Tips and Tricks

by Dan London Director of Online Marketing
April 3, 2009
Comments (6)

Lulu Author Interview: Samata Angel

In Author Spotlight, Lulu News, Marketing Tips, Tips and Tricks — Tagged: ,

Samata AngelI am a huge advocate for social networking. My love of Twitter has kind of become a running joke around the office. Everything we do, I try to work in a way to utilize Twitter. In fact, our partner WeRead has implemented Twitter into the site and is allowing users to easily send out what they are reading. We are working on a few things at Lulu.com as well to help authors utilize all the social networking tools available (more on that later).

One issue with gaining converts to the power of social networking is showing the value. Many people who are unfamiliar with the medium only see the noise and not the benefits. I have found a number of my LuluBlog author interviews via social networking. In fact, Lulu author Bob McDonald conducted an interview with me via Twitter. Samata Angel found me via my LinkedIn profile and asked me some questions about Lulu.com and how she could effectively market her books. That simple message turned into this interview. The real trick to marketing your business, and yourself, via social networking is creating a conversation. None of the people who I have profiled or helped promote their content have sent impersonal messages. They all started a conversation with me. For now, here is my post on using Twitter to gain an audience and we’ll have more social networking how-to posts coming up on the blog and on Lulu.com.

Samata Angel has used Lulu to promote her fashion career. So far, she has created two books using Lulu.com and was kind enough to do an interview with me via email.

Tell us a bit about your background?

Samata Angel-FashionI grew up in Cambridge and moved to London to study my undergraduate degree in Economics, Finance and Management. Whist in London I just used the opportunity to get more involved in the fashion scene as I always loved being creative and wanted to see where it may take me, so I got involved in fashion shows backstage, assisted other designers and went to lots of networking parties. After university I worked in a range of fashion industry roles including Head of PR for a Chelsea 3 floor boutique and as Head of Marketing for a Japanese clothing label and it was after all of these experiences that I decided to register my company, Samata’s Muse. Since that I have just worked hard and been given the some great opportunities, with Samata’s Muse counting the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Dawn Richards as clients and having been featured in LOOK, PRIDE and Fashion Capital to name a few!

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by Nick Popio Social Networking Team Lead
March 27, 2009
Comments (11)

Advantages & Disadvantages Of Self-Publishing

In Lulu News, Tips and Tricks — Tagged: ,

Over the years we have received a number of questions about why someone might choose self-publishing over a more traditional method and vice-versa. I’ve outlined some of the benefits self-publishing offers authors, as well as some obstacles self-publishers face to give everyone an idea of what they can reasonably expect.

The Advantages of Self-Publishing

  • Your work will be published. As you are self-publishing your work, you know it will be in print and you can hold a copy in your hands.
  • You keep all of your rights. Traditional publishers will almost always require that you give up the rights to your work if you sign a contract. In contrast, self-publishing almost always allows you to retain your rights.
  • You control the production aspects of your book. You decide what your book will look like, how much it will cost, what formats it will be available in, and more.
  • No  long-term contracts. Most self publishing options will not involve you signing any long-term contracts. As such, you have the option of taking your book or other material somewhere else. You can always decide to try traditional publishing if you aren’t happy with self-publishing or if your needs exceed what self-publishing can handle.
  • Turn-around time. Typically the turn-around time for self-publishing is much shorter than traditional publishing. This can obviously vary, but with some options taking as little as a week (and in few cases even shorter!) the turn-around is often within a couple of weeks at the most.
  • You can create a second edition of a book or correct errors much more easily.

The Disadvantages of Self-Publishing

  • It is difficult to get shelf space in a brick-and-mortar store like Barnes & Noble if you self-publish.
  • You have to handle all, or almost all, your own marketing.
  • You pay any upfront costs. This could include copies of your book, editing, cover design or any number of other aspects.
  • Some people still stigmatize self-publishers.

Is Self Publishing For Me?
We recommend you look over the materials we have provided, evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of self publishing, and make your own informed decision. Self-publishing isn’t the right option for everyone, so think about what you’re trying to accomplish and decide whether self-publishing fits those needs.

by Carol Housel Community Advocate
March 19, 2009
Comments (7)

Buy This Book!

In Howto, Lulu News, Marketing Tips, Tips and Tricks —

You did it. You just wrote the great American novel. That was the hard part. Now all you have to do is convince people to read your book. Don’t make marketing your book any harder than it needs to be. There are lots of ways to complicate the process, but when it comes down to it, it’s all about reaching your audience and convincing them to buy your book. Easy, right?

Reach your audience:

  • Create a weRead account: C’mon now, I shouldn’t have to mention this again! weRead is the tool for reaching people who already love to read books! And whats better than seeing your book compared with the greats like Twain and Kesey? Chocolate pie, you say? Surely you jest! Read this post for more information on weRead.
Money! by Tracy O

Money! by Tracy O

  • Create a Twitter account: Twitter is a global community and enables complete strangers with common interests to connect with one another. You are sure to get more followers if you share relevant information about your genre, industry or if you just have a unique perspective on things. For proper Twitter etiquette, be sure to follow those that are following you because it allows discussions and Direct Messages to take place creating a truly unique global networking opportunity. A word to the wise: to keep followers happy be sure not to post more than 3 tweets in a row, people will get turned off and stop following you. Read more about Twitter on the Lulu blog.
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by Josh
March 16, 2009
Comments (12)

Author Sales Contest Update - Top 10

In Lulu News, Tips and Tricks — Tagged:

Our first ever Lulu Author Sales Contest is in the home stretch. There are still a couple days remaining, so anything can happen.

Here’s a look at the top-selling authors as of March 29, 2009.  This will be the last update we provide until April 15th, when the winners will be announced. Be sure to check back then!

Top 10

1). NHRA Publications
2 ). Ignatius Umlaut
3 ). Tyler Johnson
4 ). Johnna Parr
5 ). Swords and Wizardry
6 ). Kay Harms
7 ). Church Music Association of America
8 ). Mike Beno
9 ). Lynne & Shawn Mitchell
10). Franc Tireur

Remember, the contest is for sales spanning from March 1 – March 31, 2009. So even if you’ve registered after March 1st, we’ll count your total sales throughout the month.

If you haven’t already registered, check out the Author Sales Contest now for more details.

by Adam Guida
February 18, 2009
Comments (12)

Lulu’s First Author Sales Contest Begins March 1st

In Lulu News, Lulu on the Web, Tips and Tricks, Walkthroughs —

Throughout the month of March, Lulu will be offering a chance to win fame, fortune and some free marketing for you and your book in our first ever Author Sales Contest. The three highest selling author’s in March will receive $1,500, $750 and $500 respectively, with the top three titles (and a few honorable mentions) highlighted on the site and Lulu newsletter. As an extra added bonus, the first place winner will also be treated to an exclusive interview posted prominently here, in our very own Lulu blog.

To enter the contest you must register your intent through the entry form on the Author Sales Contest page. Registration is open now through the end of March. For more information head on over to the contest page now and sign up.

We hope this contest will bring a little extra added fun and excitement to your experience on Lulu and help highlight some really great books in the process.

As always we’d love to hear what you think about what we’re doing or if you have any questions. Please let us know.

Regards,
Adam

by Carol Housel Community Advocate
February 4, 2009
Comments (1)

Forums - Rubbing Elbows, Virtually.

In Howto, Lulu Blog, Marketing Tips, Tips and Tricks — Tagged: , , ,

Forums are virtual meeting rooms where people with an Internet connection from all walks of life can come together and mingle. Think of forums as a party where the discussions are typed out and only one person talks at a time. The people at the party might be writers, photographers, teenagers, single parents, lawyers, pool boys or even sports fanatics.  Each person has a unique point of view and will add something different to the discussion.

Most forums found on the Internet will have a specific theme. There are gamer forums, support forums for people dealing with personal challenges, parenting forums, heck – there’s even a forum for one of my favorite movies.

I know you’re thinking, “Carol, this is all fine and dandy, but why should I care?” The benefits of virtual networking with other people of the same interests are many.  To name just a few: discussing your latest book, tips for book signings and sharing tips on marketing. You can meet people who have already been there, and some that have even done that, learn about new contest opportunities, discuss industry standards, request reviews and just be yourself with other creative folks.

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by Nick Popio Social Networking Team Lead
January 9, 2009
Comments (13)

Copyrighting Your Work 101

In Howto, Tips and Tricks —

Something we get asked about a lot is copyright.  As creators, we want to make sure our work is protected from intellectual property theft, and ensure that we control the publication, distribution and adaptation of what we’ve created. The problem is that copyright can be confusing and there are a lot of misconceptions about it. Hopefully, I can help clear some things up and give you some resources for more information on copyright if you’re interested in that sort of thing.

Please note that this information is focused on copyright in the United States. For more information on International copyrights, please check out the links at the bottom of the post.

What is Copyright?

To begin with, I’m going to get the easy stuff out of the way. With a quick Google search, you can find the basics of what copyright is as well as in-depth discussion and even some analysis. As such, I am going to keep this as simple as possible. Copyright protects the rights of creators of literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works. Specifically, it gives the owner of the copyright the exclusive right to, and to authorize others the right to, reproduce, distribute, perform, or display the work. It is illegal for anyone to violate any of the rights provided by the law to copyright holders.

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by Adam Guida
December 5, 2008
Comments (4)

Shipping Address Validation

In Tips and Tricks — Tagged:

For our U.S. and Canadian customers, Lulu has recently introduced a new address verification system into our checkout process. This new system will allows us to validate shipping addresses against the USPS (U.S. Postal Service) address database which will help prevent delays and other shipping related problems from occurring.

Sounds exciting right? Well, even if this is perhaps the most boring blog entry I’ve ever written, we’re pretty excited about making shipping more efficient (what can I say, we’re easily excited), but we also wanted to make sure everyone was aware of this change in case you run into problems later on. We believe this new system will improve our service and prevent shipping problems from occurring, but there may be a few cases where a customer runs into a problem even when entering an address that is technically correct.

Unfortunately, a computer isn’t as smart or adaptable as your local mailman and so they can’t always validate an address that is technically deliverable because of a minor misspelling or omission of info. When entering your shipping address, please be sure to include your full address, including the correct abbreviations where applicable for your St., Blvd, or whatever type of road you live. Also, be sure to include such terms as apartment, suite, floor, room, etc. Avoid simply omitting these terms, replacing them using “#” or just including the number.

A full list of the common and correct abbreviations can be found here on the USPS website.

If, for any reason, you run into any issues entering your address during checkout, please see our Common Shipping Validation Errors and Solutions page in Help.

-Adam

by Carol Housel Community Advocate
December 2, 2008
Comments (6)

My Epic Battle with “The Nothing”

In Howto, Lulu Blog, Tips and Tricks — Tagged: , , , , , ,

The blank page with its vast, open space is looking back at me with an unblinking stare. Now I’m consumed by the fear and panic caused by the possibility of missing a deadline. I’ve got it, writer’s block, and it ain’t pretty. I know we’ve all hit the wall of supreme nothingness before, so this isn’t new, but what do you do when you find yourself with a blank page sneering at you and nothing in your brain?

This year I attempted my first NanoWriMo and quit when I realized that writer’s block was killing my story. I had restarted my novel three times before I realized I would not meet the deadline at the end of the month. Writer’s block can be a force so supreme, like “The Nothing” in the NeverEnding Story, that whole civilizations and entire universes can be devoured by its existence!

In an attempt to defeat the monster, I poked around on the internet and discovered a few tips that I thought to be very helpful.

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by Nick Popio Social Networking Team Lead
November 14, 2008
No Comments

Writing Communities

In Tips and Tricks —

One of the most often overlooked places to get feedback on your writing, hang out with other authors, and promote your work is an online writing community. These sites are typically founded by writers to help develop a community where writers, readers, reviewers and pretty much anyone else who is passionate about books and writing come together to discuss techniques, offer constructive criticism and find new works. Such communities can become an excellent tool for an aspiring writer, and can easily develop into  one of your most useful resources for feedback and connecting with people who share your passion for creating.

On most communities, you can submit your writing for others to view, and purchase. This gets your work more exposure and helps you find interested readers. You can also participate in writer workshops, enter contests, and learn more about writing exercises. Not to mention the opportunity to share tips and ideas with other writers, or request reviews of your book.

Some of the most popular writing communities are:

http://www.authorsden.com
http://www.writing.com
http://www.editred.com

Try one out, and get started sharing your work!