Lulu Launches New Features
"We listened to what people want to be able to do, and we've revamped the home page experience to showcase the full value of what Lulu offers by quickly accessing the tools authors need to publish and sell," said Shawn Barber, the company's v-p of product management. "With the introduction of the new book templates and e-book offerings, we're making it easier than ever for authors to publish and sell their work quickly while maintaining complete control over the final look and feel of their book."
The new print book templates provide a guide for content creation, formatting, and layout for both fiction and nonfiction titles. Additionally, tips are embedded in the new templates—which are free to Lulu authors—to guide writers through the process.
Lulu now offers four solutions for publishing e-books that enable authors to make their books available on tablets and e-readers through the Apple iBookstore, Barnes & Noble's NOOK Bookstore, and the Lulu Marketplace.
The changes are just part of a string of recent service upgrades at Lulu. Via a partnership with The Book Genome Project, Lulu recently introduced The Helix Review, which provide indie authors a way to compare their work against a database of more than 100,000 titles. This allows for insights into better marketing strategies. And, in May, Lulu launched Picture.com, a new website where authors can create photo books and calendars.
"We're offering our customers exactly what they're asking for, and delivering the experiences via Lulu.com and Picture.com in clear, highly useable ways," said Barber in a statement. "As we expand the value we bring to authors, photographers and people just like you and me, we'll continue to do so in a way that's fast, easy and intuitive for everyone."
