I wonder what everyone thinks the greatest weakness of Lulu as a POD publisher is. I'll start this thread by throwing the following observations into the mix.
1. Being POD there is no economy of scale, so the price of individual books is always going to be high. I'm seriously considering making my titles into a limited number edition, say a hundred, and announcing the fact that they will be withdrawn after selling that number, and replaced with a second edition in the hope that collectors will look on the books as an investment. Though I'd prefer it if they were bought to be read. However, collectors are always willing to pay more than are ordinary Joes who just want something to read.
2. There is no editorial rejection so any old rubbish can appear on Lulu storefronts - like mine, for instance. The natural collorary of this is the future assumption that Lulu books are a waste of money because such and such a title was dreadful. This is quite likely because people with a history of rejection (again, lkike me) are the core writers who turn to Lulu, and maybe they've got that history of rejection for a reason. Maybe everyone reasons like me, that I personally like my books, I reckon they're great - and none of my small band of friends and relatives has got the courage to disabuse me.
3. Add the above two items together and you'll never sell a book. Not to a stranger, anyway.
Peter
