Lulu.com#Lulu Blooker Prize

{{short description|Company offering self-publishing, printing, and distribution services}}

{{About|the publishing company|other uses|Lulu (disambiguation){{!}}Lulu}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Lulu Press, Inc.

| logo = Lulu logo (new).svg

| type = Privately held company

| industry = Publishing

| genre = Self-publishing

| foundation = {{Start date and age|2002}}

| founder = Bob Young

| location_city = Morrisville, North Carolina

| location_country = United States

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| key_people = Kathy Hensgen (CEO)

| products = Books, e-books, photo-books, calendars

| services = Print on demand and e-book publishing

| revenue =

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| homepage = {{Official website}}

}}

Lulu Press, Inc., doing business under trade name Lulu, is an online print-on-demand, self-publishing, and distribution platform. By 2014, it had issued approximately two million titles.{{cite press release|url=http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/lulu-enters-exclusive-licensing-distribution-agreement-with-easy-student-publishing-1873634.htm |title=Lulu Enters Exclusive Licensing and Distribution Agreement With Easy Student Publishing for Kids' Creativity and Book-Making Products}}

The company's founder is Red Hat co-founder Bob Young; he also was CEO for many years.{{cite web |title=Red Hat's co-founder was unemployed and working in a closet when he started the company IBM just bought for $34 billion |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/01/before-sale-to-ibm-for-billions-red-hat-started-in-cofounders-closet.html |website=CNBC |access-date=30 November 2021 |language=en |date=1 November 2018}} {{As of|2022}}, the company’s 20th anniversary, Young had handed CEO duties to Kathy Hensgen.{{cite news |title=As Lulu.com celebrates 20 years, founder Bob Young reflects on its staying power |first=Chantal |last=Allam |date=2022-04-08 |work=WRAL TechWire |url=https://wraltechwire.com/2022/04/08/as-lulu-com-celebrates-20-years-founder-bob-young-reflects-on-its-staying-power/ |access-date=2023-09-02}} The company's headquarters are in Morrisville, North Carolina.

File:Lulu logo.svg

Products

In 2009, Lulu began publishing and distributing ebooks. Lulu also prints and publishes calendars and photo books. In 2017, Lulu introduced an Open Access print-on-demand service.{{cite web |last1=Carpenter |first1=Caroline |title=Lulu launches academic alternative |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/lulu-launches-academic-alternative-480076 |website=thebookseller.com |date=3 February 2017}}

Process

The author of a title receives an 80% royalty for print books and a 90% royalty for eBooks when sold.{{cite web |first=Kate |last=Tilton |date=January 25, 2013 |title=Royalty Rates Comparison |url=http://blog.bibliocrunch.com/royalty-rates-comparison/ |publisher=BiblioCrunch |access-date=June 20, 2015}}

Replay Photos

In January 2014, Lulu announced that it had acquired Durham (NC)-based sports photography company Replay Photos.{{cite web|url=http://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article10289531.html|title=Lulu acquires Durham-based Replay Photos|work=newsobserver|access-date=June 20, 2015}} Replay Photos sells licensed images of collegiate and professional sports teams as photographic prints, custom framed photos, photos on canvas, and original wall art.{{cite web|url=http://www.replayphotos.com/help.cfm|title=Replay Photos: Help / FAQs|work=ReplayPhotos.com|access-date=June 20, 2015|archive-date=June 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621022635/http://www.replayphotos.com/help.cfm|url-status=dead}}

Digital Rights Management (DRM)

Lulu's final phase for their Digital Rights Management (DRM) Retirement project was released July 2, 2013. Prior to January 15, 2013, a Lulu author could choose to apply Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection to their PDF or EPUB.{{cn|date=August 2023}}

Lulu Jr.

In 2014, Lulu launched Lulu Jr., which enables children to become published authors.{{cite web|url=http://www.theindependentpublishingmagazine.com/2014/02/lulu-launch-lulu-junior-website-and-introduce-childrens-book-making-kits.html|title=Lulu Launch Lulu Junior Website and Introduce Children's Book-Making Kits|access-date=June 20, 2015}}

Lulu Jr. products include My Comic Book and IlluStory.{{cite web|url=http://lulujr.com/lulujr.php|title=Lulu Jr|access-date=June 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511100455/http://lulujr.com/lulujr.php|archive-date=May 11, 2015|url-status=dead}}

Lulu Blooker Prize

The Lulu Blooker Prize was a literary award for "blooks" (books based on blogs).{{cite web |last1=Moyer |first1=Edward |title='Blooker Prize' rewards books based on blogs |url=https://www.cnet.com/culture/blooker-prize-rewards-books-based-on-blogs/ |website=cnet.com |date=13 October 2005}} It was awarded in 2006 and 2007 and sponsored by Lulu. An overall prize was awarded, based on the winners of three subsidiary categories: non-fiction, fiction, and comics. The Lulu Blooker Prize was open to any "blook" that had been published "to date" (i.e., by the entry deadline) by any publisher.

=2006=

The first competition saw 89 entries from over a dozen countries. A panel of three judges decided the winners: Cory Doctorow, Chair of Judges; Paul Jones; and Robin "Roblimo" Miller.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2006/apr/03/news.newmedia1|title=From blog to book: first awards for online writers who became mainstream successes|last=Gibson|first=Owen|work=The Guardian|date=April 3, 2006|access-date=November 16, 2015}}

==Winners==

Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell (main prize, non-fiction)
Four and Twenty Blackbirds by Cherie Priest (fiction)
Totally Boned: A Joe and Monkey Collection by Zach Miller (comics, self-published through Lulu)

==Runners-up==

Biodiesel Power by Lyle Estill (runner up, non-fiction, see biodiesel)
Hackoff.com: An Historic Murder Mystery Set in the Internet Bubble and Rubble by Tom Evslin (runner up, fiction)
Dinosaur Comics: Huge Eyes, Beaks, Intelligence, and Ambition by Ryan North (runner up, comics)

=2007=

The 2007 competition had 110 entries from 15 countries. The number of judges was increased to five: Paul Jones (chair), Arianna Huffington, Julie Powell (2006 overall winner), Rohit Gupta, and Nick Cohen.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6653781.stm|title=War book wins Blooker blog prize|author=|work=BBC News|date=May 14, 2007|access-date=November 16, 2015}}

==Winners==

My War: Killing Time in Iraq by Colby Buzzell (Overall Winner and Non-Fiction Winner)
The Doorbells of Florence by Andrew Losowsky (Fiction Winner)
Mom's Cancer by Brian Fies (Comics Winner)