On April 17th we welcomed a group of students (or future authors?) who wanted to learn about Lulu and self-publishing.
After sharing a snack of donuts and juice in the Pulitzer meeting room, we talked about how books get from computer to publisher to bookstore. We then provided a brief history of Lulu.com, how it was conceived, and how print-on-demand self-publishing differs from traditional publishing.
The students were really well prepared with questions about content, editing, formats, revenue, distribution
Meet Lulu Junior
The last stop on the tour included a demonstration of how our Lulu Junior bookmaking kits are received, scanned, typeset and prepared for binding. Then gave each future author a book making kit. They opened the kits and we hosted a tutorial on developing a good plot, storyboarding, and character creation. Ready to create, we ended with instructions for returning the kits for printing.
A few days after the tour, we received the following message from the group’s leader.
“I’ve heard nothing but fantastic comments about our time spent with Lulu, and there are many children hard at work on their LuluJr kits. I can’t wait to see the finished products! Thank you for your time and generosity and for sharing your expertise in the publishing world. These opportunities give our children not only great writing information, but also information about jobs, careers, and helps them steer their higher-level education in knowledgeable ways. Thank you very much.”
We are also grateful for the opportunity to share our daily tasks with this group of students. Their visit served as a welcome reminder that 100 people working in an office in Raleigh, NC can have a positive effect on the lives of authors, educators
Future Author? Come see us!
- Want to schedule a field trip to our Raleigh facility or to learn how self-publishing can be incorporated into your students’ learning experience? Send an email to pr@lulu.com.
- To read the group’s write-up about their Lulu field trip, see Become a Published Author with Lulu.
- To learn more about school-at-home field trips, visit A Nest in the Rocks / Learning on the Go.
Writer extraordinaire and generally amazing guy, Glenn is the technical and content writer for Lulu. He also makes sure that every day is the best day ever.
I am still typing and working on my story. It is Copyright washington d.c. Can I type it as I go. How do I get all all these words in and published? p.s. I do think this is really wonderful. I friend helped me with this. This is how she got her book published.
Once your manuscript is complete, you upload the entire file in the publishing wizard. Make sure your file is formatted for the size book you wish to print – 6×9, 8.5xll, etc.
Having written more than two hundred hard cover books in a lifetime of writing, most of which were published by major trade publishers in New York, I finally turned to Lulu, and I am not surprised at the treatment you give new and potential authors. You have treated me the same way, with help, courtesy, and prompt consideration when I had a question. And don’t forget one of the most important things you offer, the fact that the author has absolute control over content. I highly recommend Lulu to any author, lifetime or brand new. Thanks.
@Ross – Thank you for your kind words. I shared them with my colleagues as a pleasant reminder of why we come to work every day – to help authors like you.
Just about ready to publish The Messenger in June! Thank you so much LuLu and staff for such an amazing writing/publishing experience!!!
I am nearing completion of a manuscript I want to publish. What’s the first step?
@Jeff Cox
Make sure your manuscript is formatted properly and that the file size is the same as the book you wish to print. Then go to Lulu.com, create an account, click Create > Print Book and you are on your way. Here is a tutorial you may find useful in getting started: