Monthly Archives: September 2008

by Dan London Director of Online Marketing
September 29, 2008
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Gain an Audience Using Twitter

In Lulu News, Marketing Tips — Tagged: , , ,

One key to selling your book, photo book or calendar is finding an audience who is interested in your topic. Website forums have been a good way to speak to people who share your same interests, but finding the right websites to post on can take quite a bit of time and effort.

In the past year, another great way to find and communicate with people who share your interests has emerged: Twitter. This web-based communication tool allows you to have conversations with numerous people whether they share your interests or are simply interesting in their own right. If you’re shy, you don’t have to actively engage people in conversation; you can follow people that interest you and sit back and watch the conversations unfold.

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by Kevin Hill Guest poster
September 25, 2008
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The Ultimate James Bond Book @ Lulu.com

In Author Spotlight — Tagged: , , ,

If your dream job involves playing blackjack in the Casino de Monte Carlo while keeping tabs on a criminal mastermind, wooing a beautiful woman, and drinking vodka martinis (shaken not stirred), then you’re probably looking forward to this November’s release of Quantum of Solace, the newest addition to the James Bond franchise. November 14th may still be a ways off, but while you’re waiting, you can get your Bond fix and follow in the footsteps of the world’s most famous spy with On the Tracks of 007, the first and only James Bond travel guide.

Over the course of 12 years, Martijn Mulder and Dirk Kloosterboer (with a little help from their friends) have tracked down, photographed, and catalogued the filming locations of every James Bond movie ever made. Luckily for us, their hard work is now available in a beautiful, full-color book featuring hundreds of photos and complete guides to finding the settings of all your favorite James Bond scenes. From 1962’s Dr. No to 2006’s Casino Royale, On the Tracks of 007 will take you around the world to over 370 locations in 24 countries.

Earlier this week, I interviewed Martijn by email, and below he shares his thoughts on James Bond, location hunting, and the incredible journey that became On the Tracks of 007.

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by Lauren Parker Senior Communications Specialist
September 23, 2008
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Get Fit on Lulu!

In Lulu News — Tagged: , , , , , ,

September 27th is Family Health and Fitness Day USA (I know, I didn’t have it on my calendar either!).  Good thing I’m here to give you a cool list of books on Lulu on how to get your family out in the fresh air, and well-fed, the healthy way.

A family that’s fit together has fun together – especially if you’re playing one of the fun games in Kathi Wyldeck’s Family Games.  Filled with games like “Robin’s Nest”, “Crusts and Crumbs” “Red Rover” and other outdoor games, you’ll be playing till the streetlights come on and it’s dinnertime.

Speaking of dinner…let’s work on the healthy part of the day.  With organic and health food stores everywhere, slow food movements and even fast food places offering a fruit cup instead of fries, eating healthy is becoming easier. If you’re looking for some new and inventive recipes, try the Runner’s Cookbook (ooo..running and cooking) .

Think health equals a long time to cook?  Au contraire! With Healthy Meals in 30 Minutes you can create a variety of gluten-, dairy-, sugar- and soy-free meals without having to slave over a stove all day.

So with plans in hand for a fun day, go enjoy Health and Fitness Day with friends and family.  The more the merrier and the better the games!

by Carol Housel Community Advocate
September 19, 2008
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A Pirates Life Fer Me (fer today) Arrrr!

In Author Spotlight, Lulu Blog, Lulu News — Tagged: , ,

Ahoy, mateys! It’s that time of year, again! I had a hard time sleeping last night because of all the excitement the next morning would bring. I laid my outfit for the next day on the floor and hid my eye patch from my cat in the pocket of my skull and cross-bones vest pocket (she LOVES to chew on the elastic band that holds the patch to my head).

I sprung out of bed 6 minutes before my alarm went off, frightened the sleep out of my husband with a loud “YARRRRRG!” and jumped into my pirate garb! I popped my eye patch on and got into work early enough to be the first to greet my boss. “Ahoy! Ye scurvy-infested wench!”

On most days and with most bosses, a greeting of this nature is probably not acceptable, but if the urge is strong and runs deep within your soul, you’d better do it today. International Talk Like A Pirate Day is the coolest holiday there is. Move over Flag Day; get the heck out the way Thanksgiving. Aye, International Talk

Cap'n Slappy and Ol' Chumbucket at a book signing in Lincoln City, OR. Photo by Margaret Hood

Cap'n Slappy and Ol' Chumbucket at a book signing in Lincoln City, OR. Photo by Margaret Hood

Like A Pirate Day makes all the other holidays walk the plank of disappointment. This holiday has an attitude and ye best be prepared for pirate-speak, lest ye find ye’self in ol’ Davy Jones’ Locker.

And who do we owe our booty to fer creating this rum-filled holiday? Why, who else but one our very own Lulu authors and his pirate cohort! A few days ago I had the extreme pleasure of talking with one of the co-founders of International Talk Like A Pirate Day, John ‘Ol’ Chumbucket’ Baur, via email.  Sit down, grab some rum and take a listen, wont ye? Arrrrr!!!

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by Cary Allman PR Intern
September 17, 2008
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Customize Your Way to a Published Success

In Lulu News — Tagged: , , , ,

When I was in school, nothing stressed me out more than having to edit and format those 10 to 15 page term papers, so I can’t even imagine how much pressure authors must feel when tackling those massive 300 page manuscripts. Now, Lulu authors have it easy! Lulu Services has whipped up some exciting new offerings to better meet everyone’s needs and ease a little of that pre-publishing anxiety.

Introducing (drum roll, please)…Customizable Publishing Packs!

The standard Publishing Pack is PERFECT for anyone who is feeling a little overwhelmed about putting the finishing touches on their work, because this service bundle has industry professionals take care of pre-publishing needs like editorial work and custom cover design.

Wait…it gets better! Now, anyone interested in the pack can choose to customize their bundle with one of Lulu’s four formatting services. These offerings range from a basic service for text-only manuscripts to a custom service for longer books with an unlimited number of images.

If you’re looking for a way to move your project to the next level, a Lulu publishing pack will take you there and beyond!

by Nick Popio Social Networking Team Lead
September 15, 2008
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Create A Customized Calendar

In Lulu News —

If you’re like me, then your family can be incredibly hard to shop for. Sure, there are books, dvds, and other forms of media every year to pick from, and they might even enjoy a few of them, but ultimately those gifts lack a personal feel. I always end up feeling a little guilty when my mom opens her present, and…it’s a book! So, this holiday season, I am planning on digging through my digital photos and putting together a personalized calendar for my family members. Shh…don’t tell my mom.

Luckily for me, Lulu has some excellent options for creating a customized calendar. With the calendar creator, I can choose what month the calendar starts in, how long it runs for, and create a custom holiday list. I can add the birthdays of all my family members, anniversaries, family reunions, and anything else I think of along with more standard holidays. When I’m done, I can make it a private calendar or let other family members (those who don’t get one for a gift, or if my little brother wants one for his dorm room) buy copies from the Lulu site.

Calendar Options

Calendar Options

If you need a gift idea this year, check out Lulu’s calendars, and create a personal and practical gift for your whole family.

by Nick Popio Social Networking Team Lead
September 12, 2008
Comments (5)

Does Anyone At Lulu Actually Know What It’s Like To Write A Book?

In Author Spotlight — Tagged: , , ,

By Elmore Hammes

I certainly can’t speak for everyone in the company, but I can answer for myself with a resounding “yes!” In fact, I was a Lulu customer long before I was an employee.

I first heard about Lulu in 2003 through a promotion with the National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo) competition. Lulu was offering a promotion for a free copy of your book to anyone who finished the competition, so when I finished my novel I decided to publish it on Lulu. Once that very rough draft was sitting on my book shelf with my name on the spine I was hooked, both to writing and to Lulu.

I followed that up with a children’s fantasy book in 2004, and printed copies through Lulu to give my nieces and nephews for Christmas. Don’t worry, I also gave them real presents, so they didn’t ask to exchange the books.

I next used Lulu to publish a book of my mother’s paintings for a Mother’s Day present in 2005. Seeing how much joy it brought her to share the book with her friends showed me just how much personal creations can mean to a family, and inspired me to get even more involved with Lulu.

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by Lauren Parker Senior Communications Specialist
September 10, 2008
Comments (5)

What Makes a Good Press Release? How to get the word out in 5 steps

In Events, Lulu News, Lulu on the Web, Marketing Tips, Tips and Tricks —

In the world of blogs, tweets and social networking, creating buzz around your book is easier than ever. But how do you reach reporters from traditional media? The traditional press release is still a great way to let people know of your newest book project.

Wait! How to I achieve fame and fortune with a traditional press release you ask. We can’t guarantee fame and fortune but with these five steps and a little elbow grease, you will be well on your way.

Try these steps when putting together your next release:

1. Keep the editor(s) in mind. Hundreds of releases vie for their attention each week, so make yours relevant and accurate.

2. Write your press release!  Keep these things in mind while crafting your release-

  • Be catchy! Write a headline that grabs attention and summarizes your main point. Then, because the first paragraph is often the only one that’s read, make sure it covers who, what, when, where, why and how.
  • Be brief. Keep your release to one page or 400 words. The end.
  • Be current. Highlight something about your product in your release that’s relevant to current events.
  • Be available. Make sure you put your current contact information (E-mail, phone number, fax…) so that those that are interested can reach you.

3. Create a relationship! With your local lifestyles, arts section, book reviewers, local bookstores and editors. The more they know about you and your book the more willing to read your press release.

4. Send it out! Either to a targeted list of regional and local reporters or an e-press release over a news wire service - choose a list that you can handle when following up.

5. Ask for help. If you’re having trouble, visit Lulu Services and look into a professional press release.

by Lauren Parker Senior Communications Specialist
September 3, 2008
Comments (6)

Excited by Lulu.com? Let the world know!

In Lulu News —

Calling all Lulus! We need you to raise your voice and shout from the rooftops how Lulu energizes you by handing over control of publishing and profiting from creative content like novels, photo books and calendars. Be part of the Lulu Groundswell!

Groundswell, the book written by Forrester Research analysts Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, focuses on how people use technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather than from traditional institutions like mammoth corporations – a trend and principle on which Lulu.com has built its company.  The book has become the ultimate guide for the Lulu team, as we seek to give YOU the best, most innovative social tools to collaboratively create, market and sell your creative works and interact directly with your audience, whether it is one reader or 10,000.

So naturally, we entered the Second Annual Forrester Groundswell Awards, in the ‘energize’ category and your reviews will help spread the word about how Lulu helps authors through our community.

Here’s how you can review Lulu.com:
1. Go to http://www.forrester.com/Groundswell/energizing.html to see the Lulu entry.
2. Go to the Lulu listing and click ‘Review’.
3. Rate Lulu and write a review of how you think Lulu is doing when it comes to energizing you as an author.
4. Click submit.

It’s that simple!

A widget user? Member of the Facebook Lulu group? Always ready for the next post from the Lulu blog team? Let us (and the judges) know how you connect to your audience and other Lulus through the offerings on the Lulu community page:

People like you, ready to connect with you...

People like you, ready to connect with you…

by Carol Housel Community Advocate
September 1, 2008
Comments (2)

PCOS: One Woman’s Journey

In Author Spotlight — Tagged: , ,

Like many other women, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome after many years of uncertainty and misdiagnosis. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) affects approximately 1 in 10 women but is still widely unknown. Some of the effects PCOS may have on women can be life-threatening if they go untreated, ranging from heart disease to diabetes. Sadly, some women will not be diagnosed properly until it is too late. With PCOS the best defense is knowledge, but where do you turn when there is so little known about this syndrome?

I find talking to others who have struggled with the same obstacles as I have to be very comforting and informative. I had the great pleasure of chatting with Julie Renee Holland via email about her struggles with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and how publishing on Lulu has enabled her to spread the word and help other women just like me who are battling with the same difficulties.


Carol - Hi Julie. I came across your book, Alternative PCOS Solutions, while browsing through the Lulu site and was elated to find such an amazing resource that specializes in the alternative options for treatment with PCOS. For the readers that are unfamiliar with PCOS, can you explain what it is and how it has affected your life?

Julie - PCOS is a syndrome that can cause many different symptoms. The most common symptoms are weight gain and cysts on the ovaries. Often a woman is first diagnosed when she has trouble getting pregnant, but the symptoms can include excess body or facial hair, weight gain, acne, thinning hair, high cholesterol, and painful, i rregular or missing periods. I first learned I had PCOS when I was 19, but the doctors never told me to expect fatigue, weight problems and the other issues that go along with PCOS. Like many other women, I spent years trying to figure out what was wrong with me – even after I had been diagnosed. Doctors are more familiar with PCOS now then they were 15 years ago, but there are still so many women who are undiagnosed or who are under-treated once they are diagnosed. Since PCOS is a syndrome, there are huge variations in how each woman experiences it. Some women with PCOS have no cysts on their ovaries, are of normal weight, and have regular, though widely spaced, periods.

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