BookBaby vs. Lulu

BookBaby handles all the technical details

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 prepress 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!

BookBaby authors get the world’s biggest distribution network for both eBooks and Printed Books.

Lulu distributes eBooks through Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Scribd and KOBO.

Meanwhile BookBaby authors sell through all those stores – and dozens more. From Gardner’s, the UK’s biggest digital book store, to the Baker & Taylor catalog – BookBaby delivers eBooks to over 60 stores in 170 countries.

For printed books, Lulu distributes through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Ingram.

Compare that with BookBaby’s Print On Demand program featuring Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Baker & Taylor, Ingram Network, Powells, BooksAMillion, ChristianBook Distributors, and many more.

The bottom line: If you want your eBook or Printed Book to be discovered by readers, BookBaby is the clear choice.

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, or Ingram-Spark for that matter.