For paperback, Lulu does an 80/20 split. Meaning, the author/creator gets 80% of the profits. For ebooks, Lulu does a 90/10. For ebooks, while you can offer your ebook for free or .99 on Lulu.com, ebook royalties only count for ebooks above .99.
On the project price page you can see how much royalties you’ll make both on Lulu’s marketplace as well as if it’s purchased through one of the other marketplaces they work with.
In addition, you can create a discount for Lulu marketplace buyers.
8. Send for review
Finally, you select Review Project.
And there you have it. So are you still interested in trying out Lulu for your next publication. If so, check out my affiliate at lulu.kwheelerbooks.com and get a free first copy of your book when you publish. I’ll drop a link to it in the show notes below.
Share your experiences with Lulu or any other self-publishing platform in the comments below. Until next time, I’m Keith Wheeler and remember to Write Right.