Overview
Having had great success and been extremely happy with Lulu's printing service for paperback, I decided it was time to test Lulu's hardback printing services. Then, having realised that KDP is also launching hardcover options to its printing services, I decided to try it out, too.
Some disclaimers before I begin:
-This blog post is for information purposes *only*
I am not saying with certainty that on service is better than the other.
-All info regarding KDP is based on the proof copies not author copies.
-The following is based on a fantasy book with the dimensions 8.5"x5.5", around 380 pages.
Please bear in mind that prices are depending on book size, page count and weight, therefore your overall experience may differ.
-Why, YES, I AM using my own book as a test subject....
You can find it here:
Available as eBook, paperback and hardcover or FREE through Kindle Unlimited.
Right, now that's the boring stuff out the way, let's get to it!
LULU.com vs. KDP: WHO WORE IT BETTER?
Just kidding.
Let's start at the beginning, shall we?
Cover Image Quality.
Lulu.com:
Beautiful! Bold, sharp, clear. Remember, I've used Lulu as a printing service before and not once have I ever been disappointed with the quality of their printing.
Top points for this one!
KDP:
Not as bold, as you can see. Maybe the ink was low on the printer? Maybe the printer just isn't as high quality as Lulu's? Who knows. The cover image appears to be more dull, less bright, almost; certainly, the title seems paler.
Interestingly, it looks like KDP's printer/service actually picked up and printed the finer details on Ira's mask, specifically the details underneath the mask. See:
That being said, the difference isn't really noticeable until you hold the two products side-by-side. So, had I only used KDP, I doubt I would have been let down by the front cover as much as I was in this test batch.
***I should mention here that yes, I am aware the titles are different on the books. When I received the Lulu (L) copy in the mail, I realised how much of the 'S' sat on the spine and I had the artist shrink/shuffle the title right a bit. This version, I used when I placed my order through KDP (R). Same font and *no* colour changes were made. Only the size and position of the title was amended.
This brings me to my next point: the mysterious white line on my Lulu hardcover.
I have absolutely no idea why or how this happened. The image below is a screenshot from Lulu's website. You can see that I lined up the cover picture and blurb and title exactly as I should have done. And yet, somehow, the book arrived with a white line at the bottom of it.
Binding:
And, quite frankly, I'm a little disappointed in Lulu for this one.
For what I paid (I'll come back to this in a moment), I expected better. Here are my reasons why-
See how the cover isn't folded precisely and a little crumpled?
See how the spine is held together? And that massive gap between the spine of the book and the spine of the cover itself? I can fit my fingers in there, which, if I tried (not that I'm going to!), I could easily tear off the cover and do some serious damage. It feels thin and flimsy and I don't have a whole lot of confidence in its ability to stay together.
The thickness of the cover:
Pretty standard, honestly. I was impressed at the initial 'sturdiness' of the quality of the actual hardcover, but soon changed my mind when the KDP version arrived because . . .
. . . the KDP product's hardcover (L) was thicker and much sturdier than Lulu's (R).
See:
The folding of the cover image was also infinitely tidier:
The binding of the book also is of higher quality, as you can see here:
And, for the price I paid ($22.00 including shipping for both paperback AND hardcover), I was thoroughly impressed with KDP's product.
Shipping
Speaking of, here are the details of both services below (again, bearing in mind these prices/times are based on my book's specifications).
**NOTE: KDP's data is based on me ordering proof copies not author copies. According to some of my Twitter users, author copies sadly take a lot longer to print/ship—something I'm definitely going to be writing about next!
Lulu.com
Order placed: 09/21/2021
Order shipped: 10/01/2021 (10 days)
Order arrived: 10/04/2021 (2 weeks after placing order)
*Shipping service used: FedEx (this was also the service used on my previous orders).
KDP
Order placed: 10/12/2021
Order shipped: 10/20/2021 (8 days)
Order arrived: 10/22/2021 (10 days after placing order)
*Shipping service used: USPS
Cost: 22.79 USD.
Cost of Hardcover: 10.88 USD.
NOT FOR RESALE
There is one, obvious downside to using KDP to order your proof copies and that's this bugger:
Yes, that annoying little banner is present on all proof copies ordered through KDP; there's no getting around it, it seems. Personally, though, this doesn't bother me at all; business is business and Amazon would be losing money if I were able to order a whole bunch of proof copies and resell them at my desired market price. More money would be going into my pocket instead of theirs, and that's not good for them, is it?
Nevertheless, it is pretty unsightly, something I've found many a review video agreeing on, but it is what it is.
Lulu, as you have seen, does not have that NOT FOR RESALE bar splashed all over it. Quite the opposite, in fact. Allow me to expand on this little point further: I can order as many copies as I want through Lulu, whilst over on KDP, I believe I can only order up to FIVE proof copies of each book. So, that would be five paperbacks and five hardcovers. I mean, not sure why I would want to have ten exact proof copies of my own book with NOT FOR RESALE on the cover sat around my apartment but that's by-the-by.
With Lulu, I can print as many copies as I want, and I believe I'm able to claim a discount, too, after a certain number. Buying in bulk is usually (and frustratingly) more expensive up-front but usually more cost-effective, especially for those authors who are more popular and not just starting out like my little ol' self. I could go off on a massive tangent here about Bowker and the costs of ISBN but I shan't. . . We would be here all day, otherwise.
QUICK UPDATE: A few fellow Twitter users kindly pointed out that author copies ordered through KDP actually don't have the NOT FOR RESALE bar on them. Which is pretty good. I honestly had no idea, this being my first time ordering through KDP.
Conclusion?
Having had great success and been extremely happy with Lulu's printing service for paperbacks, I decided it was time to test Lulu's hardback printing option. Then, having realised that KDP is also adding a hardcover options to its printing services, I decided to try that out, too.
If you're looking for an impressive, bold printing of your book cover, then Lulu may be the better option. However, the wait in between ordering and arriving, plus the significant price difference (which, yes, depends on the size of your book), may leave a lot more people choosing KDP over Lulu.
As I stated a few times, I've used Lulu before and have never been disappointed with Lulu's service . . . until now.
Could it have been a fluke and my book was just the last one on the line that day, being glued together by an exhausted worker at Lulu.com?
Yes, absolutely.
Am I OK with this considering the amount I paid for one item and the time it took to ship to me?
No, not really.
Am I willing to give Lulu another chance to prove themselves?
Honestly, I'm not sure. Had KDP let me down in any way, then sure, I would have ran back to Lulu with happy tears in my eyes and begging for forgiveness. . . But that just wasn't the case.
Well, that concludes my post. I hope you've found this information and perspective helpful on your self-publishing journey.
If you have any questions or what me to expand on any of the points made here, or, if you feel I've missed out some important details, feel free to hit me up on any of my socials. Alternatively, you can email me at magibbsauthor@gmail.com
-M.
(Smokey picture of le book added for dramatic effect).
