I received a call from an author new to Lulu Publishing a couple of days ago. She had uploaded her files but couldn't find where to order copies of her book. Since the order screen pops up immediately after the book process is completed, I suspected the project wasn't yet completed. A couple of questions about the file conversion process confirmed that to be the case. We made arrangements for me to come to her house and see if I could figure out what to do.

When I arrived at the author's house, we got right work. The first thing I noticed when we opened the project was that I couldn't see the entire screen. What was missing was the lower right portion that had a Save and Continue button. Even the scroll bar wouldn't take me there.

Monitor display resolution

The large size of the print on the screen told me that we needed to change the monitor screen resolution. For those of you new to computing, change the resolution by going to your computer's control panel, clicking on display and then on settings. Find the screen resolution area and slide the bar to a higher setting. This will make the images on your monitor smaller, but you will be able to see everything on a web page without scrolling. If the smaller size makes you uncomfortable, you can easily change the resolution after you finish uploading your book or whatever other task might require it.

Cover size issues

The next problem we encountered was with the cover. When we tried to upload it, we got a message that it didn't meet Lulu specifications. The specification for cover size and dpi were given in the message. When I received the same message for a book I was publishing, I panicked and thought my project was on hold again. I could see that same panic on this author's face. But with a photo editing program, it is easy to fix the problem. She has Photoshop CS2 while I have Photoshop Elements. Still, the programs work the same for resizing an image. Open the photo editing program. Open the cover image file. Click on Image in the toolbar. Then click on Resize in the dropdown menu. Then click on image size. A box pops up with places for you to insert pixel width and height and dpi. After you fill in the appropriate numbers for your project, click okay. Then save your project and you are ready to try the upload again. 

File conflicts and starting over

The third bump in our publishing road was that every time I tried to upload and insert the back cover, the front cover popped into its place. We finally determined that the previously uploaded cover files were causing a problem and decided to delete the project and start over. This is not as huge as it sounds. I've published six projects on Lulu, and after the first two, which took an hour or more each because I was learning my way around, I have been able to do the others in about fifteen minutes each. This one was no different. Once we deleted the project and started over, the process was a smooth one. The biggest problem was selecting just the right spine color, but that was a matter of artistic choice and not technological complexity. Within a few minutes, the project was completed and the order screen popped up. The author should have a copy of her book within a week.

Lulu technological chat available

Lulu does have technological help available through instant messenger/chat. I used it when I was uploading my first two projects and the people who worked with me gave clear instructions and helped me complete my projects. It's great if you know someone who has published with Lulu because someone sitting beside you guiding you through the process cuts down on stress. But don't be stopped if you don't have a friend with Lulu experience. Help is still available. Whatever the technological bump, it can be overcome, and you can soon be holding a copy of your book in your hands.