Articles by Cary Allman

Holiday Gift Ideas on Lulu

Even though it is only the second week of November, everybody knows that the holiday shopping season has been kicked into high gear. But instead of braving the stresses and mobs at your neighborhood shopping mall, sit back, put your feet up and check out a couple of the cool things Lulu has to offer.

For that special sports fanatic in your life, pick up Dugout Wisdom: Life Lessons from Baseball by Dan Migala. This book features a compilation of words of wisdom from 55 greats of the game such as Sparky Anderson, Wade Boggs, Rod Carew, Whitey Ford, Goose Gossage, Monte Irvin, Kirby Puckett, Nolan Ryan, Ryne Sandberg, Ron Santo and Mike Schmidt. As a plus, you can even order a custom cover complete with your own personal holiday message!

For those cooking enthusiasts, the options on Lulu are limitless. In fact, there are even options for those non-cooking enthusiasts, which brings me to my next gift idea: Paul Gaj’s How to Cook: A Guide for Men Who Don’t. Through this cookbook, Gaj provides (for the price of an average meal) a guide to help the average man, whether he be 18 to 80, prepare his own food.

Of course, if you’re looking to add a personal touch, you can take advantage of the Lulu Studio™ and compile all of those family photos and put together a fabulous photo book that puts all of those gift certificates to shame.

Get Sound Financial Advice From Lulu Authors

With all this talk of bail-outs, recessions and slumping markets, I’m itching to yank my money out of the bank and throw it under the mattress. Ok…maybe I wouldn’t go that far, but I can’t help feeling a little antsy about my finances during these difficult times. And I know I’m not alone.

Luckily, I’m here to ease your tensions with a list of books from Lulu to help alleviate some of those money woes.

One of the most common financial problems experienced today is debt. If you find yourself in that boat, check out Janine Bolon’s book, Ditching Debt . This financial guide provides easy principles on how to deal with the debt you already have and how to prevent yourself from incurring more.

Also plaguing the minds of most working Americans today is retirement. In Secure Your Retirement , Lulu author John Mahaney shares his personal story of how, after his early retirement at age 41, he took his net worth from $40,000 to $1,000,000 in just ten years. (Seriously, where do I sign up?)


Of course, if you’re looking for a more lighthearted read, pick up The Girl’s Guide to Money Etiquette by Julianne Pekarthy and Heidi Farr. Jam-packed with hilarious anecdotes of when money and personal relationships collide, this money etiquette guide is sure to keep you advised and entertained.

So before you go into panic mode, pick up one of these great books and educate yourself!

Customize Your Way to a Published Success

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!

Go for the Gold with Lulu.com

Four years have finally passed, and you know what that means - no not a lunar eclipse - the Olympics! Today, the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics will mark the official start of the competitions. Let the games begin!

Every new Olympics brings stories of inspiration, courage, and perseverance; and even though you may not be in China to personally witness them, Lulu has plenty of stories of athletic glory that are sure to give you goosebumps.

When you think of world-class runners several notable names come to mind- Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Carl Lewis, and, of course, Steve Prefontaine or “Pre.” Steve Prefontaine – Rocketman (), written by Bree Donovan and the late runner’s, sister, Linda Prefontaine, is the true story of Pre told through the eyes and voice of the fictional character Owen Morgan.

The Truth is Out There

One of my favorite responsibilities that go along with being a Lulu is exploring our site for new and intriguing titles.
Intriguing is exactly what came to mind when I stumbled across Alien Interview (http://www.lulu.com/content/2144178) while looking for books on Lulu. Maybe it had been all of the old X-Files episodes I’d been watching, but I had to learn more.
Notes from RoswellAlien Interview, edited by Lawrence R. Spencer, is a compilation of letters, interview transcripts, and personal notes from the late Matilda O’Donnell MacElroy. MacElroy was an Army Air Force nurse stationed at the Roswell Army Air Field in the late 1940s. In a letter sent to Spencer, MacElroy claimed that these documents were based on a series of interviews she had with an extraterrestrial.
Luckily for us, Lawrence Spencer was kind enough to shed a little light and answer some of my questions via email…

Dust off those photos…

My European Adventure

If you’re like me, then you probably still have all the pictures from that fabulous vacation you took last year taking up memory on your digital camera, or if you were really productive, then you might have transferred them to your computer. Now they’re sitting in your “My Pictures” folder, and you’re wondering what to do with them.

Fortunately, we have an answer; publish a photo book on Lulu!

Recently, I took the pictures from my trip to Europe last spring (yes, as in 2007) and made a book using the Lulu studio. I was amazed at how easy it was. The entire process took less than two hours of my time, and most of that was choosing which pictures I wanted to use. Did I mention I had a lot of them?

With the Lulu Studio photo book tool, you can control

  • The binding and trim size
  • Which of the different themes you want to add to the style and look of your book (ex: modern, wedding, summer vacation, holiday, etc.)
  • The various formats for each page complete with allotments for captions and text.

Once you’re done, voila…you have designed and published your very own photo book. Not to mention, freed up a little more space on your memory card.

Helpful Hint: Remember to edit your pictures, if need be, before uploading them.