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We've created this Forum Thread with some workarounds and advice to assist you in publishing you ebook.

Ideas!

Paul_LuluPaul_Lulu Admin
in Suggestions
Hey everyone!

Seeing that the Suggestions thread already has some activity, it seems like folks really want the ability to offer their ideas.

To make it even easier, I am converting the thread into an Idea category. Now you'll be able to vote up or down on Suggestions you like.

Please take a moment to do this when you view a Suggestion. The more I can show people agree with ideas, the better chances are that someone here can act on these ideas!
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Comments

  • Em_PressEm_Press Professor
    I don't see the ability to vote on phone... Just a box saying zero votes.
     A citizen of the world.

  • Just KevinJust Kevin Lulu Genius
    And the Like, Agree and Thanks options have gone. It's still a good idea though.

    http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kevinlomas


  • Just KevinJust Kevin Lulu Genius
    BTW. I see no option to Vote, and I just tried to Post a message in Suggestions asking about it and there's no Post Comment option. Oh and if you click on Active it opens Lulu's Help page.

    http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kevinlomas


  • Paul_LuluPaul_Lulu Admin
    The vote buttons replace the normal ones in this thread.

    But...as soon as I turned it on, I broke it...
  • Just KevinJust Kevin Lulu Genius
    :)

    http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kevinlomas


  • FishyFishy Reader
    This voting looks like a clever idea. :smile:
  • Just KevinJust Kevin Lulu Genius
    Strangely, it's possible to vote for your own idea.

    http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kevinlomas


  • Paul_LuluPaul_Lulu Admin
    Just Kevin said:
    Strangely, it's possible to vote for your own idea.
    Yeah, it seems like the add-on still isn't perfect. In our test environment, when you create an Idea it automatically adds your vote as a +1. I'll have to tinker with the settings more.
  • Just KevinJust Kevin Lulu Genius
    :)

    http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kevinlomas


  • Skoob_ymSkoob_ym Teacher
    An idea that occurred to me at the post office tonight... It's really convenient to drop-ship books to the end user, but what if we wanted to personalize them with a hand-written note on the flypage? Then we have to ship to ourselves and re-ship to the end user.

    Is it possible to have a hand-printed "watermark" that can be applied to an order?  My thought would be that I hand-write a note -- "Dear Joe, Hope you enjoy this, pay attention to the stuffed pirate-armadillo toy on page 22. My best to Bessie and the tots."

    Then we scan and upload, attach it to the order (specifying a page number) and the desired print is superimposed on the existing page. If we've done it right, we hit white space and it's almost as if we hand-inscribed that book to the reader.

    No, it's not as personal as live ink on a flypage, but it gets shipped once, not twice. And it would take some tech wizardry to incorporate it into the purchasing wizard... But if it were possible, it would be really cool.
    _________________________
    My Books:
    https://voidwheretaxed.wixsite.com/rockandfirepress/about


  • wildwindwildwind Publisher

    It sounds very creepy to me.

    I would not like to experience such a thing. When I buy a book online, or in a bookstore, I don't expect to receive any personalized communication from the author? Why would you? You are buying a mass produced product. Even if you bought an original painting you would not expect to turn the frame over and find a cosy little note from the artist, thanking you for making the purchase.

    Would a reader appreciate a personalized thank you note if they hated the book? Would they even appreciate it if they liked the book? You can always use a generic thank you at the end of the book.


  • Just KevinJust Kevin Lulu Genius
    I have to agree with wildwind's example. But POD, and often ordered direct from the writer/publisher, and also in very limited numbers, it can be a good idea. But should it not be in a separate posting? :-)

    http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kevinlomas


  • Skoob_ymSkoob_ym Teacher
    wildwind said:

    It sounds very creepy to me.

    I would not like to experience such a thing. When I buy a book online, or in a bookstore, I don't expect to receive any personalized communication from the author? Why would you? You are buying a mass produced product. Even if you bought an original painting you would not expect to turn the frame over and find a cosy little note from the artist, thanking you for making the purchase.

    Would a reader appreciate a personalized thank you note if they hated the book? Would they even appreciate it if they liked the book? You can always use a generic thank you at the end of the book.



    The idea here is not something that would go out on all orders.

    This would be for me, as the author, when I buy a book for "Joe" and "Bessie" so that I can put a personal note and a signature without shipping the book twice. People who order for themselves would not get the note.

    For example, if I sent my book to my brother, I could inscribe the flypage without ever touching the book. That would be the idea.
    _________________________
    My Books:
    https://voidwheretaxed.wixsite.com/rockandfirepress/about


  • Just KevinJust Kevin Lulu Genius
    I guess the simplest way to do that is recreate the book as Private, and have that sent?

    http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kevinlomas


  • facsmthfacsmth Author
    I came up with an idea: Personalized bookmarks. Now, how to implement it? 

    Actually, I was thinking of doing a bookmark with a 2GB USB Flash drive attached to it. Buy one special print book and I include on the flash drive a collection of e-books, an audio book of an early book I had produced, and webpages with links to my blogs & forum as well as other materials. 

    Or maybe a CD-R disc instead of a USB thumb drive? Point is I send it to the reader as a promotional item or as a gift from a kickstarter page. 
    http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/facsmth
    https://tinyurl.com/y7smyy2q



  • Just KevinJust Kevin Lulu Genius
    But the problem with that idea is that it cannot be done via Lulu ...

    http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kevinlomas


  • facsmthfacsmth Author
    Right. I really should pay more attention to where I'm posting comments and whether or not they are on topic. :( 
    http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/facsmth
    https://tinyurl.com/y7smyy2q



  • Paul_LuluPaul_Lulu Admin
    We've actually toyed with a couple bookmark ideas in the past. I championed an idea to allow authors to include a personalized bookmark with each purchase (at a small fee to the author). Logistically we just could ever bring it to fruition.

  • Just KevinJust Kevin Lulu Genius
    When I first came to Lulu it was possible to create CDs and DVDs for sale, complete with case in booklet, etc. It was also possible to upload software for sale, and images for downloading. The latter was what I first started at Lulu doing. In view of that, a book mark would not seem much of a problem :) But all those other options were said to have been dropped due to lack of interest.

    http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kevinlomas


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