Publishing

I'm very sorry for the problems you're encountering. I started publishing in November 2004. I used MS Word for the first books when I have not yet transferred the hard disk of my older PC where the major book is. I was hard up too because I just learned everything from trial and error. I don't know how to use MS Word for the Bible, or perhaps it's not really suitable. Last year in May when somebody gave me money, I had the hard disk transferred to this also old PC - PIII with only 9.5g hard disk which has now a very few free space because of the programs, etc. I now use Pagemaker for my publications and I am the one converting them to PDF as I was able also to install Acrobat for free. Thanks God all the software I use are free, I really have no money to spend. I have Adobe Photoshop 7 but I have not learned how to use it up to now. I don't know why you say your computer is crappy. I'm thinking mine is crap but it still can do what I want, except that the free space is now only about 400 MB,which is not supposed to be really with the kind of work I'm doing. Lulu does not really interfer with the content. It's up for the authors to make their books the way they want to, set the margins, etc. So if they commit mistakes, that's their own fault. I myself do all the proofreading, etc. I use Palatino and Symbol for the Greek words. I get my book covers from the Lulu Gallery which are free because I don't know yet how to use the Photoshop I have. Marketing is really a big problem. Lulu just help, they do not directly do the marketing themselves. If we have money, we can do all the necessary exposures we like. I don't have money, so I patiently send emails to would-be buyers. It's very difficult but that's what I can do in the meantime. I hope you'd be able to make your book perfect, as you so desire.

I promote my books primarily thru email marketing. Lulu gives us what we need in promoting our books, the website, forums, banners, kits, etc. but I think they do not directly do the promotion. Some of the books are sold but unfortunately my first royalty check in the amount of $100 sent to me by lulu was stolen here in the Philippines Post Office and was already encashed by somebody not me. I've just received my second check with lesser amount. They issue checks quarterly. Records are open to the author and so we know if there are books sold, how many hits a particular book has, etc. Lulu is a very good self-publishing site.

Lulu sends royalty checks quarterly if the amount is at least $20. My first check covers the accumulated amount of $100 which was sent to me Novembe 14, 2006 but which was stolen in our Philippines Post Office and was encashed by someone not me on December 15, 2006. I'm trying to recover the amount but up to now no good result for the investigation. Lulu sent me another last February 14 and this time I received it because the amount is just very small and the thieves are not interested LOL! I'm not as yet able to buy the Global Distribution Service because I have no money and I haveno credit card. I requested them not to send me the amounts for the royalty to pay for the GDS but they said that they could not do that as the procedure is to send the check which they really sent. As soon as I could raise funds, I would immediately buy the ISBN with the GDS. Congratulations for selling your books. With the so many books I have, only 11 were sold. I'm happy enough anyway. See you in lulu. Thanks.

Having published the translations is a great success for me. Problems are impossible not to come but we can overcome them eventually. THE WILL New Testament (Greek to English) - my major project, has been ready for publication in 1992 yet but I have no money until I chanced to come across lulu.com and now, I have already published many books. I'm happy to hear that you are in lulu too. May God bless you. SEN