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]