Out with the old (Storefront), in with the new (Author Spotlight)

[mchandler]

There's a thread for 'Author Spotlight' suggestions and feedback over in 'General':

http://connect.lulu.com/t5/General-Discussions/The-New-Author-Spotlight-Post-your-comments-here/td-p...

I've already posted my suggestions, and I'd be glad to have others do the same!

[doar9999]

David, I got the email. Followed a circuitous road to a FAQ (written by you) where I found this: 

How do I create my Author Spotlight Page?

Currently, Author Spotlight Pages are only available to new authors who have published a publicly available project. We will be moving over older authors as we can. If you are one of these new authors…

Click on the title of any project in your Project List.

When the page loads, you will be prompted to create an Author Spotlight Page.

Click “Yes, Create My Spotlight” button, or click “Not now, Thanks!” to cancel.

Clicked on the project name - as it said to do in the line in red above. Nothing came up with Spotlight. But now my project has an UNWANTED REVISION!!! I am afraid to DELETE that revision because the next prompt says: "Delete this Project?" And frankly, it is a selling book so NO, I DO NOT WANT TO DELETE THAT PROJECT!

Now what? 

[benziger]

---

mchandler schrieb:

There's a thread for 'Author Spotlight' suggestions and feedback over in 'General':

http://connect.lulu.com/t5/General-Discussions/The-New-Author-Spotlight-Post-your-comments-here/td-p...

---

Please go to this page an ad "Kudos" to everything you want also / you are missing (click on the little stars at the end of each suggestion, this is the Lulu Way to vote for something. Thank you.

[haremnights]

I hate the changes too. My old site wasn't some top of the line HTML extravaganza, but at least it was functional. The books were listed as I wanted them (in order of importance, with series grouped together) and easy to navigate. The new site kind of sucks...I hate it, but it is what it is until Lulu decides to change yet again.

[kevinlomas]

What has that got to do with it Benziger?

[diloretta]

Actually, at this point, I liked the old storefront better. You could arrange things exactly the way you wanted them, not by relevance, or popularity. It looks like a jumbled mess. One of my books comes as a paperback, a hardbound, and an ebook that I used to keep together. Now they are spread out over 2 pages. 

Also I would like the ability to use html for fine tuning. And the templates are kind of blah. My old own-designed banner was nicer.

[ShannonBuck]

I am wondering why some of my titles are missing on my storefront, but can be typed into my search and found. Also, It says I have two pages, but the second page only repeats a few titles from the first page. Could this be where the rest of my publications should be? How can this be fixed?

[hallietibbetts]

Could someone fill me in on whether the new URL can be customized? I'm the publisher--not the author--of several anthologies, and having http://lulu.com/spotlight/mynamehere would be very inappropriate to show up in someone's address bar. If this is not possible, how can I shut down the storefront before my 30 days are up?

Thanks!

Since I didn't get a response to my question, I okayed the spotlight and found out that the answer is no, I end up with a page under my name (wrong) and without the ability to change my name in the about part of the page (also wrong). I have attempted to delete the storefront because I don't want to change my account name to the company's name. I get a server error every time.

[hallietibbetts]

Could someone fill me in on whether the new URL can be customized? I'm the publisher--not the author--of several anthologies, and having http://lulu.com/spotlight/mynamehere would be very inappropriate to show up in someone's address bar. If this is not possible, how can I shut down the storefront before my 30 days are up?

Thanks!

Since I didn't get a response to my question, I okayed the spotlight and found out that the answer is no, I end up with a page under my name (wrong) and without the ability to change my name in the about part of the page (also wrong). I have attempted to delete the storefront because I don't want to change my account name to the company's name. I get a server error every time.

[kevinlomas]

You was expecting an intant response?! :-)

I doubt it because the old one couldn't either. It goes off your account name. That is in fact how it is on most sites unless you buy your own URLs. However, Lulu is not a web host so you cannot do that here. Although some URL providers will allow you to tag some other URL to the lulu one, I think!
I am not sure what the problem is though. Just use your name or whatever, as being the publisher. http://lulu.com/spotlight/fredbloggspublishing.
I think you can change you user name via your Profile or something.
You cannot delete the Storefront. It is created with accounts even when there is no content on it. Spotlights should be the same, I assume. The entire site runs on auto.
Why not just make a website of your own? As many do. Then you can do what you like with it.

[hallietibbetts]

It's been three weeks on a thread started by a Lulu employee. I expect some response on a thread started by an admin.

My old store had a number, not a name, attached to it in the URL, and I provided full and complete publisher information. I don't expect Lulu to be a web host. The company publishing the books on "my" spotlight has a website, and they use Lulu to fulfill book orders and to print certain projects where having international capabilities makes sense. Having my name as the account name makes sense because of what I do for the company.

As I stated, having my own name as publisher is inappropriate; I am using Lulu to fulfill orders for books published by another company (and I have authority to do so--nothing shifty). That company directs people to Amazon, B&N, and Lulu to buy books, and if the Lulu spotlight comes up in searches and lists me as the author, contributors have good reason to be distrustful of their publisher and buyers have good reason to question who's making money off a book published by a nonprofit.

The new spotlight offers me nothing but unprofessional and embarrassing options AND I can't get rid of it.