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BookBaby vs Lulu
Last updated: March 03, 2024
BookBaby and Lulu are both self-publishing platforms that offer services for authors to publish and distribute their books, but they have distinct differences in terms of their offerings, pricing, and distribution options.
1. Services and Offerings: BookBaby is known for its comprehensive suite of publishing services. It offers a range of packages and a la carte services to assist authors in the publishing process, including professional book formatting, cover design, editing, eBook conversion, and printing options. BookBaby provides additional services such as book marketing and promotion, author websites, and distribution to major online retailers. On the other hand, Lulu provides a more DIY approach to self-publishing. It offers a platform for authors to upload their manuscripts, customize book formats, create book covers, and set their own pricing. Lulu also provides options for distribution to online retailers and print-on-demand services.
2. Pricing and Royalties: BookBaby offers various publishing packages with different pricing tiers depending on the services and features required. The pricing structure typically includes upfront fees for services, and authors retain the royalties from book sales. BookBaby provides transparent pricing and offers authors a higher percentage of royalties compared to traditional publishing models. Lulu, on the other hand, operates on a no upfront cost model, allowing authors to publish and distribute their books for free. Authors can set their own pricing and receive a percentage of the sales as royalties, with Lulu retaining a portion of the revenue.
3. Distribution Options: BookBaby offers extensive distribution options for authors. Through their distribution network, they can make eBooks available on major online retailers like Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, and Barnes & Noble Nook, as well as provide print-on-demand services for physical books. BookBaby also provides distribution to libraries and academic institutions. Lulu offers distribution services as well, allowing authors to distribute eBooks and print books through online retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Lulu also offers expanded distribution to additional channels, such as Ingram and the Lulu bookstore, providing authors with wider exposure for their books.
1. Services and Offerings: BookBaby is known for its comprehensive suite of publishing services. It offers a range of packages and a la carte services to assist authors in the publishing process, including professional book formatting, cover design, editing, eBook conversion, and printing options. BookBaby provides additional services such as book marketing and promotion, author websites, and distribution to major online retailers. On the other hand, Lulu provides a more DIY approach to self-publishing. It offers a platform for authors to upload their manuscripts, customize book formats, create book covers, and set their own pricing. Lulu also provides options for distribution to online retailers and print-on-demand services.
2. Pricing and Royalties: BookBaby offers various publishing packages with different pricing tiers depending on the services and features required. The pricing structure typically includes upfront fees for services, and authors retain the royalties from book sales. BookBaby provides transparent pricing and offers authors a higher percentage of royalties compared to traditional publishing models. Lulu, on the other hand, operates on a no upfront cost model, allowing authors to publish and distribute their books for free. Authors can set their own pricing and receive a percentage of the sales as royalties, with Lulu retaining a portion of the revenue.
3. Distribution Options: BookBaby offers extensive distribution options for authors. Through their distribution network, they can make eBooks available on major online retailers like Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, and Barnes & Noble Nook, as well as provide print-on-demand services for physical books. BookBaby also provides distribution to libraries and academic institutions. Lulu offers distribution services as well, allowing authors to distribute eBooks and print books through online retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Lulu also offers expanded distribution to additional channels, such as Ingram and the Lulu bookstore, providing authors with wider exposure for their books.
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BookBaby makes self-publishing easy: from cover design, book printing, eBook conversions, distribution, website creation, and more. BookBaby offers you the largest eBook distribution network, including Amazon, Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Sony, and many other popular retailers in over 170 countries around the globe. It’s now possible for you to reach a worldwide audience, keep 100% of your book’s net earnings, retain the rights to your work, and maintain total creative control. BookBaby provides everything you need to professionally publish and distribute your book, without ever having to sell-out to ‘big publishing.’
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Lulu pioneered the self-publishing industry and paved the way for people around the world to publish books and bring them to market, while allowing authors to retain full control of their work. Operating a global network, Lulu provides worldwide distribution so that authors can reach readers just about anywhere via print, e-readers and tablet devices. As the leading independent self-publishing company, Lulu has enabled people in more than 225 countries and territories to self-publish nearly two million publications, including 1.5 million books.
BookBaby vs Lulu in our news:
2024. Self-publishing platform Lulu integrates with website builder Wix
Directly selling books to your audience is paramount for audience growth and revenue increase, as it empowers you to oversee the purchasing process. With traditional retail channels becoming less dependable, Lulu Direct provides a solution, facilitating the connection between your personal ecommerce platform and Lulu's global print-on-demand network. Now, with expanded integration with Wix, you can seamlessly link your Wix site to Lulu Direct, streamlining direct book sales and providing sales tracking and management through Lulu Direct's dashboard. Although Wix may not offer as many ecommerce plugins as Shopify or the customization of WordPress, its user-friendly interface makes it the simplest platform for site creation and maintenance.
2022. Lulu unveiles Cover Designer
Lulu, a self-publishing platform, has introduced a new tool for designing book covers. While experienced designers and those familiar with design software may prefer a book cover template, Lulu's cover designer offers a simpler alternative for those creating books as gifts, limited editions, or for beta readers. This tool streamlines the design process by automatically calculating the spine width and position. It is compatible with all of Lulu's trim sizes but specifically designed for paperback books, allowing users to design their book covers while publishing on Lulu. The cover maker provides several design options, including templates, image uploads, text boxes with customization options, customizable shapes, and the ability to incorporate an ISBN barcode by entering the relevant information.
2016. BookBaby launched e-Book editing service
BookBaby has recently introduced a new editing service specifically designed for self-published authors. With this service, they offer copy editing for a 60,000-word eBook at a price below $1,200, which is a remarkable 50% lower compared to other premium options available in the market. For debut or first-time authors, finding a reliable e-book editor can be a challenging task. Many individuals often resort to searching online for affordable options, but may end up encountering companies like Author Solutions, who employ aggressive up-selling tactics. According to BookBaby President Steven Spatz, "Editing is an essential requirement for every book, and we understand this reality. Our aim was to deliver a cost-effective solution that meets the needs of self-publishing authors, without compromising on the quality they expect and deserve."
2014. BookBaby allows authors to sell books directly to users
BookBaby, a self-publishing provider, is introducing a new service called BookShop, enabling authors to sell their eBooks directly to readers through their own customized BookShop e-commerce pages. This initiative offers authors the opportunity to earn a higher percentage per sale and receive faster payment compared to other platforms. BookBaby authors can sell both ePub and .mobi versions of their eBooks directly to readers, earning 85% of the gross selling price. Additionally, authors can provide links to their eBooks on popular retail sites like iBooks, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and more. Unlike other distributors and retailers, BookBaby ensures prompt payment to authors within one week of each sale, eliminating lengthy waiting periods for their earnings. BookShop is available free of charge to all BookBaby authors, including those taking advantage of the company's new FREE eBook publishing package. Authors can easily upload ePub files directly to BookBaby for global distribution without any upfront costs.