When it comes to self-publishing platforms, Lulu Publishing is one of the more popular options, and likely a safer one compared to vanity companies like Trafford, Xlibris, AuthorHouse and iUniverse. Founded in 2002 by CEO Bob Young, Lulu has managed to remain independent from the Authors Solutions brand that many self-publishing companies succumb to.
Lulu is a print-on-demand and global book distribution platform that produces all kinds of products outside of just books. They offer an array of free resources such as an author toolkit, guides and templates, a glossary of publishing terms, and a youtube channel called “Lulu University.” The Lulu team appears to have everything laid out for their customers, but the reality isn’t that simple.
Complicated book sales
First, Lulu’s website is only transparent about the book’s price (and not the additional services like editing and book design). They have a “Book Cost Calculator” that calculates things like book size, page count, cover finish and interior color.
The catch, however, is that Lulu’s commission is around 20% of the book’s net profit, meaning that authors typically have to price their book higher to see any kind of worthwhile profit. One customer reported only receiving $6 in royalties on their $20 book. The customer calculated the total sales and royalties and determined that their royalty check would come out to almost $200, but the check they eventually received was for a measly $41.
Unfortunately, it costs authors more to sell their books on websites outside of Lulu. While it might sound nice to have an affordable platform to sell your book, Lulu doesn’t get nearly as much traffic as Amazon does. To remedy this, authors have to drive their own traffic to Lulu’s website, which, according to some customer reviews on the BBB, has been less than satisfactory. One customer reported that for every potential buyer that tried to purchase their book, Lulu’s website crashed.
Low-quality services
Speaking of the BBB, Lulu scores a whopping 1.26 stars out of 5, and for good reason. An excessive amount of customers reported receiving their book only to find the layout of the interior to be wildly off-center despite the perfect preview. Lulu’s response to this complaint–on multiple occasions–has been that the text was “within the allowable limits” and refused to remedy the problem without charging the customers again.
Lulu’s website advertises team transparency in that you get to see the faces of the individuals who you’ll be working with throughout the process. But, Lulu’s customer service reviews have been astronomically poor. For starters, Lulu does not offer phone support, so customers have to contact customer service representatives through email. Customers reported receiving bot-like replies to their questions over email. This model is a recipe for hair-pulling.
The verdict? Lulu-Publishing is not worth the hassle
The “do-it-yourself” approach that Lulu has adopted isn’t for everyone, especially authors who are new to publishing. Their commission prices are unreasonably steep, and this is compounded by the cost-ineffectiveness of selling the books on any website outside of Lulu. Their printing services are low quality and their willingness to fix their own mistakes is practically nonexistent. To top it all off, customer service has been notoriously bad, and actually speaking to a representative is next to impossible. There are much better options out there that don’t leave you exhausted and unsatisfied.
The better solution
If you’re looking for a company that does right by the customers, I recommend MindStir Media. MindStir is the top-rated self-publisher in the world for a reason: it cares about its writers.
This post is written by Jesse Haynes, an independent reviewer, not J.J. Hebert.
Lulu.com (Lulu Publishing) Review