Lulu Blog

When creating your project, are you worried the file is becoming too big to be uploaded the normal way using our uploading process? You may not know this already but we offer alternatives to help get your file successfully on Lulu.

If you are working with a document that you can break into smaller files, you can easily upload them separately and then select them in the right order when going through the publishing wizard.

If you’re not interested in doing that or sure that you will miss a critical file out of your smaller files, there is FTP (File Transfer Protocol) uploading.

Uploading large (and heavy) content to Lulu

An alternative to the normal uploading process in the publishing wizard is to connect to Lulu via our FTP site using an FTP client.

What do I need to know before using FTP to upload to Lulu:
You may use an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) client to:

• Upload files between 200MB and 2GB
• Resume incomplete uploads
• Upload large batches of files to My Files.

**We recommend that you do not use a web browser to connect to your FTP upload directory as this can cause authentication failures.**

Where to download FTP Clients:
FileZilla: http://filezilla-project.org/ (Good for all platforms)
SmartFTP: http://www.smartftp.com/ (Windows)
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Sometimes the hardest part of writing is the beginning. A blank screen can be intimidating, but with a powerful brainstorm session, you’ll have more ideas than you know what to do with! As a writer and fellow Lulu, I appreciate how frustrating writer’s block can be, which is why I’ve come up with a few tips to help you beat that barrier that all aspiring authors face. Everyone has their own tricks to help unlock their inner muse, so please post any advice that you would like to share with others in the Lulu community!

brainstorm
envision · create · dream up · ponder · think · conceive

• Make your own creative space. Maybe this changes from week to week (a new coffee shop or park bench) or perhaps you have carved out a designated writing place that you return to again and again (a particular room in your house). There are no rules for your creative space except that it should only include things that encourage rather than inhibit innovation. So turn off your cell and get away from your computer and any other distractions, if possible.

• Set a minimum amount of time. Plan to brainstorm for at least 20 to 30 minutes without interruption. If your brainstorm session goes longer, that’s great, but make sure you have a solid amount of time to encourage a consistent flow of ideas.

• A fresh start. Get away from focusing on tired ideas that you’ve been stuck on for awhile. Write these all down on a piece of paper, and push them to the side. Now that you’ve emptied your brain, begin a new thought process of story leads and character ideas that you’ve never considered.

• Draw on new inspirations. My favorite professor in college was an English teacher and published short story writer who kept a coffee tin chock-full of newspaper clippings and faded photographs that she would use as little inspirations when she was in need of a new story idea. Find inspiration in the ordinary by flipping through a magazine or looking through your collection of postcards from old friends. You’ll be surprised to find that story sparks can come from the most unlikely places.

• Your brain needs exercise, too. Remember those silly daily journal entries that you used to have to write in language arts class in middle school? Well, your teacher was right. Just like you have to stretch and warm up before going on a run, you also should do writing exercises to get your mind moving. There is a wealth of sites with these simple journal entries on the Internet if you can’t think of any. The Writer’s Digest site, in particular, has some great prompts that are worth checking out.

• Stream-of-consciousness storming. No idea is too outlandish for you to include on your list. List everything that comes to mind without worrying about organization or coherence. For now you want to get as many ideas down on paper as possible.

• Tools for the storm. Arm yourself with Post-it notes and any extra inspirations. Just as sports fans have their superstitious rituals and lucky objects, writers can also establish a system to get into the habit of productive writing. A few of my lucky writing tools include a bobblehead pen that says “Genius”, my journal and a copy of See Jane Write. I also rely on inspirational quotes from my Daily Kiss widget and Skirt! Magazine.

• Two heads are better than one. Find someone to bounce ideas off of. Whether this is a friend, a loved one or another literary genius, it doesn’t matter as long as they are a positive force for generating ideas. Look for local writer groups in your area, or join a Lulu group or forum discussion. If you offer to listen to someone else’s ideas they often will be more inclined to give you the advice you need.

Now that you have all these ideas on paper, it’s time to organize and develop them into coherent thoughts. Pick your top two or three ideas and build upon them by creating a mind map, an organizational tool that adds structure to ideas. You can create mind maps either the old-fashioned way on paper, or you download mind map software such as FreeMind, a free program that creates word webs.

Now that you are a brainstorming and organizational expert, it’s time to flesh out your ideas and spend some time developing them into the next great Lulu publication! With some patience, time and a little help from Lulu, you’re on your way to becoming a self-published author.

One of the really useful things about the new HTML/Javascript Mini-Storefront Widget is that it generates your storefront display in good old-fashioned HTML. As a result, you can use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to customize the display of your storefront. This guide will give you an overview of the customization options available, and demonstrate how to use them. You don’t need to be a CSS guru, but knowing a little about CSS will help (learn more about CSS).

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Hi, my name is Shannon. A recent Lulu addition, I’m serving as an intern in the area of Public Relations. Part of my job here at Lulu is to find some of the really interesting and unique creators on Lulu. As you can imagine, I spend a good bit of time perusing our site checking out the hottest new items on our marketplace.

With that in mind, I would like to pass along some of these finds to those of you still searching for that perfect gift for your special someone this Valentine’s Day. Lulu’s marketplace is a wealth of great gift possibilities that you can purchase or use as a model to get your creative juices flowing. For example, 50 Reasons Why You Should Marry Me and 51 Reasons Why I Should Marry You is a photo book created by Lulu user Cameron Kelly to propose to his girlfriend. Photo books, which are like scrapbooks minus the glue and the time-consuming process, are very quick and easy to make so that your gift doesn’t appear last minute.

Another way to surprise your sweetie this 14th is to compile a collection of your favorite recipes to cook together. Your personalized “couple’s cookbook” is sure to make your Valentine swoon. Seal the deal by cooking an entree or two from your new publication.

A final gift suggestion is to publish the story of how you and your significant other met. Use illustrations, clip art or photos to add special details such as what color they were wearing on the first date. This sweet gift can be a meaningful keepsake that will last much longer than any flowers or candy.

Still stumped? Take a look at Beyond the Roses and Chocolates: How to WOW Your Sweetheart on Valentine’s Day by Buffy Johannsen for more gift ideas.

Also, be sure to check out some of our other fun Valentine’s-themed goodies to get in (or out) of the holiday spirit this week!

• Spread love while giving hope to others by purchasing Love Is What We Do, a compilation of poetry on love. All proceeds are donated to the American Red Cross.
• Sarah Meadow’s I Shot the Cherub is a single woman’s survival guide for Valentine’s Day that offers craft ideas, delicious recipes and theme-party ideas to help non-attached females get through that often dreaded day of the year.

Feel free to post any other fun Valentine’s Day items you find on our site in the comments section.

Shannon

Ever wanted to put your Lulu storefront on your own website? Well, the community development team here at Lulu has been hard at work on some tools that let you do just that. We’re calling them the Lulu Mini-Storefronts and we’ve got three great options to choose from:

Javascript/HTML

Pros: Easy to add to your site, very customizable
Cons: Helps if you know CSS and HTML

Best For: Personal websites, personal weblogs, sidebars

1. Go to the Lulu Mini-Storefront Wizard
2. Click on HTML/Javascript Widget
3. Copy and paste the widget code on your site
4. Use CSS to style the widget any way you want

Flash

Pros: Easy to add to your site, works well on profiles pages
Cons: A little too big for a blog sidebar

Best For: MySpace, other profile pages

1. Go to the Lulu Mini-Storefront Wizard
2. Click on Flash Widget or MySpace Widget
3. Customize your widget
4. Copy and paste the widget code on your site

Facebook

Pros: It works on Facebook!
Cons: It only works on Facebook!

Best For: Facebook!

1. Go to the Lulu Mini-Storefront application on Facebook
2. Click on Add Application

Jackson Fox, Community UX Engineer