|
|
Post by jamielynn on Feb 20, 2021 1:58:14 GMT
For those of you who have had enough of Lulu, like myself, I want to highly recommend Draft2Digital. I just published my first ebook through them and it couldn't have been easier. EVERYTHING with D2D is easier, especially their actual user interface for entering your info, pricing, your source file, etc.
And guess what? Their customer service people ACTUALLY answer your emails! On average, it takes Lulu a week to respond to the simplest questions, if they ever respond at all. D2D answered my first email in literally FIVE minutes.
And even better--it normally takes Lulu 3-4 WEEKS to get any of my ebooks up on various publisher's websites. It took D2D one DAY. That's right. ONE DAY and my book was up at Apple, B&N, Kobo, Scribd, etc. And gee, I didn't have to pay an outrageous $4.99 fee that Lulu is now charging! And I can also have D2D format a paperback from my ebook file.
Since I had such success with my first trial at D2D, I've pulled the plug on all my ebooks with Lulu. I am SO glad I'm leaving this horrible company behind. It's going to be a lot of work to republish everything, but I'm tired of being held hostage by Lulu. They took away my income for TWO MONTHS because of their ineptitude and "upgrade". That was the last straw for me.
So if you're as fed up with Lulu as I am, please do check out D2D. We all deserve to be with a company who actually cares about their customers, and who makes it easy to do business with, instead of doing all they can to TAKE money from us.
Jamie
|
|
|
|
Post by JesusNinja on Feb 20, 2021 23:30:28 GMT
I've been trying to stay loyal to Lulu but eventually might leave as well. I don't agree with paying a $4.99 fee for ebooks. No one does that. And support is taking forever to get anything. I've told them they lost me money when I needed it the most. My books were taken down without warning and one was taken down due to an error but no one ever told me. Lulu used to be such a great place, now it's terrible. The site still looks and works bad. But best of luck to you Jamie sounds like D2D might be what you needed.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2021 4:33:10 GMT
Lulu used to be such a great place, now it's terribleI agree JesusNinja I used to tell all my friends what a great place Lulu was to self publish--- No more do I sing their praises.
|
|
|
|
Post by JesusNinja on Feb 21, 2021 5:22:10 GMT
Something Jamie said above about how fast they posted their books. I have to republish my last book "the one you just read Larika" because of a bug in the Lulu site. About a week ago support said they're working on getting it out. I just looked and was about to praise them. But the book is only on Scribd and Kobos. Still not on Amazon,Apple, or Barnes. Where is would really sell. On Scribd my missing six books are still not there after three months. This is ridiculous. I also don't want to pay the fee Lulu is going to charge for ebooks. Obviously just to make up the huge losses they gotten this year. But most people will just leave and go elsewhere. I don't understand why they keep giving us reasons to leave and none to stay.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2021 14:24:27 GMT
I don't understand why they keep giving us reasons to leave and none to stay.I agree JesusNinja. Charging for ebooks was the last straw. I made my ebook with Draft2Digital.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2021 22:15:38 GMT
I don't understand why they keep giving us reasons to leave and none to stay.I agree JesusNinja . Charging for ebooks was the last straw. I made my ebook with Draft2Digital. Yes i agree on this i refuse to pay 5 bucks to have my ebooks listed in GD to get on Amazon etc plus the pdf format for printed books also annoyed me. I joined some other ebook publishers ages ago and will use them now. I'd transfer all my books but the job would be big. Lulu changes are a no go now. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2021 22:33:07 GMT
Something Jamie said above about how fast they posted their books. I have to republish my last book "the one you just read Larika" because of a bug in the Lulu site. About a week ago support said they're working on getting it out. I just looked and was about to praise them. But the book is only on Scribd and Kobos. Still not on Amazon,Apple, or Barnes. Where is would really sell. On Scribd my missing six books are still not there after three months. This is ridiculous. I also don't want to pay the fee Lulu is going to charge for ebooks. Obviously just to make up the huge losses they gotten this year. But most people will just leave and go elsewhere. I don't understand why they keep giving us reasons to leave and none to stay. I had several books missing on varied sites tho lulu sent them to be listed, had ongoing issues with books being listed/unlisted etc. 5 were submitted via lulu to amazon years ago but not listed for 3 years. It said listed in the book data but not on the site, i had to do 5 versions for kindle via amazon. I lost unknown sales numbers. Ok my bad for not checking the listings after they were sent in by me on publication or after. I put new editions and edited books and others on amazon kindle direct. I may in time redo all my books there but a huge job, 150 titles lol. Lulu was my baby at one time now a monster. So damn sad how it went this bad. Yes a story to write there but not by me... |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2021 4:58:44 GMT
I may in time redo all my books there but a huge job, 150 titles lol. Lulu was my baby at one time now a monster. So damn sad how it went this bad.
So many of us here agree with you @nickgoth. I can't face the task of redoing all the books I have on Lulu and I don't have nearly as many as you. However I've self published my latest ebook in Dradt2Digiral and am very pleased with their free global distribution.
|
|
|
|
Post by benziger on Feb 23, 2021 9:14:08 GMT
I can't face the task of redoing all the books I have on Lulu and I don't have nearly as many as you.
You should! Can you not re-use the PDF from Lulu? (same size? I downloaded all my books in a folder "old lulu books".)
Of course, now it is spring, the sun is shining, we have some other tasks, a family, a garden, a (pandemic-restricted) social life ....
I decided to do it little by little. For the easy ones one per week, if I have less time, at least one per month. That are twelve to fifty books in one year. You probably do not have more than that. (If you need the earnings, I would not start with the most easy books, but with the most selling books.)
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2021 14:27:21 GMT
You should! Can you not re-use the PDF from Lulu? (same size? I downloaded all my books in a folder "old lulu books".)
benziger what happens to all the books in Amazon etc that have been made global with a lulu ISBN number?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2021 7:18:35 GMT
You can use your old ebook PDFs but you will have to edit them with new ISBNs for D2D. The ones on Amazon can just stay there for ever. Thank you Ken, if I decide to do it I'll go with Draft2Digital. However, for the time being I'll leave them at Lulu. |
|
ml1
New Member
Posts: 4
|
Post by ml1 on Mar 1, 2021 15:40:26 GMT
I've followed Jamie's recommendation (thanks!) and released two small ebooks of short stories through Draft2Digital. It's free and very straightforward to use (though with limited text formatting options), and has already provided good user support and email services. The ebooks were published to the bookstores very quickly, and were "re-published" just as quickly after I made some changes (adding ISBNs etc). If you're interested in seeing how they came out, here they are: books2read.com/UnsettlingTimes and books2read.com/BigNightOutThanks again, Jamie! |
|
|
|
Post by jamielynn on Mar 1, 2021 20:35:11 GMT
I've followed Jamie's recommendation (thanks!) and released two small ebooks of short stories through Draft2Digital. It's free and very straightforward to use (though with limited text formatting options), and has already provided good user support and email services. The ebooks were published to the bookstores very quickly, and were "re-published" just as quickly after I made some changes (adding ISBNs etc). If you're interested in seeing how they came out, here they are: books2read.com/UnsettlingTimes and books2read.com/BigNightOutThanks again, Jamie!
You are more than welcome! I'm so glad to hear you're just as happy with Draft2Digital as I am. It is literally night and day from LuLu. Best of luck to you with your books!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2021 6:09:27 GMT
It really is good to see others as happy with Draft2Digital as I am. I have recommended it to my book group. However I am also interested in MyBestSeller. MBS was highly recommended by tasmanianartist (She still visits us from time to time)
|
|
|
|
Post by mickmercer on Mar 8, 2021 11:17:43 GMT
I put all my written books there the moment the lulu relaunch didn't work out, with a long-term plan to shift everything over to Amazon, because you can choose to choose all d2d outlets except Amazon, so it's the best of both worlds really. It's all just a matter of time.
|
|
