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Post by Retread-Retired-Cameron on Jun 11, 2021 13:46:25 GMT
I think that you too are missing my point. With Lulu one can start the publishing process of defining book size, book body and covers uploading PDFs, setting prices and everything up to downloading a proof without any need for an ISBN. One just cannot do that with IngramSpark. My comments were in response to a suggestion that an author could start transferring their current books without any problems. I actually got your point.
Transferring books entails a few problems, one of which is getting copies with the Lulu Press ISBN showing as unavailable or out of print.
One also has to look at requirements for text PDF upload, cover upload, and so on.
My point is while starting the process with Lulu Press may be easier in some respects, it has more than one downside. Bookstores won't touch books with a Lulu ISBN, many readers consider books with a Lulu ISBN to be garbage without cracking the covers, and other issues.
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Post by potet on Jun 11, 2021 17:05:50 GMT
For the moment, I have no intention to leave Lulu.
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Post by potet on Jun 12, 2021 9:38:29 GMT
My point is while starting the process with Lulu Press may be easier in some respects, it has more than one downside. Bookstores won't touch books with a Lulu ISBN, many readers consider books with a Lulu ISBN to be garbage without cracking the covers, and other issues.
This is not true in France, Cameron. Lulu books are distributed to French brick-and-mortar bookstores through Hachette-Distribution, that signed a contract with Lulu about five years ago. Indeed, some of my books may be ordered from many of such French stores. I once made a Google search and found over a hundred outlets carrying my books. For instance Le Furet du Nord, a major bookstore in Lille, French Flanders, France.  La Bouquinette a booksore for children and teenagers in Strasbourg/Strassburg.  |
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Post by Retread-Retired-Cameron on Jun 12, 2021 12:43:17 GMT
My point is while starting the process with Lulu Press may be easier in some respects, it has more than one downside. Bookstores won't touch books with a Lulu ISBN, many readers consider books with a Lulu ISBN to be garbage without cracking the covers, and other issues.
This is not true in France, Cameron. Lulu books are distributed to French brick-and-mortar bookstores through Hachette-Distribution, that signed a contract with Lulu about five years ago. Indeed, some of my books may be ordered from many of such French stores. I once made a Google search and found over a hundred outlets carrying my books. For instance Le Furet du Nord, a major bookstore in Lille, French Flanders, France. View Attachment La Bouquinette a booksore for children and teenagers in Strasbourg/Strassburg. View Attachment Ingram maintains the catalogue for US sales and distribution. Can a book with a Lulu Press ISBN be ordered by a brick and mortar store in the US? Yes, they can be ordered by or through a store. Is it likely to see such an order happen? No, it's not likely to happen.
The reason being brick and mortar stores order books they can make a profit on, and since Lulu Press doesn't offer the pricing to allow for a 55% discount and returns book stores aren't likely to order any major quantity as stock without unusual circumstances, i.e.: a scholarly work not otherwise in mass publication.
My prints [until I retired them] could be ordered through any book store in the US but none were due to the high cost per copy [POD isn't cheap].
Once I get a few things taken care of I'll re-release hardcopy for Amazon only through KDP and for other markets through IS in order to take advantage of the 55% discount and returns policy [which brick and mortar stores want before ordering stock].
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