On April 17th we welcomed a group of students who wanted to learn about Lulu and self-publishing.
After sharing a snack of donuts and juice in the Pulitzer meeting room, we talked about how books get from computer to publisher to bookstore. We then provided a brief history of Lulu.com, how it was conceived, and how print on demand self-publishing differs from traditional publishing.
The students were really well prepared with questions about content, editing, formats, revenue, distribution and top selling categories. With all the questions answered, we began the tour stopping in the Information Technology, Engineering, Accounting, Fulfillment, Customer Support, and Marketing areas. At each stop, a team member explained how their group helps authors print, publish and sell their books all over the world.
The last stop on the tour included a demonstration of how our LuluJr bookmaking kits are received, scanned, typeset and prepared for binding. Then each student receiving a book making kit along with a tutorial on developing a good plot, story boarding, character creation, and instructions for returning the kits for printing.
A few days after the tour, we received the following message from the group’s leader.
“I’ve heard nothing but fantastic comments about our time spent with Lulu, and there are many children hard at work on their LuluJr kits. I can’t wait to see the finished products! Thank you for your time and generosity and for sharing your expertise in the publishing world. These opportunities give our children not only great writing information, but also information about jobs, careers, and helps them steer their higher-level education in knowledgeable ways. Thank you very much.”
We are also grateful for the opportunity to share our daily tasks with this group of students. Their visit served as a welcome reminder that 100 people working in an office in Raleigh, NC can have a positive effect on the lives of authors, educators and readers around the world – as well as a local group of future authors.
- If you are interested in scheduling a field trip to our Raleigh facility or to learn how self-publishing can be incorporated into your students’ learning experience, send an email to pr@lulu.com.
- To read the group’s write-up about their Lulu field trip, see Become a Published Author with Lulu.
- To learn more about school-at-home field trips, visit A Nest in the Rocks / Learning on the Go.
