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Post by JesusNinja on May 15, 2020 17:15:13 GMT
May 15th Update:
We’ve been encouraged by the number of users who have successfully used the new website over the last few weeks and will continue to iron out any kinks that some users are still experiencing. But we also understand that for some of you it has been a long and frustrating time since the launch of our updated site and we apologize for this. We’re devoted to resolving the issues you’ve experienced immediately following our launch and have some updates to share...
We know the biggest issue you’ve expressed right now is missing revenue/sales data and this is our top priority at the moment. We can assure you that we are making revenue payments on schedule and we are working toward populating your account with payment history and pending revenue information. This is a complex process since earnings are changing by the minute as books are purchased, which is why we are working as thoroughly and diligently as possible.
We have never intended to leave you in the dark, nor have we left your questions and support requests unanswered. Our small support team has been working hard to get through all of the questions and cases we’ve received. Many of you have commented about our phones and live chat features being off right now. We have made the decision to concentrate 100% of our efforts on email support for now so our team can offer the most thorough assistance possible. We will be turning live chat and phones back on soon.
Several of you have suggested that we roll the site back to the outdated version until we can resolve the current issues - this is not an option. While it may not seem this way, the overwhelming majority of our users are not experiencing issues and are enjoying the new site. And yes, the update from the old site was absolutely necessary due to the outdated technology it was built on.
The internal processes that are being run in order to resolve these few remaining issues are constantly evolving and the timeline will continue to change as a reflection of that. We will continue to post updates as frequently as we have them.
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Post by uptimejim on May 15, 2020 17:20:40 GMT
Thank you for the competitors list. I had found the Kindle one before but was concerned about format for other forms of e-readers. They seem have a market like Apple - everything proprietary unlike PDF's that can be read on any platform. Regardless - any host is a good one so long as they work. Lulu has rocked me to the core with this debacle.
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Post by richard on May 15, 2020 17:22:05 GMT
Just who are competitors that offer a similar service? I've found plenty of DIY and Self-publishing sites, but so far they all seem to conventional publishers with a more web-based front end for uploading your content. I use lulu, KDP print and Ingram Spark. All three are free right now. Coupon code INGRAMSPARK2020 for free setup. Just used it today for a client. Tried Ingram Spark, but it's impossible to access the Create an Account page. I tried with Firefox and Chrome and the page gets stuck on "Connecting" and gets no further. Been like that for a few days now. Same with the Log in page. What headaches Lulu have caused me since the overhaul! No response to support tickets for two weeks now. Lulu itself is just a blank white page when using Chrome. I can access it via Firefox, but the My Projects page has come up with an "Internal Server Error" message for the past three days.
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Post by uptimejim on May 15, 2020 17:29:02 GMT
Tim - here's one for you. Lulu Case: 02494570 I did use the new site to start publication on 2 books (one is mine and one is my wife's, both are for the same company so the issue is the same for both). Both projects are stalled awaiting review of a US tax form (W8-BEN). It's a silly government form recognizing a long standing tax treaty provision and providing our US EIN. Lulu has no requirement to submit to the IRS. In all probably no one uses it unless you get audited. It was submitted prior to the new platform and I've received revenues in Canada without the US taxes being withheld (some time ago). Why is it necessary to re-submit the same stupid form and delay a project that is otherwise entirely ready to publish? Bureaucratic blaming the government doesn't suffice as an answer either. It's exactly the form I submitted previously which was obviously acceptable. Is this another website screw up?
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Post by mick mercer on May 15, 2020 17:45:00 GMT
Just who are competitors that offer a similar service? I've found plenty of DIY and Self-publishing sites, but so far they all seem to conventional publishers with a more web-based front end for uploading your content. I use lulu, KDP print and Ingram Spark. All three are free right now. Coupon code INGRAMSPARK2020 for free setup. Just used it today for a client.
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Post by mickmercer on May 15, 2020 17:50:40 GMT
Just who are competitors that offer a similar service? I've found plenty of DIY and Self-publishing sites, but so far they all seem to conventional publishers with a more web-based front end for uploading your content. I use lulu, KDP print and Ingram Spark. All three are free right now. Coupon code INGRAMSPARK2020 for free setup. Just used it today for a client. Sorry, just messed up a post by not signing in! (Could admin please remove my post above please?) What I wanted to recommend as a potential site, for digital versions, is draft2digital, which is brilliant. It's also free. It allows you to select whether or not you wish to include or exclude Amazon. I've uploaded a few projects but excluded Amazon from their distribution list as I want to do things on Amazon myself. However, it leaves you free to distribute to Apple, Barnes & Noble etc. Also, when you upload a book file to draft2digital you are then able to download epub and mobi files which you can use elsewhere, such as on Amazon, so it's win-win really. They're also hoping to offer print versions too at some point.
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2020 18:58:46 GMT
I use lulu, KDP print and Ingram Spark. All three are free right now. Coupon code INGRAMSPARK2020 for free setup. Just used it today for a client. Sorry, just messed up a post by not signing in! (Could admin please remove my post above please?) What I wanted to recommend as a potential site, for digital versions, is draft2digital, which is brilliant. It's also free. It allows you to select whether or not you wish to include or exclude Amazon. I've uploaded a few projects but excluded Amazon from their distribution list as I want to do things on Amazon myself. However, it leaves you free to distribute to Apple, Barnes & Noble etc. Also, when you upload a book file to draft2digital you are then able to download epub and mobi files which you can use elsewhere, such as on Amazon, so it's win-win really. They're also hoping to offer print versions too at some point. My friend Lesley has used draft2digital. Few sales. I suggested Streetlib.com for her newest book. It's selling much more. You can select retailers and territories.
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2020 19:04:02 GMT
I use lulu, KDP print and Ingram Spark. All three are free right now. Coupon code INGRAMSPARK2020 for free setup. Just used it today for a client. Tried Ingram Spark, but it's impossible to access the Create an Account page. I tried with Firefox and Chrome and the page gets stuck on "Connecting" and gets no further. Been like that for a few days now. Same with the Log in page. What headaches Lulu have caused me since the overhaul! No response to support tickets for two weeks now. Lulu itself is just a blank white page when using Chrome. I can access it via Firefox, but the My Projects page has come up with an "Internal Server Error" message for the past three days. Keep trying. I uploaded a book yesterday. Their new website makes it super easy.
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Post by benziger on May 15, 2020 20:07:25 GMT
I am prepared to give them more time but for others (who rely on sales)----- they are getting very impatient and some have left Lulu and moved to competitors. There are several out there. My big concern is that all my books have Lulu ISBN numbers and if they go down so do my books. sigh! Larika, it's far from my intention to push you to another provider. But: Other providers also offer you an ISBN. To have the book on Amazon, etc. you would have to republish it and then remove it from Lulu. Disadvantage: The reviews are lost. If you have time to wait, this will not happen.
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Post by benziger on May 15, 2020 20:17:07 GMT
Just who are competitors that offer a similar service? Here on the forum, you find some indications: Both lists are not complete and had a specific reason to be created, but maybe it helps.
Always check the offers and prices carefully. There is nothing "the same". Everything is different. If it's similar, that's up to you...
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2020 20:22:24 GMT
Just who are competitors that offer a similar service? Here on the forum, you find some indications: Both lists are not complete and had a specific reason to be created, but maybe it helps.
Always check the offers and prices carefully. There is nothing "the same". Everything is different. If it's similar, that's up to you...
I got a very nice email from lulu using simple and real language. They said they were very sorry. That made all the difference.
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Post by mickmercer on May 15, 2020 20:33:52 GMT
Sorry, just messed up a post by not signing in! (Could admin please remove my post above please?) What I wanted to recommend as a potential site, for digital versions, is draft2digital, which is brilliant. It's also free. It allows you to select whether or not you wish to include or exclude Amazon. I've uploaded a few projects but excluded Amazon from their distribution list as I want to do things on Amazon myself. However, it leaves you free to distribute to Apple, Barnes & Noble etc. Also, when you upload a book file to draft2digital you are then able to download epub and mobi files which you can use elsewhere, such as on Amazon, so it's win-win really. They're also hoping to offer print versions too at some point. My friend Lesley has used draft2digital. Few sales. I suggested Streetlib.com for her newest book. It's selling much more. You can select retailers and territories. Looks nice but they take between 30-50%?!! That's too hefty for my liking.
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Post by Retread-Retired-Cameron on May 15, 2020 20:40:53 GMT
All I've gotten from Lulu Press is the sound of crickets.
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2020 21:32:26 GMT
My friend Lesley has used draft2digital. Few sales. I suggested Streetlib.com for her newest book. It's selling much more. You can select retailers and territories. Looks nice but they take between 30-50%?!! That's too hefty for my liking. As far as I know it's 20%.
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Post by richard on May 15, 2020 22:23:44 GMT
All I've gotten from Lulu Press is the sound of crickets. Complete silence from Lulu for two weeks now, no response to tickets, no access to My Projects page.
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