BookBaby vs Lulu: self publishing platform comparison

Who should you trust when self-publishing your book – BookBaby or Lulu?

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Which self-publishing company is better – Lulu or BookBaby?

It’s a tough question when you’re choosing a self-publishing company for the first time. Lulu specializes in high-volume book printing, which can often yield cheap, low-quality books. And there isn’t much concern for royalties or global distribution. Meanwhile, BookBaby offers everything an author needs to successfully self-publish on many scales, including high-quality book printing, industry-leading distribution, eBook conversion, cover design, book formatting, and more. We frequently get asked which company — BookBaby or Lulu — is best for independent authors. If you’re an aspiring author who takes self-publishing seriously, then take a look at how BookBaby differs from Lulu and decide for yourself.

My second BookBaby project turned out as good as my first, and that is because BookBaby does it right every time. As an author who has published dozens of books on Lulu’s as well as several other platforms over the past 4 decades, I can say wholeheartedly that BookBaby and Judy Kathleen Thompson are a terrific team lifelong!

Judy Kathleen Thompson, BookBaby Author

Authors earn more through BookBaby. Lots more!

We have negotiated the best eBook royalty rates for authors selling through websites like Amazon, where the bulk of self-published author income comes from. While Lulu takes a selling fee from authors’ profits – up to 20% in some cases—BookBaby doesn’t take a penny, meaning more profit for our authors. When you self-publish a book with BookBaby, you’ll earn the highest possible royalties. These royalties will help offset the initial investment that you made as a self-published offer, setting you up for profitability and success.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison:

	BookBaby	Lulu
Amazon Retail Price	$5.99	$5.99
Distribution Fee	$1.80	$3.14
Net Profit	$4.19	$2.85
Fee	$0 (0%)	$0.29 (10%)
Net to author	$4.19	$2.56

BookBaby’s publishing experts are standing by to answer your questions

Self-publishing is a complicated process and authors usually have a lot of questions. When looking at BookBaby vs Lulu.com, there’s a clear frontrunner in terms of customer service accessibility. It’s hard to get answers from companies like Lulu with foreign-based call centers. Not with BookBaby. Customer service is one of our strengths. Our US-based Self-publishing Specialists are standing by to answer any and all of your questions. We want you to feel confident and well informed when you publish your book.

Have a question? You can reach our book experts by phone, email, and live chat, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

Should I self-publish my book with BookBaby or Lulu?

Lulu and other companies claim that self-publishing is as easy as uploading a word file. But Lulu’s complicated website shows otherwise, practically requiring authors to be graphic designers and printing experts in order to produce a quality book. We hear reports from authors who routinely complain that some companies allow out-of-spec files to go to print, resulting in poorly printed books.

That never happens with BookBaby. Our pre-press specialists look closely at every file to make sure they are ready for printing. If they aren’t, we’ll either make minor fixes ourselves or let the author know what needs to be done. That’s how we deliver the absolute highest-quality printed books to the marketplace – guaranteed!

Make an impact through book distribution

It's time to start selling! Where you book will actually sell. Your book doesn't need to be "everywhere." It needs to be where readers actually buy.

With BookBaby, that means three powerful channels working together:

Amazon for print — Where the majority of printed books are discovered and purchased
Wide ebook distribution — Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Vearsa, and more
Your BookBaby Bookshop — Your own direct-to-reader store where you keep the most money

Amazon gives you reach for print:

eBook retailers give you global digital access
BookBaby Bookshop gives you ownership, customer data, and higher margins
You're not chasing every store — you're focused on the ones that actually move indie books

Learn more about Print On Demand

BookBaby authors are eligible for brick-and-mortar retail shelf placement

Here’s a cold, hard publishing fact: Bookstore owners won’t take the risk of stocking self-published books if they go unsold. BookBaby offers a returns program to booksellers, making it possible for our authors’ books to find their way into hundreds of retail stores worldwide.

Lulu doesn’t offer this program. Neither does CreateSpace.

Don’t be misled by Lulu’s promises of “free” publishing and book marketing services

On its website, Lulu claims to offer “free” eBook and Printed Book distribution. But when they take a percentage of every author’s sales – up to 20% of net sales – it’s far from being truly “free.”

You should know that LuLu offers an extensive list of book marketing services on its website. Yet Lulu doesn’t actually do any of the marketing work. Since 2013, they’ve partnered with Author Solutions, one of the most infamous and controversial “vanity publishing” companies, to provide these services.

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Our BookBaby reviews are a testament to the satisfaction of our authors. Common themes in our reviews include praises for our knowledgeable Publishing Specialists, quality products, and quick turnaround times. In Lulu.com reviews, authors explain everything that went wrong. In many instances, a Lulu publishing review comes from an author who struggled to get support when they needed it most. At BookBaby, we’ll never leave you hanging.

If you're not thrilled with our work—whether it's eBook conversion, cover design, or print quality—we'll work with you until you are. That's our publishing promise to you.

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