The Network, the Community and the Self-Creativity

Master of Science in Communicationand Economics

DigitalMarketing

SI 2006-07

UniversitàdellaSvizzeraItaliana

©2006 byVincenzo Cammarata, Veronika Kurucz, Elisa Vinciarelli

The self-publishing evolution: the Lulu.com case

The Network, the Communityand the Self-CreativityOver the Print on Demand,

more than the User Generated Content

The Lulu.com project

Lulu.com is a marketplace where “authors” -

individuals, companies and groups – can publishand sell a variety of digital content including

books, music, video, software, calendars,

photos and artwork.

> PoD = Print on Demand technology

> Self-Publishing Industry


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The Network, the Community and the Self-Creativity

The Lulu.com philosophy

> 100,000 new titles in the last 6 months> 2,000 new titles added each week> 110,000 items sold last month

Founded by Bob Young (Linux Red Hat) 2002> Open Source Philosophy

>“Lulu” : “remarkable person, object or idea”

> Author in control of his digital contents

(creation > pricing > royalties)

The phenomenon


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1. The Self-publishing phenomenon

A ‘Long-Tail’ Technology

- moderately popular publications,

often very difficult to get hold of,

given that demand is too low for it

to be profitable


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PoD change Self-publishing




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SI 2006-07



How PoD change Self-publishing

> No unsold products > low costs

> Reduce inventories and storage expenses (no stock)

> quicker and cheaper technical set-up

> print out-of-stock titles in small> quickly reprint (inventory runs low/exceeds forecasts)

> test-market > short-runs (look like final product - galleys)

> economically fulfil (niche markets)

> pre-publish advantage (less than 1,500 units)





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Print-On-Demand companies are often

considered as vanity publishers.

That means you pay them to publish your book.

> no bookstore distribution

> shoddy product

> large setup fees for small print runs

> no marketing or distributing support

Drawbacks




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Competitors & Benchmarking




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Segmentation – the “Lulus”

> Authorpreneurs

> Extrovert individualists/entertainers

> The Experts

> Community Seekers

> Families

How Lulu.com reach Lulus?

> intermediary rule

> important asset = community



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The double side of Positioning

The link between company positioning

and positioning one’s Creativity on the web is:

The value of the communitybased on the network

2. The Lulu.com model


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> Marketplace - “browse”

where buyers can see the shelves

> Self-Publishing - “publish”

where “authors” can manage creativity

> Services - tools for the business

> Community - the soul of the network


2. The Lulu.com model - “browse”


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> Best sellers (top 100)

> File of product

> Rating of the product

> Comments on the author

> Link to author’s store front

The marketplace as other online bookshops

is organized In five categories:

books, calendars, images, music and audio, video.


2. The Lulu.com model - “publish”


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1. Information (product & author)

2. Content Upload

3. Binding & colors

4. Cover art

5. Pricing & finishing

> The core of the model

> Totally free

Steps


2. The Lulu.com model - “services”


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Write a Press Release <

Set up “Storefront” <

Collateral (Lulu.com material) <

Visiting Marketing Central (!) <

Free ….


2. The Lulu.com model - “services”


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Author marketing kits <

Pre-publishing services <

Graphic Services <

Publishing Services <

Mktg and publicity Services <

Providers by Countries <

…& fee


2. The Lulu.com model - “community”


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> Forum & Blog

> Newsletter “LuluCreators”

> LuluRadio – LuluTv (podcast)

> LuluTeam

(leaders, promoters and testers)

The Soul of the network

“the world’s fastest-growing provider

of print-on-demand books”


2. The Lulu.com model - “help”


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> Getting started

> Product cost calculator

> LiveHelp

> LuluWorkshop

Increasing the Publics’ learning process


3. Building the authors networks


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Costs & Benefits

Mktg & promotion <Only upload technical time <Content developing efforts <

Risk for quality delivered <Needs of trust <

> High Usability> “Vanity fair” - protagonist> Knowledge Sharing> Niche Content> Community Relationship




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The generated value for the “Lulus”

The success:

is on the value of his

network and community




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SI 2006-07



The neo-publisher experience

> Easy to use (Usability policy)

> High involvement to discover the web service

> Familiar atmosphere – testimonials “one like you”

> Not sophisticated, but a Lab “open source” style

> habit for experiment user creativity

> Community content quality control




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Conclusions


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> More straightforward concept about:

Servicies offered / Prices

> Find out the way of differentiation:

Eg. Focus on that is tha main asset = community

> “Lulu.com” - the websiteeasily recognizable that is designed by engineers

Therefore there needs look & feel design.

Thanks for your attention.


DigitalMarketing

SI 2006-07



The self-publishing evolution: the Lulu.com case


Over the Print on Demand,

more than the User Generated Content

The Network, the Community and the Self-Creativity

Business

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