Lulu.com produces books in print and digital form. Printed books are available in several formats and sizes including paperback, coil bound, and hardcover. Books can be printed in black and white or in full color. In 2009, Lulu.com began publishing and distributing ebooks. Lulu.com also prints and publishes calendars and photo books. In 2017, Lulu.com introduced an Open Access print-on-demand service.
Process
Authors upload their book as a PDF file to Lulu.com using their book creation process. Material is submitted in digital form for publication. Authors can then buy copies of their own book and/or make it available for purchase in the Lulu Bookstore. Applying an ISBN and meeting distribution requirements makes books eligible for distribution to online retail outlets such as Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Apple's iBookstore. The author of a title receives an 80% royalty for print books and a 90% royalty for eBooks when sold. Copyright of works uploaded and distributed via Lulu.com remains with the author.
Replay Photos
In January 2014, Lulu announced that it had acquired Durham-based sports photography company Replay Photos. Replay Photos sells licensed images of collegiate and professional sports teams as photographic prints, custom framed photos, photos on canvas, and original wall art.
Lulu's final phase for their Digital Rights Management Retirement project was released July 2, 2013. Prior to January 15, 2013, a Lulu author may have chosen to apply Digital Rights Management protection to their PDF or EPUB.
Lulu Jr.
In 2014, Lulu launched Lulu Jr., which enables children to become published authors. Lulu Jr. products include My Comic Book and IlluStory. These book-making kits include materials that allow children to create their own books, such as blank story pages and markers. Finished stories and artwork can be submitted digitally or mailed to Lulu Jr. to be printed as a hardcover or a softcover book.
Lulu Blooker Prize
The Lulu Blooker Prize was a literary award for "blooks". It was awarded in 2006 and 2007 and sponsored by Lulu.com. An overall prize was awarded, based on the winners of three subsidiary categories: non-fiction, fiction, and comics. The Lulu Blooker Prize was open to any "blook" that had been published "to date" by any publisher.
2006
The first competition saw 89 entries from over a dozen countries. A panel of three judges decided the winners: Cory Doctorow, Chair of Judges; Paul Jones; and Robin "Roblimo" Miller.
Dinosaur Comics: Huge Eyes, Beaks, Intelligence, and Ambition by Ryan North
2007
The 2007 competition had 110 entries from 15 countries. The number of judges was increased to five: Paul Jones, Arianna Huffington, Julie Powell, Rohit Gupta, and Nick Cohen.
