If you've ever asked yourself that question, you're in the right place. Learn how to become a self-published author with the best free resources from Lulu.

To self-publish, start with a finished manuscript. Once your book is edited, you'll need to create a PDF formatted for printing and a cover file. Finally, you'll need to gather your book's information to correctly publish the book and make it available for sale.

4 Step Publishing Formula

How Do I
Self-Publish My Book?

Gathering Metadata
How do I Self-Publish My Book?

Compare
Self-Publishing Options

Who Self-Publishes?

Compare Self-Publishing Options

How to Self-Publish

Writing & Editing

Direct Sales
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Free Print API
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Retail Distribution
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Calendar Printing
Yes
No
No
No
No
Lulu
Blurb
KDP Select
IngramSpark
Book Vault
Coil Binding
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Lulu
Yes
Blurb
No
Direct Sales
KDP Select
No
IngramSpark
No
Book Vault
Yes
Lulu
Yes
Blurb
Yes
Free Print API
KDP Select
No
IngramSpark
No
Book Vault
No
Lulu
Yes
Blurb
Yes
Retail Distribution
KDP Select
Yes
IngramSpark
Yes
Book Vault
Yes
Lulu
Yes
Blurb
No
Calendar Printing
KDP Select
No
IngramSpark
No
Book Vault
No
Lulu
Yes
Blurb
No
Coil Binding
KDP Select
No
IngramSpark
No
Book Vault
Yes
Lulu

Get Started

Create a free Lulu account today to self-publish your book and have your book printed for you, a friend, or readers all over the world.

Get Started Books

Create a free Lulu account today to self-publish your book and have your book printed for you, a friend, or readers all over the world.

Get Started

Hire A Pro

Hire A Pro

Need an editor, cover designer or a place to connect with other authors? Look no further!

Hire A Pro

Need an editor, cover designer or a place to connect with other authors? Look no further!

Before you can publish, you'll need to finish the book! That includes writing and editing the entire book thoroughly. The book needs to be complete before you can design it! Otherwise, you'll repeat layout and design work as you make corrections and changes to the manuscript.

Start by editing yourself, using AI tools and your own writing skills to fix the most obvious spelling, grammar, and usage mistakes. But you can't stop there! You'll also want to employ at least one professional editor.

There are a lot of different kinds of editors you could work with. This might include line editing, developmental editing, and other reviews.  Make sure you're hiring the right editors for your book.

Not all books need professional editing. If you have editors in your professional network, you can trade your expertise for help editing.

Ready to Publish Your Book?

Lulu makes it easy to create, publish, and sell your books. If you're ready to design your files or upload your print-ready PDF, head over to Lulu to register for a free account.

Bookstore

Interior Design

Cover Design

Lulu offers an easy-to-use DIY cover creation option, but you can also create your cover as a unique PDF, sized to fit Lulu's publishing requirements and featuring unique cover art.

Prepare Metadata

Metadata is the information that describes your book. Publishers and retailers use this information to create a listing in their bookstore and ultimately sell your book. Here's a short list of the most important parts of your metadata:

Publishing

With your book written, edited, and designed and all the essential metadata close at hand, you're ready to publish! Using your free Lulu account, you'll be prompted to add your metadata, select your book's specifications, and upload your interior and cover print-ready PDF.

If you plan to sell your book, you must select your distribution options and set the retail price. Lulu offers three ways to sell your book: on the Lulu Bookstore, through retailers like Amazon, and directly from your own website.

Need More Help Publishing?

Sign up for our free, in-depth publishing course. This XX week course guides you through the entire publishing process with additional details and resources. 

Beginners Guide to Self-Publishing

Download our free guide to start self-publishing with Lulu today!

Beginners Guide to Self-Publishing

Beginners Guide
to Self-Publishing

Download our free guide to start self-publishing with Lulu today!

Sell on Lulu

Selling on Lulu is the fastest way to make your book available. Plus, you'll earn 80% of the revenue when you sell on the Lulu Bookstore.

Sell on Lulu

Sell on Your Site

Lulu Direct connects print-on-demand books to Shopify, Wix, WooCommerce, or any site with our Print API. Sell your books directly to your readers through your own website.

Sell On Your Site

Sell with Global Distribution

List your books with over 40,000 online retailers and libraries, including Amazon, Ingram, and more.

Sell with Global Distribution

Your book's interior PDF must contain everything inside the book, including the front matter, back matter, text, and images. Before you format your files, take some time to learn about the different elements of page layout and design.

Formatting & Design

Writing & EditingFormatting & DesignPrepare MetadataPublishing

"Lulu ... prints, packages, and ships the book, and notifies the customer of the status of their order. Setup was a breeze and I couldn’t be happier to have that whole process automated now!"

Lynette Greenfield, Limelight Publishing

Daren Smith

"The ease of connecting Lulu Direct for WooCommerce to my website was the major reason why I chose it. I had researched multiple self-publishing options for months and Lulu by far stood out for multiple reasons."

Dr. Sherrá Watkins, Sister W.E.L.L.S. Counseling

Dr. Sherra Watkins

"Lulu Direct has given me greater control over where and how my book is purchased.  This means it’s much easier to connect with readers both before and after they’ve purchased the book, and to provide supporting resources, pertinent updates, and greater value all along the way."

Marc Cicchino, The SACRED Framework

Marc Cicchino
Writing & Editing Icon
Formatting & Design Icon
Metadata Icon
Publishing Icon

Self-Publishing Resources

Get all the resources your need to publish like a pro. Includes: New User Guide | Tutorial Videos | Print & Ebook Templates | Pricing Caculator | Pro Marketplace

Self-Publishing Resources

With your manuscript edited and finalized, you're ready to prepare print-ready files for your book. This is a PDF designed with all printer requirements and specifications in mind for your interior content and another PDF for your cover.

Ready to Publish Your Book?

Lulu makes it easy to create, publish, and sell your books. If you're ready to design your files or upload your print-ready PDF, head over to Lulu to register for a free account.

Bookstore

Ready to Publish Your Book?

Lulu makes it easy to create, publish, and sell your books. If you're ready to design your files or upload your print-ready PDF, head over to Lulu to register for a free account.

Already Know Your Page Count?

Explore Lulu's wealth of free book creation and publishing guides. Plus, download publishing template bundles with book page and cover templates for InDesign, Photoshop, and Word.

Book Design Templates

Use our Pricing Calculator to see print costs and download a custom cover template using your exact page count.

Template Icon

How to
Self-Publish

To self-publish, start with a finished manuscript. Once your book is edited, you'll need to create a PDF formatted for printing and a cover file. Finally, you'll need to gather your book's information to correctly publish the book and make it available for sale.

"Lulu ... prints, packages, and ships the book, and notifies the customer of the status of their order. Setup was a breeze and I couldn’t be happier to have that whole process automated now!"

Lynette Greenfield, Limelight Publishing

Daren Smith

Self-Publishing Resources

Get all the resources your need to publish like a pro. Includes: New User Guide | Tutorial Videos | Print & Ebook Templates | Pricing Caculator | Pro Marketplace

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