Here is how to create an ebook to sell using our Global Distribution service with retail channels such as Apple, Barnes & Noble, Scribd, Amazon, and more.


Go to Create > Ebooks and click the Start Your Ebook button to begin creating your ebook.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Start

Select a Product Type

The first step is a general Start page with options to create a variety of books. Make sure to select the ebook product type.



Select a Goal

Next, set the goal for the project. Choose Publish Your Ebook to display the option to distribute. At this point, you can choose to sell on the Lulu Bookstore or use Global Distribution to sell with major ebook retailers, or you can choose both.



Ebook Details

Next, add a few details about your ebook.



The project title is an identifier for your projects listed on your My Projects page. The project title does not need to match the title of your ebook.


Note: Only English-language ebooks are eligible for Global Distribution.


Select a category for the ebook.

Title and Edition

On the Copyright step, start by adding the title and edition. This title must match the title of your ebook.



This step creates the metadata information that helps readers discover your book. The more information you include, the easier it will be for readers to find your ebook online. The metadata must match the information included on the cover as well as the title page.


The title needs to be properly capitalized meaning the first letter of all words in the title, subtitle, and author name should be capitalized; except for the following words: a, an, and, for, from, of, or, the, to. The first and last words of the title and subtitle should always be capitalized.


Contributors

Each contributor should be listed in a separate field or this will result in a possible rejection from retailers. Also, only list the author’s First and Last Name. The contributor role can be selected from the drop-down. The contributors must match exactly with what is listed on the cover and title page.



Copyright

Next, add the copyright information. Select the copyright license that best suits the work.


Note: Public Domain content is not eligible for Global Distribution.



ISBN

An ISBN is required for distribution. You can use a free Lulu ISBN or your own. The ISBN must be included on the interior copyright page.


Design

Now you will upload the interior and cover files for your ebook.


Ebook File Upload

Use our Ebook Creator Guide to help you prepare your ebook files.


Note: Only EPUB files are eligible for distribution at this time. If you upload a properly formatted DOCX, RTF or ODT file, Lulu will convert the file to an EPUB.


Once your file has been uploaded or converted to an EPUB, you will see a green success bar if it was successful or a red warning bar outlining the issues that need to be addressed.



Upload A Cover

The cover file will be displayed in the Lulu bookstore as well as any retailers you select for Global Distribution.


Note: The cover must be a flat two-dimensional cover art. The art cannot be a setup shot, a three-quarter image, or a 3D representation of the book. Do not use photographs of the book's physical cover as cover art.


They will see a green success bar if their cover image is uploaded successfully and a red warning bar if there are issues that need attention.


Details

On the Details step, you will finalize your metadata.


Project Details


Categories and Keywords

You will add BISAC categories and keywords for the ebook. Make sure to choose the categories that best describe your book to help with discoverability.



Enter relevant keywords.



Audience

The last section in this step is the audience. Select an intended audience for your ebook.



If the content is explicit, please check the appropriate box and select the best content type for the ebook.


Pricing and Payees

Set a Retail Price

On the Pricing & Payees step, you’ll set a price for your ebook and assign payee information. You can set your price based on a revenue goal or enter a fixed list price.



Once your price is set, you’ll see details about pricing and revenue for each retail channel. You can uncheck the box next to any channel to remove your ebook from that channel.


Note: In order for Amazon to list your ebook, the price must be at least $0.99 across all currencies. Barnes and Noble requires that the list price end in .99. The price will be rounded if it does not end in .99.





Set Payees

Once the price is set, you’ll need to designate who gets paid when the ebook sells. You can choose to be paid directly to your PayPal account or receive a check. You can split revenue among multiple payees by percent of the total revenue.


Review

The Review step requires you to confirm the information and files you added during each previous step. If you need to make any changes, you can go back and revise.



Once you have confirmed each section, your ebook will be published! All that remains is to pay the distribution fee to submit the ebook for Global Distribution.

Ebook Distribution Review Fee

As part of the review process, Lulu charges a one-time fee the first time you submit an ebook to our Global Distribution service. The distribution review process helps ensure your ebook is accepted quickly by retailers. 


This fee does not apply to revisions of a published ebook. For all newly published ebooks, the distribution fee must be paid prior to completing the Global Distribution submission process.


Once the fee has been paid, you should expect your ebook review to be completed within 10 days.

Ebook Distribution Approval Process

All ebooks submitted for distribution will be reviewed by Lulu’s Channel Manage. This review looks at the ebook for technical compliance only, and not for content. If the ebook meets retail guidelines, it will be approved and submitted to the retail channels you opted into for a final review by the retailer before it will be available for sale on their site.


Once your ebook has been approved, you will see an approval status for this ebook on your My Projects page. If we identify any issues that need to be addressed, we will send you an email (at the email address used for your account) detailing the issues. You will also see a red Error approving your project for distribution alert status on your My Projects page.


Note: It could take an estimated 6-8 weeks for print and ebooks to be listed for sale with retailers. Each online retail channel updates its databases at various intervals and has its own process for reviewing, approving, and listing the products on its sites.


Pending Status



Approved Status



Error Status