Lulu

Lulu is one of the oldest and most feature-complete print-on-demand platforms, founded in 2002. It stands out from KDP and IngramSpark in two areas: specialty print formats that no other major POD platform offers, and a free Shopify and WooCommerce integration (Lulu Direct) that lets authors sell directly from their own website with no transaction fees.

What You Get#

• Specialty formats: Comics/graphic novels (industry-standard 6.625"×10.25"), wire-O calendars, photo books, magazines, coil-bound notebooks — no other major POD platform supports this full range
• Hardcover options: Standard casewrap hardcover plus linen-wrap hardcover in six colors — a premium format that KDP and IngramSpark do not offer
• 16 trim sizes: From Pocket (4.25"×6.875") to A4 and Crown Quarto, plus square and landscape formats for illustrated books
• Lulu Direct: Free Shopify, WooCommerce, and Wix integration for selling from your own author website; white-label fulfillment (no Lulu branding in packages); authors pay only print and shipping per order
• Global Distribution via Ingram: Powered by Ingram's Lightning Source network — same wholesale infrastructure used by IngramSpark — covering Amazon, Barnes & Noble, 40,000+ bookstores, and library systems

Pricing and Fees#

Lulu has no subscription and no title setup fee. The only required fee is a $4.99 one-time charge per title for Global Distribution activation (print or ebook). Revisions to already-distributed titles are free.

Royalty reality — understand this before pricing your book:

• Lulu Direct / own website: You keep 100% of the sale price minus print cost and shipping. On a $13 paperback with ~$5.34 print cost, that's roughly $7–8 per copy before shipping.
• Amazon and retail distribution: The retailer takes approximately 50% of the list price first, then Lulu pays 80% of the remaining gross profit. In practice, at a typical $13 retail price, Amazon distribution yields approximately $1 per copy after print costs. Authors who want meaningful Amazon royalties should price accordingly (typically $18–25) or focus primarily on direct sales.

Who It's For#

• Comic and graphic novel creators — Lulu offers the only widely available POD service with industry-standard comic trim size and format
• Authors building a direct-sales business — Lulu Direct is one of the best free Shopify/WooCommerce POD integrations available; retaining 100% of direct revenue is a major advantage over distributor channels
• Hardcover authors wanting bookstore distribution — KDP hardcovers are not distributed to bookstores; Lulu's Ingram distribution covers them
• Crowdfunding authors — The Order Import Tool supports batch CSV/XLSX order fulfillment, making Kickstarter or preorder campaigns straightforward
• Specialty product creators — Photo books, calendars, and illustrated content are produced at print quality superior to most POD services

Limitations#

• Higher print costs than KDP: A standard 200-page B&W paperback costs approximately $5.34 at Lulu vs $2.80 at KDP — meaningful for authors primarily targeting Amazon distribution
• Physical proof required: Authors must order and approve a physical proof copy before Global Distribution activates; IngramSpark and KDP do not require this, adding 1–2 weeks to your launch timeline
• Amazon via Ingram, not KDP-direct: Lulu's Amazon distribution runs through the Ingram wholesale channel, which can affect Buy Box placement compared to KDP-direct listings; many authors run both KDP and Lulu/IngramSpark simultaneously for maximum Amazon coverage
• No ebook distribution (not recommended): Lulu's ebook distribution channel receives poor reviews (1/5 on Reedsy); use KDP or Draft2Digital for ebooks instead
• Customer support: Lulu has no phone support; email response times are frequently cited as slow in reviews (Trustpilot 4.2/5 from 5,937 reviews; customer support is the most common complaint)
• Lulu ISBN limitation: Lulu-issued ISBNs list "Lulu Press" as imprint and cannot be transferred if you later move to another platform; use your own ISBN if long-term platform flexibility matters

Alternatives#

For maximum Amazon royalties on standard novels and non-fiction, KDP Print has lower print costs and preferred Buy Box placement. For bookstore-focused distribution with greater control, IngramSpark has stronger retailer relationships. For direct-to-consumer POD with special edition capabilities, BookVault offers foil covers and premium bindings that Lulu does not.