• Borders Signs Lulu to Power Self-Publishing Tools

  Mashable’s coverage.

  (tags: borders lulu printondemand selfpublish)

(Copied below is the press release about Lulu’s partnership with Borders.)

Raleigh, N.C. – February 15, 2008 – Bringing the dreams of the everyday writer to reality – Borders and Lulu.com are blazing trails in publishing with the launch of the Borders Personal Publishing program powered by Lulu. The easy-to-use and cost-effective online publishing tools of Lulu.com combine with the wide-reaching audience and customer service associated with Borders stores for this exclusive and unique service– a match made in publishing heaven!

After field-testing, Borders unveiled the program this week upon the opening of its first concept store in the nation, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Borders Personal Publishing is available in the concept store’s Digital Center through interactive kiosks, and will also be accessible via these digital kiosks in 13 additional concept stores Borders plans to open across the nation in 2008. Existing Borders superstores across the country do not have these self-publishing kiosks but will soon offer a Borders Personal Publishing how-to book as well as informational literature on the program. Through this exclusive offering, millions of customers will be able to fulfill their dream of publishing their stories and sharing them with the world.

“Thousands of writers and readers each week spend time in Borders stores across the country surrounded by one of the world’s greatest collections of books and media. Many of these individuals have compelling stories of their own to tell,” said Bob Young, Lulu.com Chief Executive Officer. “Now, with the Borders Personal Publishing service, nothing stands in their way, or in the way of any subject expert or business. We’re excited that Borders has turned to Lulu to help unleash another group of storytellers and professionals to the world through our collective marketplaces.”

Borders Personal Publishing powered by Lulu is a part of Borders’ effort to embrace technology and differentiate its stores with a mission to be a headquarters for knowledge and entertainment.

“Our relationship with Lulu is just one example of how Borders is evolving into a digital destination where our customers do far more than shop for books, music and movies– they create and share, and they come to us for the tools to help them do it,” said George Jones, Borders Group Chief Executive Officer. “Lulu has been empowering creators for years and our new relationship takes self-publishing to the next level.”

The new publishing service is ideal for a wide range of consumers, including:

§ Aspiring authors wanting to sell their fiction or non-fiction works to others

§ Artists wanting a professionally-bound portfolio to showcase their works

§ Individuals wishing to write their memoirs

§ Travel and cooking experts wanting to share their knowledge with Borders customers

§ Youth groups and not-for-profits interested in creating a fundraising project or year book

Over time, Borders and Lulu plan to jointly develop other service offerings designed to empower content creators. As with Lulu.com, publishing through Borders Personal Publishing is free. There is no set-up fee and no requirement to buy copies. When someone buys content created with the Borders Personal Publishing services, Lulu.com handles the transaction as well as creator revenue payments.

To register for the Borders Personal Publishing service, customers can sign up at an in-store Borders digital kiosk within a Borders concept store or online (http://publish.bordersstores.com). There, customers will set up a personal user name and password at the kiosk, as well as take a guided tour of the process. Once registered, the Borders Personal Publishing account can be accessed on the Web from anywhere.

For customers looking to sell their books in retail channels, Borders offers several additional packages to meet those needs:

• Premium Package – Available for $499, this service is for customers serious about preparing their book for the retail market. The package comes with an editorial analysis and a cover and interior page design service, giving customers the treatment a traditional publishing house would provide its authors. In addition, customers receive an Internal Standard Book Number (ISBN) for their book, making it available to retailers worldwide and automatically eligible for future in-store programs and services. Borders also provides a free copy of the author’s book and the custom U-Publish guide, which provides an overview of how to self-publish.
• Standard Package – Available for $299, this service is ideal for customers new to self-publishing and who would like limited professional assistance with their book. Customers will receive an ISBN and interior page design service to enhance the look of their book, as well as the custom U-Publish guide and a free copy of the author’s book. Customers will still have the opportunity to order additional services for their book before it’s distributed for retail sale.
  

Customers who purchase one of the publishing packages can sell their books online once the upcoming Borders.com Web site launches. Soon customer authors will even have opportunities to showcase and sell their work in Borders stores, giving Borders Personal Publishing creators even greater distribution and all Borders’ customers an even larger selection of books to choose from, especially those covering niche topics.

Borders will host a “Digital Day” on Saturday, March 1 at its concept store at 3140 Lohr Road in Ann Arbor, where, among other topics, customers will be able to learn best practices for self-publishing from experts Dan Poynter and Danny O. Snow. Further details on the personal publishing services can be found at: http://publish.bordersstores.com.

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About Lulu.com:

Lulu.com is the premiere marketplace for new digital content on the Internet, with over 300,000 recently published titles, and more than 4,000 new titles added each week, created by people in over 80 different countries. With over one million registered members, Lulu is changing the world of publishing by enabling the creators of books, video, periodicals, multimedia and other content to publish their work themselves with complete editorial and copyright control. Lulu enables these individuals and corporations to create high-quality products to sell directly to their customers and the rest of the Lulu.com marketplace. With storefronts provided and other marketing support, Lulu creators are fully empowered to profit from their work. With offices in Canada, US, and Europe, Lulu customers can reach the globe.