Xlibris vs. Lulu

[Sean McCaw]

I have recently finished my first book and after getting a lot of good (in my opinion) advice from people in the buisiness and from here, I think I may go the POD route. I have been doing some investigating and I am having trouble deciding where I should publish it. I have looked at Xlibris and Lulu and would like to hear from you good folks to ask if any of you have experiences with either one and if so, where they good or bad. If there are any other POD places I should look into, then please let me know. I personally lean towards Xlibris because it seems to be more ready made for a beginner such as myself whereas with Lulu, I would have to actually have a lot more knowledge. Thanks in advance!

[Carol O]

Have you browsed this page yet? It compares PODs.

http://booksandtales.com/pod/index.php

[Sean McCaw]

Carol,

Thanks.......actually meant to go there and forgot....I saw it on another link...Thanks for the reminder.

[Robert Raven]

Check the up-front costs: xLibris will run you hundreds, perhaps even thousands. Lulu runs from zero to a couple hundred for their maximum package. Examine both places and do the math.

RR

[Venus --]

I'm almost finished with my second book on Lulu. It's sometimes a frustrating pain in the butt, but it's free for the most part. And they have chat help available during business hours, so if you're pulling your hair out from 9-5 Eastern time, they're there to help. Just be sure that you format it like a book, not like a manuscript (ie. single-spaced, not in Times New Roman, etc.). I don't know the other company, but if you have the patience, I do recommend Lulu.

-Karen

[Joe Zeff]

I don't know if Xlibris has chat now, but aside from that, the process is pretty much the same. You have to give them camera-ready copy.

[Kelly Laffaye]

I am pretty new to the whole publishing world. I want to publish a book of poetry, but I don't know where to start. I hace searched the web for different companies, but how do i know which one is the best, or not a scam. Someone please help me.

[Sean McCaw]

Kelly,

I am new to all of this too so the only thing I can say is just to keep doing LOTS of research. I feel like my butt is stapled to this chair cuz I been trying to find EVERYTHING out possible to make informed decisions. I have also found that if you have a SPECIFIC question.....the people on here are very supportive and give good advice on where to find things out. Give them a try, and be specific.

My 2cents........

[Anthony Ravenscroft]

*>sigh<*

Look, let's go over this again.

When you have a book put out through a POD company -- well, okay, only 99.382% of them -- you are having the book printed & you are in NO way getting it published. For this privilege, most (not all) will take control of all your rights to the material they print, & even those who have an apprent mechanism for you to withdraw your writing will usually drag feet for months or years rather than bother with peons like you.

So long as you realise: more than 95% of your sales will come from people that you meet personally -- whether Auntie Doris or a stranger at the book-signing table -- & that "available to major bookstores around the world" & "listed on Amazon & our award-winning website" is worth approximately NOTHING.

[Carol O]

Kelly, since poetry is such a niche market (that is, has limited readership), most sales occur face-to-face; like after a public reading. Because of that, most poetry is self-published. This could take many forms, from making chapbooks at Kinko's to using a POD printer like Lulu. You will need to consider who your audience is and how best to reach them.