CreateSpace - Amazons answer to LuLu

Filed under: Business, Text, Web services

CreateSpace - Amazons answer to LuLu

by Emily Price Aug 9th 2007

Amazon has decided to get in on the POD game launching a POD book publishing service this week through CreateSpace, a company they acquired in 2005. CreateSpace will now let users create and sell their own books, CDs, DVDs, audio books, direct download video, and HD DVDs with a Blu-ray option in the works.

Up until now if you wanted to get your book or CD out to the public on the cheap your best print on demand (POD) option was LuLu a site that allows users to do all of the stuff CreateSpace can now do and lists their book in Books in Print and places like Amazon and Barnes and Noble. While CreateSpace isn't going to get your listed at B&N they do guarantee a listing on Amazon (which apparently LuLu can't) and give DVD authors an automatic listing for their DVD on IMDb.

CreateSpace also offers extras for book authors like making the book eligable for Amazon specific programs like Search Inside!™, Amazon Prime™, Super Saver Shipping™ and other Amazon.com programs. ISBN numbers and UPCs are also free on CreateSpace, where as they will cost you a a little cash on LuLu. LuLu however offers users more printing options and the ability to list the book on Amazon's competitors sites.

If you think you've written the next bestseller and can't find a publisher (or don't want to look for one) one of these can be a quick way to that cool "Published Author" title

[via ReadWriteWeb]

Tags: amazon, book publishing, BookPublishing, lulu, POD, print on demand, PrintOnDemand

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Michael C. Habib said 11:16AM on 8-10-2007

(DISCLAIMER: I currently work for Lulu, but am here on my own.)

You are right that Lulu can't guarantee a listing on Amazon, because that is ultimately up to Amazon. However, authors that purchase a distribution package receive an ISBN, have their book entered into Books in Print and Amazon has the option to accept their book, which they usually do:
http://www.lulu.com/help/index.php?fSymbol=isbn_faq#FAQLink28
Also, as you mentioned, so do other retailers.

While there is a cost associated with a Lulu ISBN, Lulu offers 2 distribution packages, Published by Lulu and Published by You. Published by Lulu is closer to what CreateSpaceis offering and includes an ISBN that is associated with Lulu as the publisher.

However, Published by You includes an ISBN listing the individual creator as publisher. This is the difference between having Lulu or ClearSpace listed as the publisher vs. actually being the publisher. Suffice it to say, that this includes numerous benefits. Furthermore it is a unique offering. You can learn more about Published by Lulu here:
http://www.lulu.com/help/index.php?fSymbol=isbn_faq#FAQLink9
http://www.ondemandjournal.com/specialfeatures/ward88.cfm?printer=pr

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