Dumped CafePress for LuLu.com, best thing I ever did
For years, I published books and products with CafePress, the online print-on-demand service. But in recent years, greed has gotten the better of the company. And after suffering through so many disappointments in terms of orders and production, and no support, I dumped them for the better option, LuLu.com which does print-on-demand professionally and with class that CafePress.com never had
By Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania
I love independent publishing. It’s given me a freedom to control my books and all my products. For many years, I used CafePress.com, which once was a reliable system.
But recently, CafePress dropped their print-on-demand system, without even telling their users. They decided ot wasn’t giving them enough profits, even though their profits were outrageous to begin with.
So I moved all of my books from CafePress to a new print-on-demand website, LuLu.com.
LuLu.com is very professional. The system they offer is so much more efficient and it is made for independent book authors.
They help you with everything and they even assign an ISBN number to you for your new book editions, something you had to purchase in the past.
There is a little bit of a learning curve, as there is with anything. I invested so much time struggling with CafePress and their failed PDF system. It was so frustrating, but at the time, it didn’t seem like there was an option. LuLul.com’s PDF system is so much easier. And the design system for your book cover is simple, too.
It took me a few hours, but I managed to upload all of my books to LuLu.com where they are now available for purchase.
The issue of sales was always a problem with CafePress, too. But LuLu.com has a direct connection to Amazon and to Barnes and Noble books and they help you place your products on those popular online book retailers.
Here are my books:
Power Pr Book
Click here to purchase the book and check out LuLu.com sleek and efficient storefront for my books.
I’m Glad I Look Like a Terrorist: Growing Up Arab in America (Humor book) By Ray Hanania
Click here to purchase the book.
You will definitely have a better experience at LuLu.com than you ever will at CafePress.com. CafePress is extremely disappointing and it’s probably better that they got out of the print-on-demand book publishing business. They were never any good at it. Plus I always had challenges with funds they owed me and never sent. They also screwed up my premium membership.
Good riddance to CafePress.
Welcome to LuLu.com
Blogger, Columnist at Illinois News Network Online
Ray Hanania is senior blogger for the Illinois News Network news site. He is an award winning former Chicago City Hall political reporter and columnist who covered the beat from 1976 through 1992 (From Mayor Daley to Mayor Daley). And, Hanania is a stubborn and loud critic of the biased mainstream American news media.
Hanania Chicago political beats and Chicago City Hall at the Daily Southtown Newspapers (1976-1985) and the Chicago Sun-Times (1985-1992). He published the The Villager Community Newspapers covering 12 Southwest suburban regions (1993-1997). Hanania also hosted live political news radio talkshows on WLS AM (1980 - 1991), and also on WBBM FM, WLUP FM, WSBC AM in Chicago, and WNZK AM in Detroit.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media;In 2009, he received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. Hanania has also received two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild, and in 1990 was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
Hanania’s writings have been published in newspapers around the world. He currently is syndicated through Creators Syndicate. He has written for the Jerusalem Post, YNetNews.com, Newsday in New York, the Orlando Sentinel, the Houston Chronicle, The Daily Star of Lebanon, the News of the World in London, the Daily Yomimuri in Tokyo, Chicago Magazine, the Arlington Heights Daily Herald, The Saudi Gazette, the Arab News in Jeddah, and Aramco Magazine.
Hanania's Chicagoland columns are published in the Southwest News-Herald, the Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News and the Palos Reporter newspapers.
He is President/CEO of Urban Strategies Group media and public affairs consulting which has clients in Illinois, Florida, Michigan and Washington D.C.
His personal website is www.TheMediaOasis.com. Email him at:
[email protected].
Latest posts by Ray Hanania (see all)
Related
Blog Posts
Dumped CafePress for LuLu.com, best thing I ever did
For years, I published books and products with CafePress, the online print-on-demand service. But in recent years, greed has gotten the better of the company. And after suffering through so many disappointments in terms of orders and production, and no support, I dumped them for the better option, LuLu.com which does print-on-demand professionally and with class that CafePress.com never had
By Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania
I love independent publishing. It’s given me a freedom to control my books and all my products. For many years, I used CafePress.com, which once was a reliable system.
But recently, CafePress dropped their print-on-demand system, without even telling their users. They decided ot wasn’t giving them enough profits, even though their profits were outrageous to begin with.
So I moved all of my books from CafePress to a new print-on-demand website, LuLu.com.
LuLu.com is very professional. The system they offer is so much more efficient and it is made for independent book authors.
They help you with everything and they even assign an ISBN number to you for your new book editions, something you had to purchase in the past.
There is a little bit of a learning curve, as there is with anything. I invested so much time struggling with CafePress and their failed PDF system. It was so frustrating, but at the time, it didn’t seem like there was an option. LuLul.com’s PDF system is so much easier. And the design system for your book cover is simple, too.
It took me a few hours, but I managed to upload all of my books to LuLu.com where they are now available for purchase.
The issue of sales was always a problem with CafePress, too. But LuLu.com has a direct connection to Amazon and to Barnes and Noble books and they help you place your products on those popular online book retailers.
Here are my books:
Power Pr Book
Click here to purchase the book and check out LuLu.com sleek and efficient storefront for my books.
I’m Glad I Look Like a Terrorist: Growing Up Arab in America (Humor book) By Ray Hanania
Click here to purchase the book.
You will definitely have a better experience at LuLu.com than you ever will at CafePress.com. CafePress is extremely disappointing and it’s probably better that they got out of the print-on-demand book publishing business. They were never any good at it. Plus I always had challenges with funds they owed me and never sent. They also screwed up my premium membership.
Good riddance to CafePress.
Welcome to LuLu.com
Ray Hanania
Hanania Chicago political beats and Chicago City Hall at the Daily Southtown Newspapers (1976-1985) and the Chicago Sun-Times (1985-1992). He published the The Villager Community Newspapers covering 12 Southwest suburban regions (1993-1997). Hanania also hosted live political news radio talkshows on WLS AM (1980 - 1991), and also on WBBM FM, WLUP FM, WSBC AM in Chicago, and WNZK AM in Detroit.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media;In 2009, he received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. Hanania has also received two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild, and in 1990 was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
Hanania’s writings have been published in newspapers around the world. He currently is syndicated through Creators Syndicate. He has written for the Jerusalem Post, YNetNews.com, Newsday in New York, the Orlando Sentinel, the Houston Chronicle, The Daily Star of Lebanon, the News of the World in London, the Daily Yomimuri in Tokyo, Chicago Magazine, the Arlington Heights Daily Herald, The Saudi Gazette, the Arab News in Jeddah, and Aramco Magazine.
Hanania's Chicagoland columns are published in the Southwest News-Herald, the Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News and the Palos Reporter newspapers.
He is President/CEO of Urban Strategies Group media and public affairs consulting which has clients in Illinois, Florida, Michigan and Washington D.C.
His personal website is www.TheMediaOasis.com. Email him at: [email protected].
Latest posts by Ray Hanania (see all)
Share this:
Related