👋Be sure to catch the full Self-Published Book Unboxing Series at ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-P3Mv43cfasA.html&list=PLXCkkWHluK4ALg3X7rmx10fvX4Rv9xEg6&index=2
I have self published 2 books with KDP. I am so over the excuses. I appreciate coming across your video. I was looking for an alternative and here you are with what I needed. I have been a self published author since November 2019 and have yet to receive books in 5 business days. It always takes 15-20 days or it is loss in transit and I have to start over. The customer service is horrible and I am just over it. Wish I came across this video a while ago. Better late than never. Time for the switch. Thank you again!
I know this is not about the book itself, but I just think Mark should know he has a really attractive cover! I literally could not stop looking at it. It just draws you in and without reading the cover you get the sense that it's about a mystery or murder mystery! Upon reading the cover you learn that it will definitely be a mystery! Kudos to Mark!
I’ll pass that along to him. He designed the cover himself and took weeks to perfect it. It’s a gripping story and I highly recommend you give it a look if you enjoy thriller reads.
I am a packer for Amazon. I could go into detail, but basically the shipping time is more than likely a couple things a where it is printed and their backlog, b the backlog of the wearhouse it started in (yes I know how to tell where it started, it may not be where you would expect). Because books are considered small items they go down the envelope lines. Best way to change that is customers telling Amazon this cause damage to their book. That damage very likely could have occured before it even got out of the wearhouse. We aren't supposed to ship them damaged, but even getting them in the small envelopes risks damage (personally I tend to put them in a little bigger one for just that reason, but most people are not as OCD about not damaging people's stuff as I am). So basically with Amazon you have millions of items from tons of places, something like Lulu most likely has less work load and more controlled printing and packing situations.
I've had a good experience with KDP. I usually get my orders in under five days but the very first order(The first time it's published) of any of my titles usually averages around seven to ten days. I've yet to try Lulu but I'm going to try and publish one of my books through their channel but with a different cover design.
Hi Dale, I'm a self Publishing author and I have been using Lulu since 2010 and I am very happy with their quality. I have tried create space and Ingramspaks and wasn't satisfied with their print quality.
I'm a self-publisher author using KDP, they are still slow, it takes almost a month-and-a-half to get to you as the author. However, if you order it through Amazon as a customer you will get it in a record time of about 4 to 5 days, a lot faster than if you as an author order you book but you will have to pay customer price for each book. So it is bittersweet🤔
Yeah, I skip author copies anymore (unless I need bulk) and order right through the Amazon marketplace. With Prime, I get it within 2-3 days. Ridiculous that they don't expedite author copies as fast.
I ordered my recent paperback release from Amazon Jan. 4 and just got it today, Jan. 17. Ridiculous wait for a POD. It arrived in a bubble envelope that was miles too large for the book, so of course the book covers, front and back, were both creased, pages bent and dirty. Thankfully, return shipping is free.
I'm with you and this is a HUGE reason why I'm weighing all my options. I'm hoping to get the next 5 videos in this series out. Thanks for sharing your experience. Further evidence that KDP Print has a lot to improve.
I'm looking into using something like Lulu so I can get a few copies of my book to sell on release day. Because unfortunately Amazon doesn't allow you to buy copies of your book early, so... no way to sell physical copies at a release day party. But I'm curious how the ISBN works? Do you have to purchase one? For my Amazon books, I used the ISBN they provided for free.
BUT AND THIS IS A GOOD BUT, how much was the book. What will out customers pay for a book. Createspace had great prices, proof copy was marked on the back, and easy to upload, fast service, great customer service, and the best cover creator. And their books came in a box. I know you are breaking this down, but it's just a small part of the service. KDP isn't that much better, putting files In is ten times easier, book cost a little cheaper, shipping takes forever and proof copy sucks with proof on the cover, and cover creator sucks. Both companies have alot they could have learned from createspace. Thank you for your wonderful shows, as always i have fun and learn alot.
Thanks! Sadly, the cost was an oversight on my part and since these orders were fulfilled by the authors, I don't necessarily know. I'm finding Lulu's prices comparable. Before you put in a proof order with Lulu, make sure to search down coupon codes. They still have an active coupon code for my channel: DALE20 That's 20% off your order. I don't get a kickback, they just made that out of kindness.
Hi dale I seriously need your reply please, kdp terminated my account, can I upload my books to lulu, I have uploaded thesame books on kdp before my account got terminated
You can upload to Lulu, but you can't publish to KDP through them with a terminated account. You can't circumvent the termination. Once you're terminated, that's it. You're done with KDP.
Hello, thanks for the video. I actually decided to use Lulu to publish my first book after this. I had a question though, I got a ISBN from Lulu but decided not to publish globally with them and only got a proof copy from them. I'm not super happy with the process- Lulu says it will take almost a month just to get my proof to me and their customer support is non-responsive. I want to try KDP now to compare but I was unsure if I can do that since I got a ISBN from Lulu and technically printed with them first?
Hi Dale, I noticed that the first KDP book has a glossy cover and the second KDP book appears to have a matte cover. Is this something the author can choose when they are uploading the book cover?
So far, I’ve downloaded Scribus, Gimp and Inkscape. Is it possible to publish a book with images on Amazon Kindle without using any Adobe products? My laptop with Adobe software was stolen by my cousin who denies taking it. I have to go with free software on my new laptop. Is it possible?
Absolutely! I still use GIMP to this day. When I was broke, I had no other alternative. Now, I’m pretty much a master at GIMP so I can’t see using any other software.
Yes, but I may only do it on the podcast channel. These type of videos don’t perform as well as the others. Maybe my team and I can figure a way to rope in more viewers while sharing the different products from each platform. Hang in there, it might take awhile, but it just might be possible.
I've never experienced blurry type. Did you ensure that your file was saved with 300dpi? This is the standard resolution for print. If not, that may be way your text was blurry.
@@DaleLRoberts With IngramSpark they take the text file, not an image, so that's on their end either way. Maybe it was because my book was a large size...different printer or something?
Hi! Quick question: I’ve printed a variety of low content notebooks through Amazon KDP. But I want to print hardback versions and versions with a spiral spine. Can I now publish on Lulu? Or is this against amazon kdps policy ? Many thanks!
I think I'm going to have to go with Lulu instead of KDP. I printed so many years ago with Lulu that I can't remember if the books were bubble wrapped then. For some reason I remember a box since we ordered close to 10 just for the family as a gift.
The KDP Select agreement is only an agreement for ebooks, not print. So, you're free to publish your print books and audiobooks anywhere you choose regardless of your status in the KDP Select program.
I plan to print my comic book through lulu for my etsy shop. I ship everything else in boxes and want to avoid that for my books. Anyone know where I can get the best boxes for this?
Hey dale! this video was very helpful and I found that lulu has more potential than amazons kdp, I have a small doubt....I want my books to be published in the nearby stores and malls of my city, will lulu be able to accomplish this problem? I will be waiting for your answer....
I'm putting out a book of photos of paintings. It's a tribute to my mom. I prefer higher quality as the paintings are bright and colorful. Hardcover. Which to choose? It seems like Lulu is best. I doubt it will sell much if at all anyway.
Oh, yes, Lulu is better for something like that. Don't cheap out on the quality. BUT...there are other options to consider. Here's a video series where I did comparisons of the most notable print-on-demand companies for books. ru-vid.com/group/PLXCkkWHluK4Bxge93wn7VBdQ9YVk0uvup I'll add one more to consider and believe---in my opinion--it's the best option for what you're describing. The company is called Bookvault. Here's a video about them: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VQBZgh16UN0.html Choose premium full color print quality with the heaviest paper stock option (it's usually automatic) so the pictures come out vibrant and there's no loss in quality. Now, fair warning! Hardcover with full color tends to cost a significant amount more than the other ones. It's not unusual, but if you want to preserve the integrity of the paintings, you simply can't cheap out. The only way to drive that cost down is if you order from a local offset printer. And, that's a LOT of money upfront to get a significant discount per copy. Me personally? I'll stick with print-on-demand. Sure, it costs more per copy, but I'm not out thousands of dollars and stuck with an inventory of books I may or may not sell. I hope that helps and good luck. I'm sure your mother would be proud!
Wow. Thank you so much for the information. My mom suffers from dementia (she's 85). She had been painting since childhood but never talked about it. And now as her caregiver (and only son) I'm finding over 200 paintings in the house that are just blowing me away. I mean it's not going to change the world or anything, but they're loose and natural and impressionistic; she just developed her own style. I thought she would appreciate the tribute even if she can't express herself too well anymore. And it would mean a lot to me to honor her in that way. Thanks again. I deeply appreciate your response. Great timing. It's been about 8 months of photographing and photoshopping and layout work, and I almost went with KDP.@@DaleLRoberts
KDP would be great with the ebooks, but for print, you might find it lacking. BUT, you can always order proofs to make sure it's the right fit. It just so happens I worked in the healthcare industry for twenty years as an Activities Director. A good portion of my work involved activities with folks in memory care. Though your mom has dementia, I'm sure once you put that book in her hands, it'll do a lot for memory recall. Keep doing what you're doing. That's truly a special thing.
Don't know if my comment came through, but would you suggest a Nielsen ISBN when using BookVault even though I'm in the USA? Also, do I need to know the page count before purchasing the ISBN? I may need to add a title page instead of just a half-title page, for example.@@DaleLRoberts
I prefer kdp to Lulu because I'm 13 years old, disabled and I've published 2 books on amazon kdp so far. I received both books in perfect condition. I've never even tried Lulu but I've heard it's a good company. I wish I'd found out about it sooner though, because now I'm stuck in a contract with Amazon kdp that I can't cancel if I wanted to. But I'm still very pleased and happy with kdp, as I've been publishing with them since 2020. :) Also quick question but, does Lulu terminate your account?
I always recommend KDP first. You're not in any contract with KDP. You can unpublish at any time. You can also publish your books on other platforms. You just want to make sure that you opt out of distrubtion to Amazon since your books are already there. Amazon KDP retains no rights to your books via contract or otherwise. You have full control.
@@DaleLRoberts Oh. Thanks Dale! I thought that since my Ebook for my first book could be bought for free it was enrolled on kdp select and I couldn't publish anywhere else. This definitely cleared things up.
I know this is an older video now but my experience with KDP so far is that I receive my books and proofs in a minimum of 14 days, and they often get delayed which usually ends up adding another 15-16 days. So it usually takes about a month for me to receive proofs and books from KDP (to NZ). Also, they are often dinged and dog-eared. I haven't tried publishing through Lulu yet.
I sold my 8 ½ x 11 paperback book via my website and was getting it printed by a Midwest book printer at 500-1000 per order. Switched to KDP because of a medical condition and couldn’t handle inventory, orders, and shipping. The print quality of Amazon KDP is ok, sometimes a few of the book covers are cut wrong. But the main problem with KDP is that the shipping of author copies is horrible. I order 20-40 author copies at a time. They come loosely packed in cartons and slide around. Just today 12 of the 20 arrived in padded envelopes. I always have a number of books (with one order of 40 books half were damaged and unsellable) with dented corners, bent covers, scuff marks, and other blemishes which make them unacceptable to my distributor. I can’t believe what a sloppy, careless job they do in packing. Plus, it takes about 15-20 days to get them. Looking around for an alternative that does a better job of packing author copies. I’ll check out Lulu. (When I ship quantities to my distributor and others, I stretch wrap in groups of ten and then bubble wrap them and put them in oversized cartons with plenty of void fill all around. Even single copy orders I shipped in boxes--never padded mailers.)
I'm not sure. Good question. You can either reach out to Lulu and KDP directly to ask or consider your local printer. A lot of times, they will have a spiral or even perfect binding option and it's pretty cheap. I'm sorry I can't be of more help.
Hey Dale I was just wondering do you think Lulu publishing translates into different languages my book is in English but I really want it to be translated as well. Your help would be greatly appreciated
Could you explain the difference in quality? Sounded like you said they were both good until you got to the end and said you think Lulu is better. Will you do one on printing hardcover books with no photo ?
Pam .H It’s a real toss up and comes down to taste. I liked Lulu just a wee bit better because the paper felt thicker and the cover has an amazing gloss to it. As for hardcover, Lulu carries it while KDP does not. Here’s one video about hardcover with dust jacket: Lulu Publishing: Is the Hardcover with Dust Jacket Any Good? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jZryrJqempo.html
@@DaleLRoberts It's interesting that it felt thicker. I saw comparison reviews of KDP and Lulu printing the same book, and with Lulu, the book overall was thinner. Since they have the same paperweight, I was wondering, maybe it's better quality, denser, smoother paper.
As a Lulu author you should know that if you order more than one book from them they then board the books when shipping and Do not use bubble wrap just FYI.
I been a self publisher for 10 years and.i use to like kdp until they started cutting royalties but I love lulu the print quality is out standing and its alot easier to publish a book on lulu and shipping time is better then kdp unfortunately books on both sides do get damaged but lulu has a quicker shipping
@@DaleLRoberts I totally agree they need better shipping methods padded envelopes is rediculas we need our books wrapped in packing material with foam sides and placed in a card board box how hard is that take the time to care people buy the books and money gets paid for shipping they need. To do it the right way
For someone outside US publishing his first book, is it better to pick kdp than lulu for wider market share? I do like my book to be in physical bookstore too, if I pick ingramspark, they don't distribute their book to bookstore outside US right?
Hmmm, that’s a good question that I’m not entirely sure. You may want to drop a line to IngramSpark to confirm. If you want wider reach, go with KDP over Lulu. Lulu has good reach, but not near as much as Amazon.
@@DaleLRoberts yeah, I definitely want to reach every possible online and physical store, but think again, it's better to get the best platform with most users and focus to let your audience visit there to buy so amazon is better choice, so I will stick with my original plan, kdp, iBook and google play book store, thanks Dale! by the way, I'm the guy making origami book and keep posting a lot question in your Facebook group if you remember haha!
I've been planning on printing my book with Lulu since I started writing it. A friend is recommending KDP. I'm so glad to have some more information to help me make a decision. It looks like I'll make a little more per book with Lulu, and I assume they can get my book in front of basically the same audience?
On your review you did not compare paper stock used nor did you comment on the quality of the perfect binding on each product. Also, I'm interested in cost comparisons. Having said that, I'm new to print on demand but I'm certainly considering this for my book that's in 1st draft right now. Other than above, useful video, thank you!
John Ruffle thanks. I try to do the best videos possible, but will miss the mark. This is harder than it looks. But, good news, I plan to be updating this whole series.
@@DaleLRoberts Apologies - I didn't mean to come across over-critical! A great channel; very useful, and yes, I appreciate all the work you're putting into it!
John Ruffle no issue. I appreciate you watching and commenting nonetheless. It wasn’t too overboard. If it was, I’d simply block it and no one would ever hear from it. Not all videos are to my liking and about half of these unboxing videos were flubbed due to missing out on major points like you mentioned. Trust me, for however hard people are on me, I’m way harder on myself. So, you’re good 👍
Would you be willing to do a video on quality of children’s books using KDP? I’m ready to publish my children’s book and trying to decide between Lulu, Createspace and KDP. Thank you!
Well, you can cross Createspace off the list. It’s no longer around. I did a video for KDP with a children’s book: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yOzbdNvNtio.html
Hi Dave! I have some questions and I hope you can help me. 1. Can I publish the same book in KDP, LULU, and INGRAMSPARK all at once? What I get is that once you get the free ISBN from KDP then the distribution of your book will be exclusive to Amazon only. 2. If ever I will be able to publish my book that I published in KDP to LULU and INGRAMSPARK , will they provide me a free ISBN separately? 3. Do I need to pay to publish in LULU and INGRAMSPARK? I'd really appreciate your help with this.
1) Yes. 2) Yes. 3) Yes and no. IngramSpark has upload and update fees. You can mitigate those costs by finding online coupons or joining ALLi (they waive all IngramSpark fees).
What would be the imprint of Amazon if I get their free ISBN? I mean, for the publisher field. Also, if my book that already has a free ISBN from Amazon will be published in the two platforms I've mentioned, will they just "take it off" and stick their own free ISBNs, or would they just "add" their ISBNs, which means that my book would have three ISBNs all in all? Because what I've heard is that you can't take an ISBN from a book anymore. This is the most confusing part for me.
Since you’re getting a free ISBN, it’ll be their imprint. Last I checked, Amazon lists the imprint as “Independently Published.” Here is a video explaining ISBNs: Paid ISBN vs Free ASIN from Amazon - How to Buy ISBNs ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-86XgiczMce0.html
Yep, Lulu has been at it for longer than KDP, believe it or not. But, I'm with you in that I haven't had much experience with them. So, this series has been eye-opening for me to say the least.
You're watching the best overview in this video. This is only one part of a full video series. Get my insights here: ru-vid.com/group/PLXCkkWHluK4ALg3X7rmx10fvX4Rv9xEg6
I’ve printed from both! I love KDP prints speed of delivery (2-5 days). Lulu (7 + days) . I rather Lulu in terms of product. For ordering wholesale, it’s Amazon! So I decided to sell through my website (www.slimsir.com) but when I sell hand to hand, I buy them off of Amazon because it’s cheaper and shipping is cheaper. That’s my take on it!
Self-Publishing with Dale thanks for responding so fast!!!✊🏽🙏🏽👍🏽 I couldn’t find it at first... but wanted to share what I did finally find so you can share with your community.... if you choose PayPal payout is about every month... if you choose checks it’s quarterly payout
I’m definitely going to publish with Lulu. Everything about Lulu with the way that the process of book publishing, organization, etc; Its clear to me that Lulu, Definitely knows what they’re doing. My Aunt Has published With KDP And it worked out good for her. But I’m going with Lulu. :) thanks for this!
Ooo, good choices. I lean a little more towards Barnes & Noble versus Lulu, but they're both excellent quality. Amazon is definitely last place for quality, though I don't think it's terrible.
Hey. I am about to publish my book on Amazon KDP. I need advice ASAP.. Help me here. Is it legal for me to publish on other platforms, or once I publish on Amazon I can't publish on Lulu? or Apple eBook Store? What advice you have for me also on how to sell paperback copies of my books? ALL ADVICE IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU. :)
So long as you don’t opt your ebook into KDP Select, you can publish it anywhere you wish. There’s no limits on print book distribution. For advice on how to sell more print books, search my back catalog of videos. I have a ton of videos about selling more books.
Watch this video explaining KDP Select: KDP Select Review: The Pros & Cons of Amazon Exclusivity ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qbJa8381dOo.html
I'm currently using KDP to print my book. However, my book keeps printing with same missing pages. Amazon confirmed that nothing wrong with my formatted file and that it is a quality issue on their end, but everytime they say it's fixed and I order a proof, still I have missing pages. Of course, KDP has no answers. 🤦♀️😥 Except that they will "investigate this matter." Have you had this happen or heard of this happening?
@@DaleLRoberts Today was my third time calling and the third time for them telling me that they would work toward getting it resolved. 🤦♀️🔄 I'm just wondering that even though my formatted PDF is fine and showing all the pages, if that is possibly the problem?
I could only guess. Have you taken names and gotten direct contact emails from the people in charge of addressing the issue. Sometimes, you have to be a bit firm yet professional.
I've had good experiences with Lulu and the books came in cardboard. My new problem is with the changes they've made and I'm stalled on my new book that I want just for me. I'm not looking to sell any copies YET. I will try.
Yes, they are on my list for sure, but I haven't received any copies for them yet. I anticipate breaking ground in the next set of videos. There's another 2 videos in the pipeline before I have to produce more. I'm glad you're enjoying them and thanks for the suggestion. If any others come to mind, drop them in the comments.
Nicole McGinnis I actually could use a hardback from Barnes & Noble. I’ve got a hardback for a Lulu versus B&N comparison video, but need one hardback for a B&N video by itself. Drop me an email at dale@selfpublishingwithdale.com.
I used to publish on CreateSpace because it was ridiculously easy to use, but lately they've switched over to new software I can't understand. Maybe do a vid on how to use it?
Lulu has more options and costs more overall. POD's use a wide variety of printers so the quality varies from book to book, depending on the ability of the printing company used from their network.
Great information, Thanks so much! Looking at publishing my first book and I was excited to go with create space, sorry to hear it’s no longer. I came across LULU and did sign up with them today however looking at the LuLu book you have on solar here in this video it appears that it looks like a workbook/study guide instead of a standard book like the other two Kindle publishing books you have🤔. Soooo your thoughts on this totally appreciated:).
Ooo, thanks! Did you check out the other Lulu unboxing? The book was substantially larger and fiction. 🤔 I have more videos rolling out in this series and Lulu will be featured more 😀👍👏
When I try to publish my book on lulu they always show font embedding and flatten transparency problem even if I don't have a picture in it. I don't know what to do. Do you have any suggestion or video link that can solve my problem, please?
No need to scream, my friend. You can purchase a copy of your own book through the KDP dashboard at cost. Doing so is completely up to you. I like to have a copy of each of my books on hand.
So I've run into a hiccup, maybe. I planned to use Lulu for distribution purposes. But since I've used my purchased ISBN on Amazon, they won't allow me to use it for distribution with them. They are saying they'll purchase on my behalf. 🤔 So, I'm thinking about pulling out of this one.
Oh, it just occurred to me. Extended distribution is an all or nothing approach. And, I’m assuming that since it was listed through Amazon already, they can’t delist and then republish through them. Never thought about that. Dang 😩
@@DaleLRoberts lol exactly. But my book release on the 30. I only decided to do the worldwide distribution. Now, I may just order prints and sale from my site. Thanks for your help!
I’m only theorizing - it’s possible that since there’s already a product listing on Amazon, Lulu can’t get access to the page. That’s just a theory. I’m going to do a little digging. Certainly worth investigating.
Hmmm, great question. I think you'll have to check with the facility first and see what type of packages they'll receive. KDP comes from Amazon. If you use Amazon to distribute Lulu books, then again, you've got that avenue.
I received a copy of my novel from LuLu a couple weeks ago, and I was very disappointed with the quality. LuLu was going so well for me--the site, the look of the book on their site. But now I'm just not sure what to do.
Hmmm, I've found their quality to be great every time. I wasn't 100% pleased with their spiral notebook, but the paperbacks all came in great shape. Have you looked into KDP Print or IngramSpark for print?
Hey, thanks! I pride myself on being responsive. You went through the trouble of watching and leaving a thoughtful comment, the least I could do is respond. 😀👏👍
I wonder specifically what aspect of the quality was off? Was it the paper stock; binding or horror of horrors, that smudgy body text printing which I've seen in print on demand books from time to time.
Great video! This review isn't exactly fair though (in my opinion). When you are comparing two different companies like this, you need to have a measurable comparison. Shipping is not a measurable comparison. Maybe you had a bad carrier that didn't care at all about the contents of your package. This is NOT the fault of either company. I want a comparison that compares the quality of the print, the crispness of images (also a hard one if the author provides sub-par quality images). I understand that there are a ton of variables to look at but shipping shouldn't be one.
Lulu uses multiple US printers, and those printers work independently of one another. They have a percentage of their packages routed across all of their printers - meaning your book might print at one location, or might print at another depending on how the dice are rolled in their system. Source: I managed their print network for years. Different packaging = different printer used.
I'm not in those possibilities to find out who sells the most under fire. KDP 4 days vs Lulu shipping? Then, KDP damages vs Lulu - maybe you did not haveany at all. Others have. So basically, what will both say?
Given that both Lulu and KDP Print ship the books in bubble wrap envelopes, it seems to me that the chance of receiving a damaged book is basically equal. Given that Amazon is REALLY GOOD about replacing damaged items, how does Lulu handle such situations? I've seen other RU-vidrs say that customer service from Lulu is seriously lacking. Have you had any experience with their customer support in general and, in particular, customer support with regard to damaged books?
Hello I like lulu to but my books came in a cardboard book shape. The order to come fast and the first time my book came out wrong. The Second time it was perfect.
Lulu doesn’t have the best organic traffic. But, I’d you have an audience and can send them there, you’ll get a much better payout than through Amazon.
@@DaleLRoberts This is exactly why I choose LuLu over KDP. The margins are extremely better. I couldn't believe it. Now the so called pro of Amazon is you don't have to advertise which is a lie. There are so many people on Amazon it's not even funny.
If you have Prime and order directly from Amazon, then it’s KDP. Otherwise, order author copies from KDP and ordering from Lulu are roughy the same shipping costs and delivery time.
Okay, so you're scouting out potential options. Good thinking. I hope this video series helped you out. I'm going to be uploading five additional videos in the series very soon with Lulu, Barnes & Noble and IngramSpark in the mix. And, I'll be sharing full-color, non-industry standard trims through KDP Print.
Nice! I'm sure they appreciate the kind words and support. I'll be talking about them this coming week in a video about the ten best places to publish ebooks.
Does anyone know whether kdp requires you to purchase a font license for using the fonts? The whole thing has just scrambled my brain and I’ve got nowhere😂😫
@@DaleLRoberts I need to get a few ISBN's first. I may cave and buy a single one now for the Aftermath paperback bundle. Only it's not going to be a "bundle" in the traditional sense. Amazon doesn't like "bundle" in paperback. So I'm going to rework it as a novella. It's just shy of 50k words with the three. I can add my bonus story for 3k words though.
I really liked Lulu.com and used this company to publesh several books until they decided to updrade. Now it's all messed up. They have changed so many things and arern't as good as the old Lulu. They have lost so many customers. I wish they'd bring the old Lulu back.
As with all change, it can be tough at first, but in due time, the wrinkles will iron out and the system will become better. Lulu has been working on this system for awhile and sadly, it didn't go as smoothly as they liked. They didn't set out to anger their account holders, but try to make it easier. And, there's no turning back because they've invested a LOT of time and money into the change. And, remember, most NEW account holders, don't see any issue. Why? Because it's new to them and the interface is more modern than the old way. Sorry, I gotta call it as I see it. The old interface was straight out of the 1990s to 2000s. It needed a face lift. It was kinda like when Createspace merged with KDP back in 2018. Everyone was TICKED off. They hated KDP. Now, not a single person knows the difference. Sure, some people fondly remember Createspace as being "better" but the vast majority of users have moved on and embraced the new interface. Show patience and try to help Lulu with the transition. If it's broke, then tell them where to fix it. And, remember, they're being FLOODED with issues, so don't expect a response. Best of luck.
They have hardcovers now. It rolled out about a year or two ago. Though they still have limited trim sizes. But knowing Amazon, they’ll get all trim sizes out in due time. Hang in there.
@@DaleLRoberts Just finished my first book. It's a Family History going back to late 1600s in SW Germany. Now Investigating how/where to POD. Have you done any videos lately on overall comparisons of the "Top 5" POD on how Authors can track Sales Revenue, Print/Ship Quality, ease of use, fee schedules and customer service? I've watched many videos on how/where to POD and my general take on it is that's it's a Crap Shoot. They all have good qualities and they all suck at other stuff. These kinds of books never make anyone's BSL, unless you're doing a zeitgeist Celeb like Taylor Swift or a Pro Athlete. Only Old Hollywood Geeks would buy such a book on Cecil B DeMill, Hedy Lamar or Burt Lancaster.
I did a full comparison series of each platform on my podcast channel: ru-vid.com/group/PLNIg6rKSONCe3L45x6C5bqDpKvIXJJfQ3 But you're kinda right. It is a bit of a crap shoot since I can tell you all the info and share my experience. However, you'll have to test each platform out for yourself to see if the quality matches up, the customer service is just right, and you're comfortable with the distribution agreement. Take your time and don't rush it. I'd recommend running a proof from each POD platform to see how the quality is and if they meet your expectations.
