How to Avoid Mistakes When Using Lulu’s Self-Publishing

Self-publishing has changed how authors distribute their works in the market since it provides immediate contact between an author and readers, thus relying on big publishing houses. Among all these self-publishing websites, Lulu is one of the most popular choices among writers for printing and distributing their e-books and printed books. Lulu offers an enormous set of self publishing services and tools for independent writers to bring their books into reality. Like any service, there are common pitfalls most first-timers will fall into while trying to find their way through Lulu's self publishing services.

In this blog post, we will discuss some of the most common issues that prevent publishing from Lulu and ways to avoid them. Understanding these problems and how to avoid them will ensure a smoother, more professional publishing experience.

What is Lulu’s Self-Publishing Platform

Lulu is a platform that provides authors tools so they can create, print out, and distribute their works anywhere across the globe, either printed out, in e-form, or both. They allow printing on demand, meaning they only print the book order received, which minimizes the front-end cost to produce, and also never keeps stock.

Lulu's platform, while simple to use by itself, would be unmanageable and overwhelming to a new user because of the number of options available. For authors eager to publish with an apparent intent to rush, some of those critical details often go missing, which may happen at that level and impact the quality or success achieved for the final published book.

Choosing the Right Format for Your Book

Among the largest decisions you have when you start publishing your book on Lulu, the first is the choice of the right format. Lulu will offer you the choice between formats, which are a hardcover, paperback, and an eBook, all available in several sizes with options for the kind of binding you would require. One of the greatest mistakes authors make is selecting the wrong format for their book, given the genre, or worse still, not considering what readers want.

For example, if the book is a novel, it might call for a paperback, and a picture book might request a larger hardcover version. Furthermore, though so many authors are now interested in print books, eBooks play an equally important role in making the literature reach a larger audience. If you want to make money from the eBook form, do not neglect the relevance of formatting the book correctly for e-readers.

When choosing your format, determine which formats are most typical in your genre and what your target audience prefers. Lulu offers templates and guides for selecting the best dimensions and options for each format, so use them to ensure your book appears professional in all formats.

Overlooking Design and Formatting Details

Designing the interior and cover of your book is essential for that first impression. Many authors don't take the book's design seriously, especially concerning its formatting and cover.

Lulu also provides an intuitive cover creator to design your cover, although many authors do not appreciate the professional design process. A low-quality design can easily discourage readers, even if the book's contents are great. Most importantly, your cover should fit the book's tone and genre and have some quality images with readable text. Investing in professional help can make your book cover look much better if you are not a designer.

Another important part is interior formatting. Ill-formatted interiors make a book hard to read, affecting the reader's experience. Lulu provides some formatting guides and templates for books of different sizes, yet some authors will try to skip this step or even ignore how important it is to have the same type of formatting in a manuscript. Take time to format the manuscript correctly by ensuring that chapter titles, margins, fonts, and spacing are uniform and easy on the eyes.

Ignoring ISBN and Copyright Requirements

Another important consideration in self-publishing through Lulu is ISBNs and copyrights. Lulu offers a free ISBN, which is fantastic for new authors. However, many authors do not realize that Lulu's free ISBN means they will be listed as the publisher of record. You may want to buy your own ISBN if you prefer to maintain full control over your book's publishing details.

When you publish, be certain you completely understand your free ISBN on Lulu; you can opt to have your book distributed through an ISBN of yours as well. Knowing how this works now may spare you from pains when, for instance, you are considering a transfer of book platforms or if you fully want control over your publications in the future.

Moreover, remember to register your copyright or ensure you have maintained your rights as the author. While Lulu doesn't take any copyright for your work, protecting one's intellectual property is significant in self-publishing. However, self publishing services will help you in getting the ISBN of your book without any issue. 

Failing to Optimize for Distribution

Once you publish your book on Lulu, the next hurdle is to make it reach as many readers as possible. Lulu has global distribution; however, most authors miss out on optimizing their distribution settings. You can distribute your book through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers. However, you have to select the correct options to make your book reach the right audience.

Many authors do not thoroughly examine the distribution options or think they know how global distribution works. For example, an author might choose to have limited distribution or not check all distribution options and subsequently miss sales opportunities. Set up your distribution channels in Lulu by looking over every option available and how large you want your book to extend. Lulu offers worldwide distribution features that enable your book to be made available globally, but you are responsible for choosing the right retail channels.

Underestimating the Power of Metadata

Metadata is probably the most important and underrated element of the self-publishing process. It includes details such as the title, author's name, description, keywords, and categories of your book. Even though it's small, it's the biggest in discoverability in publishing.

This is probably the most common mistake on Lulu's metadata filling: using too general, vague keywords and categories for your book. It tends to limit your book from being found easily by others who might be interested. Take time to research suitable keywords and categories for your book's content and your target readership. Optimizing your metadata increases the recognizability of your book both on Lulu and its other platforms like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, among others.

Pricing and Royalties Confusion

Authors make errors in pricing their books. Over- and under-pricing affect sales and royalties. Again, this is a common area where authors face many frustrations in trying to set their price at a point that attracts readers but will help them earn reasonable royalties on their book.

Lulu allows you to set your price, and it is important to realize that you have to understand production costs, retail markups, and what equivalent books in your genre usually sell for. You set your book too low and may not earn enough royalties. You place it too high and won't get many readers on your hands. Research the different price ranges for similar books to find a balance between affordability and profitability.

Although Lulu's pricing model is easy to understand, you should still consider costs from printing and distribution when setting the book price. If you intend to distribute through multiple platforms, note that each must take a slice; your book gets the rest.

Neglecting Marketing Efforts

Publishing your book through Lulu does not automatically ensure sales. Many authors commit the mistake of waiting for readers to come after their book is published. Marketing is a process that takes time, effort, and strategy.

To promote your book, you will have to use an online presence, social media, an email newsletter, and all these marketing avenues. Lulu has all the tools for marketing special discounts, but mainly, the onus of carrying out your marketing is in your hands. Consider, for instance, a site, contact bloggers or influencers, or run paid adverts to create awareness for the book.

Conclusion

Self-publishing through Lulu is a good opportunity, but avoiding errors such as poor design, formatting errors, and overlooking distribution can make all the difference in success. Therefore, one should take enough time to understand the platform, optimize metadata, and invest in quality design and marketing.

Consider adding Pen Publishing Services for professional editing, cover design, and marketing help. Their expertise will make your book stand out and meet industry standards. Together with Lulu and the support of Pen Publishing, you will be on your way to a successful, professional, self-published book.