Time to discard Lulu.com?

I just published my latest book, The Incomplete Guide to Action Movies, with Lulu.com and it was a bit of a nightmare.

Once again Lulu's incompetent (at least in my experience) cover wizard glitched and screwed up my cover.  This time it happened during a book revision; it somehow (the staff at Lulu.com say the how is a mystery) reverted my cover to default colour and font and removed my front cover blurb. 
Now, every time you revise you must purchased an obligatory proof copy, so having not realised the glitch, I bought not one, but two copies (the second copy was to be used in a book giveaway).  The two copies arrived and, surprise, I was looking at a cover I didn't want.  This was highly annoying and problematic for the loss of money and the disruption of my marketing plans.  So I contacted Lulu to complain and that is when my problems got worse.

Their first response email said they had to send my problem higher up the food chain.  Okay, I could understand that.  Too bad they sent it to someone who seemed to have little grasp of the words "customer service".
My first email from this "person" stated, "We noticed that you had disabled your account".  Well gee, I hadn't.  The guy didn't even look up the right account!
In the second email he states, "we unfortunately cannot revise the cover for you".  I never asked them to do that; I just wanted answers.  He did also state though, "we can bypass the proof copy requirement by offering you a free copy of the version with the corrected cover".  Okay, I thought at least that's something, so I replied.  I asked how I could obtain the free copy and a few other questions about using the PDF of the original cover.  I waited for an answer, but none came that day or the next morning.  So I went ahead and revised the cover, figuring I could wait to order the copy.
Then the third email arrives, with this gem, "We can use the cover from the first version, however we will need to upload this as a one-piece cover as opposed to going through the studio. If you would like, I can make a revision and upload the cover for you, as well as place a replacement order. I will also set the order up in order to bypass the proof copy requirement. How would you wish to proceed?"  So, I guess they could revise the cover after all, despite the earlier statement.  Too bad I did it already.   So I relate this information and inquire, again, how can I get the free copy.  This exchange happened on July 1st and I waited patiently for a reply, taking the holidays in to consideration. 
By the 6th I lost patience waiting for a reply and just ordered the book.  Then I received this email, "Thank you again for your patience and I apologize for the delay. I have placed a reorder for the new revised book."  Oh thanks, you don't get back to me, don't answer my inquiries about the ordering procedures and then order the book the day after I do!   Way to communicate with your customer!

This is just the newest round of indifference I had with customer service at Lulu, but it is the last straw for me.  I'm disillusioned with Lulu.com; their prices and shipping charges are too high, their customer service sucks and I'm finding them less and less author friendly.  I think it is past time for me to find a new way to get published.

The Incomplete Guide to Action Movies


Almost everything you need to know to enjoy an action film!

Here it is at last!

Presenting an irreverent manual for dissecting an action movie, a guide to the nuances of that summer blockbuster!
Consider musings about crashes, clichés and cannon fodder!

Discover how to survive an action movie!

Learn the proper way to watch a bad action film!

Disagree with the recommendations and the top ten lists!


Read all about it today!
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-incomplete-guide-to-action-movies/11602857


 

Guest Blogger Pat Bertram: The New Era in Publishing

The New Era in Publishing.


When I was studying the publishing industry, trying to figure out how to get published, one thing bothered me. There you are, a debut author, and because the publisher does not promote you -- spending their promotion dollars instead on the big names -- your books sit on bookstore shelves or in warehouses until finally the publisher gives up on you and remainders your book. That is the best scenario, because if it is remaindered, at least it will still be available for a time. Generally what happens is that it is pulped. 25% of a publisher’s total output (including your beloved book) is destroyed. This after shipping costs incurred to and from the publisher’s warehouse.
My books, More Deaths Than One and A Spark of Heavenly Fire are being published Second Wind Publishing, which uses digital printing technology, and because of it, I do not have to fear my novels succumbing to such a fate. Nor do I have to fear an inadvertent error showing up in thousands of volumes. As soon as an error is found, it can be corrected. Because of this new technology, there is no reason to destroy unsold merchandise. And there is no reason to stop publishing a novel because it does not live up to the bottom-line demands of the traditional publishing houses.
Small presses today are where independent movie producers were in the late eighties and early nineties. They have the ability to publish books that need time to reach an audience, books that might not appeal to the masses but could still be loved by many (and turn a tidy profit in the process.)
Although I have nothing but admiration for self-publishers, I like knowing that my books went through a submission process, and I like knowing I was chosen. I also like having a say in the editing, the cover choice, the arduous copy-editing. I even like promotion -- what I’ve done of it, anyway.
So, new era in publishing? Good for us all. And I am pleased to be a part of it.
I’m also pleased to be here on A.F. Stewart’s blog today. To celebrate the release of my novels, I am doing a reverse sort of blog tour -- instead of promoting myself, I’d like to promote a few of the people who helped me with my promotion efforts. A.F. has written a wonderful Squidoo Lens -- How to Become an Independently Published Author -- which gave me many suggestions on how to promote. So, thank you, A.F. Best of luck with your book.

Pat Bertram is a native of Colorado and a lifelong resident. When the traditional publishers stopped publishing her favorite type of book — character and story driven novels that can’t easily be slotted into a genre — she decided to write her own. More Deaths Than One and A Spark of Heavenly Fire, available at Amazon and from Second Wind Publishing, are Bertram’s first novels.







Book Links:

Amazon:
A Spark of Heavenly Fire
More Deaths Than One

Second Wind Publishing:
A Spark of Heavenly Fire
More Deaths Than One

Update

Just an update on was has been going on with my writing.

- One of my poems will be appearing in an upcoming chapbook produced by Bards and Sages Publishing. I'll keep you advised of its progress.
- Another one of my poems won second place in a contest on the WritersCafe.org website.
- I got my first interview as an author, Yeah! It's been posted on Blogcritics:
Interview with Fantasy Author A. F. Stewart

So, not a bad couple of weeks.


Don't forget to check out my Squidoo.com lens:
A. F. Stewart
How to write a Fantasy Novel
How to become an Independently Published Author

What is wrong with publishers?

Q: How does a new writer get published?

A: With extreme difficulty.


These days it seems that the publishing industry is lined up against the new writer, bent on stopping them from becoming an author. Which to me seems stupid. What is going to happening to the publishing industry if they don't have new authors?

Traditional publishers seem to have a certain disdain for new writers, giving their preference to established authors that have a proven track record. Understandable, but as a long range strategy, a bit silly. Established authors won't publish indefinitely, and if all the new blood is going elsewhere or giving up entirely, what will they be publishing?

Now new writers can self-publish, which can be expensive and time-consuming, but it is a viable option these days. But even this area is being harassed; by traditional publishers who seem to feel threatened by the competition and now by Amazon/Booksurge who seems to want to exert a Big Brother control over the industry. And the writer is the last person considered, again.

Small press publishing seems to be the best way to go for the new writer, but even here the process is hampered, simply because the publishers are being swamped with submissions. I did a search of dozens of these companies and quite a few are no longer accepting submissions because they simply cannot handle the overload.

So there are writers out there looking for publishers. Will there be a place for them in the future, or will we lose their prose to greed and short-sighted CEO's.

Are Amazon and Booksurge bullies?

Amazon is currently busy ruining the ability for self-published authors to sell on their retail site. Unless of course they have published through their new company, BookSurge. What is even more insidious is they are actually trying to blackmail their rivals, (sites like Lulu.com, iUnverse, etc.), into using the BookSurge printing service.
How are they doing this, you ask? It's simple.
Most self-published authors use a subsidy publisher; the author pays for the cost to assemble the book(stuff like editing, cover art, etc), and the subsidy publisher takes care of the printing (usually Print-on-Demand, which basically means a copy of the book is printed as it is purchased) and distribution (usually to places such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble). Amazon's BookSurge is one of these subsidy publishers, and unlike other subsidy publishers (who outsource the printing, mostly to Lightning Source) it has its own POD printing service.
This is how Amazon is extorting the other publishers. Amazon is telling subsidy publishers, if you are not currently using BookSource as your printing service, your authors will not be able to sell on Amazon. They are actually disabling buy buttons for these books; PublishAmerica and Whiskey Press are the first victms.
If this continues, BookSurge will be the only one who gets to sell on Amazon; very convenient for Amazon.
At the very least this is a conflict of interest, at worst it is an illegal monopoly, extortion, and market fixing.

In the interest of being fair I emailed Amazon.com to see what they had to say on the matter.
Here is the email I sent:
"I would like to know if your company is seriously considering forcing independent, Print-on-Demand publishing companies, to use BookSurge. Even going so far as to threaten to disable the Amazon buy buttons on their titles if they do not comply.
Don't you realise the damage to authors this policy will wreak, or the fact you are leaving yourselves wide open to charges of illegal monopoly?"

This is their reply:
"Thank you for writing to Amazon.com

If you are interested in printing books on demand, we strongly recommend you work with BookSurge, an Amazon.com Company which offers complete publishing and printing services for authors and publishers. Whether your book manuscript is a ready-to-print finished PDF file or a working draft requiring editing, illustration and printing services, we've got the resources you need to get your book into distribution cost effectively.

BookSurge will be able to assist you with the preparation of your title(s) and, once ready, can print on demand as you require, including quick fulfillment for orders placed on Amazon.com. In the future, you will be able to manage your account with physical books or print on demand books with BookSurge through the Advantage interface. You can find more information about BookSurge here:

http://www.booksurge.com

If you have further questions about BookSurge after reviewing the web site above, please feel free to write to customerservice@booksurge.com.


Best regards,

Ajeeth
Amazon.com Customer Service
http://www.amazon.com "

So do you think Amazon is in full marketing mode or what?

It was this email, and the callous disregard of my concerns that promoted me to create an online petition to fight Amazon and BookSurge.

If you want to sign, you can go here:

Stop the BookSurge Monopoly

Why is Self-publishing the wrong move?

Answer: It's not necessarily wrong at all.

I recently Googled, looking for information on editor services for the self-published. I kept coming across articles on how you should not self-publish, that you should always try the traditional publishing route.

This made me angry. Why are people so against self-publishing?

One article said the self-publishing companies are just in it for the money. True. But traditional publishers are in it for the money too.

Publishing your book comes down to either fighting through the system (and it is a fight to get a traditional publisher to even look at your manuscript), or doing the work yourself with self-publishing. And if you are going to self-publish it is going to take work. But it should be your choice.

And yes, there are a lot of bad books self-published. But there are bad books published the old-fashioned way as well. I know I've read some.

I say stop bad-mouthing the self-publishing industry and try to fix it. Opportunities are better the destroying potential dreams.