# Lulu > Established print-on-demand platform offering specialty formats — comics, photo books, linen-wrap hardcovers, and wire-O calendars — plus free Shopify and WooCommerce integration for direct author sales. Source: https://selfpublishingdirectory.com/print-on-demand/lulu Website: https://www.lulu.com Category: Print-on-Demand (https://selfpublishingdirectory.com/print-on-demand) Pricing: free — $0 AI-powered: no Editor's pick: yes Tags: hardcover, comics, photo-books, calendars, shopify-integration, direct-sales, ingram, global-distribution, no-setup-fee, specialty-formats, linen-hardcover Last verified: 2026-05-14 Best For: Authors who need specialty formats like comics, photo books, linen hardcovers, or calendars, plus free direct-sales integration Distribution Channels: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Ingram (40,000+ retailers), Libraries, Lulu Bookstore, Direct Sales (Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix) Print Formats: Paperback, Hardcover Casewrap, Hardcover Linen Wrap, Comic Book, Photo Book, Calendar, Magazine, Coil Bound, Saddle Stitch, Notebook Shipping Regions: Worldwide, US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia 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](/publishing/amazon-kdp) has lower print costs and preferred Buy Box placement. For bookstore-focused distribution with greater control, [IngramSpark](/publishing/ingramspark) has stronger retailer relationships. For direct-to-consumer POD with special edition capabilities, [BookVault](/print-on-demand/bookvault) offers foil covers and premium bindings that Lulu does not.