Harmony Publishing vs Lulu
Lulu is a long-established print-on-demand platform with a self-serve workflow.
Short version. Lulu is a print-on-demand platform: you bring a finished interior and a cover and it prints and distributes them, with no editing, design or formatting service. We produce the book as well as print it. If your files are finished and you want to set the book up yourself, Lulu is a strong self-serve route. If they are not finished, that work has to happen first.
Which should you choose?
Choose Harmony if…
- You want the whole run priced up front: our calculator gives the delivered price of 100 to 10,000 copies (for the common black-and-white paperbacks) before you commit, with the freight as its own line when the shipment is heavy.
- You want one team across editing, design, print and distribution, an ISBN registered in your name or your own imprint, and no share of your royalties.
- You want the interior, the cover and the publishing submission done for you. With Lulu you supply the interior PDF and a cover, and enter the book's details, price and tax information yourself. (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255486-how-to-create-a-print-book, checked 15 October 2026)
Choose Lulu if…
- You have a finished interior PDF and cover and want to set the book up yourself, choosing interior colour, paper, binding and cover finish in the project. (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255486-how-to-create-a-print-book, checked 15 October 2026)
- You want no service package at all: Lulu charges per copy, lets you order author copies from your project, and you pay for editing and design only if you buy them elsewhere. (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000262744-creator-revenue-guide, checked 4 October 2026; help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255486-how-to-create-a-print-book, checked 15 October 2026)
- You want Lulu's own bookstore and its Global Distribution from one project: Lulu lists the Lulu Bookstore, Global Distribution and Lulu Direct as the ways to sell. (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255486-how-to-create-a-print-book, checked 15 October 2026; help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000262744-creator-revenue-guide, checked 4 October 2026)
Switching probably isn't worth it if…
- Your book is selling on Lulu under Lulu's free ISBN. That ISBN cannot be taken to another platform ('changes of publisher and/or distributor require a new and unused ISBN'), so moving means a new ISBN and new retailer listings. (blog.lulu.com/do-you-need-an-isbn, checked 15 October 2026; help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255457-isbn-the-basics, checked 15 October 2026)
- Your files are finished, you are happy to manage the listing yourself, and nothing about Lulu is failing you.
Side by side
| Harmony Publishing | Lulu | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A full-service self-publishing company that produces and prints your book | A print-on-demand platform: you supply a properly formatted interior PDF and a cover (built in Lulu's cover tool or uploaded as a PDF) (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255486-how-to-create-a-print-book, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Entry price | From $699 (Essentials), bundling design, layout, ISBN and distribution | No service package; you pay per copy, plus any services you buy elsewhere. Lulu states the print list price must be at least twice the print cost (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000262744-creator-revenue-guide, checked 4 October 2026) |
| Editing and cover design | Included from the relevant tier upward | Editing is not part of the platform. The cover can be built in Lulu's cover tool or uploaded as a PDF (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255486-how-to-create-a-print-book, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Interior formatting | Included | Not provided: you supply a properly formatted PDF at the size of the book you intend (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255486-how-to-create-a-print-book, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Format choices | Standard trade sizes in paperback and hardcover | You choose interior colour, paper type, binding and cover finish in each project (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255486-how-to-create-a-print-book, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Bookstore reach | Worldwide distribution set up in your name | Print via Lulu, Amazon, Ingram (including Barnes & Noble) and Hachette; eBooks via Lulu, Amazon, Apple, Kobo and others. Lulu says Global Distribution listing can take up to 12 weeks (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000262744-creator-revenue-guide, checked 4 October 2026) |
| Royalties | You keep 100% | A share of gross profit: 80% to you on print and 90% on eBooks, with 50% of the retail price going to the channel on Global Distribution. A one-time $4.99 review fee applies to the first eBook Global Distribution submission (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000262744-creator-revenue-guide, checked 4 October 2026) |
| Support model | One team across design, print and distribution | Self-serve: you enter the book's details, categories, keywords, price and payee and tax information yourself (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255486-how-to-create-a-print-book, checked 15 October 2026) |
| ISBN and publisher of record | Registered in your name or your own imprint | With Lulu's free ISBN, Lulu's terms make Lulu the publisher of record and Lulu says the ISBN cannot be taken to another platform. With an ISBN you buy yourself, you can assign it to a Lulu project and move it elsewhere (lulu.com/terms-and-conditions, checked 15 October 2026; blog.lulu.com/do-you-need-an-isbn, checked 15 October 2026; help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000262744-creator-revenue-guide, checked 4 October 2026) |
| Best for | Authors who want the whole route handled | Authors with finished files who want to set the book up themselves (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255486-how-to-create-a-print-book, checked 15 October 2026) |
Competitor descriptions reflect their published service structure at the time of writing and may change. Check their current terms directly. Our own prices are on the cost page.
The same book, priced on both
One book, priced the same way on both sides: a 6×9 inch paperback, 200 pages, black and white interior on 60lb natural paper, gloss cover, perfect bound, with print-ready files supplied. Printing only, delivered to ZIP code 10001 (New York, NY), Economy delivery.
| Copies | Harmony Publishing (our calculator, today) | Lulu |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | $890.08 printing, with delivery included$8.90 per copySee it in the calculator | Not published, quote required (lulu.com, checked 15 October 2026) |
| 1,000 | $6,623.74 = $6,140.40 printing + $483.34 freight$6.62 per copy, deliveredSee it in the calculator | Not published, quote required (lulu.com, checked 15 October 2026) |
Our figure is the live output of our calculator at the moment this page was shown. Where the quantity is small, delivery is included in the price; for a heavy shipment the freight is its own line at the carrier's cost, with no markup. Prices exclude sales tax. A competitor price appears here only with a source and the date we checked it; until we have captured one, the cell says so. We never estimate a competitor's price.
The same job on both
The job: Publish a 200-page paperback with your own ISBN and get it on Amazon.
With Harmony Publishing
- Choose a package. Essentials is built for a manuscript that is already edited and covers cover design, interior layout, ISBN assignment, account setup and the publishing submission to KDP and IngramSpark, and distribution worldwide.
- Send your manuscript and a cover brief. If you already own an ISBN for the printed edition you can give it to us in the calculator's ISBN step.
- Approve the proofs. Nothing is printed until you have approved everything.
- We submit the book to the retailers and print-on-demand services and set up distribution in your name.
- You supply:
- A finished, edited manuscript and a cover brief (or a finished cover).
- You get back:
- An ISBN registered in your name or your imprint, your print-ready and editable files, the book live through worldwide distribution, and 100% of your royalties.
- How long:
- 4–6 weeks standard; sometimes up to 8 weeks, depending on the package and how quickly proofs are approved.
With Lulu
- Prepare the files: a properly formatted interior PDF, and a cover built in Lulu's cover tool or uploaded as a PDF. (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255486-how-to-create-a-print-book, checked 15 October 2026)
- Start a project, choose to publish for retail, and choose where to sell: the Lulu Bookstore, Global Distribution or Lulu Direct. (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255486-how-to-create-a-print-book, checked 15 October 2026)
- Assign an ISBN, which retail distribution requires: a free Lulu ISBN (Lulu is then the publisher of record) or your own, with a publisher or imprint name. (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255486-how-to-create-a-print-book, checked 15 October 2026; lulu.com/terms-and-conditions, checked 15 October 2026)
- Upload the files, choose paper, binding and finish, describe the book, set the price, add payee and tax details, then Confirm and Publish. Amazon is one of the retailers Lulu lists for print through Global Distribution. (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255486-how-to-create-a-print-book, checked 15 October 2026; help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000262744-creator-revenue-guide, checked 4 October 2026)
- You supply:
- A finished interior PDF and a cover, the book's details, an ISBN (free from Lulu or your own), pricing decisions, and payee and tax information. (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255486-how-to-create-a-print-book, checked 15 October 2026)
- You get back:
- Your book in the Lulu Bookstore and, with Global Distribution, at the retailers Lulu lists. You keep ownership of the content you upload. (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000262744-creator-revenue-guide, checked 4 October 2026; lulu.com/terms-and-conditions, checked 15 October 2026)
- How long:
- Lulu does not state a time for the whole job. It says Global Distribution listing can take up to 12 weeks. (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000262744-creator-revenue-guide, checked 4 October 2026)
Switching to Harmony from Lulu
If you decide to move a book you have already published, this is what carries over, what does not, and an order of steps that keeps the book available the whole time.
What moves with you
- Your files and your content. You upload them to Lulu, and its terms say 'you retain ownership of such Content'. Keep your interior and cover PDFs. (lulu.com/terms-and-conditions, checked 15 October 2026; help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255486-how-to-create-a-print-book, checked 15 October 2026)
- An ISBN you bought yourself. You can assign it to a Lulu project and move it to a different platform. (blog.lulu.com/do-you-need-an-isbn, checked 15 October 2026)
What does not
- Lulu's free ISBN. Lulu's terms make Lulu the publisher of record for it, and Lulu says you cannot take it to another platform. A new publisher or distributor needs a new ISBN. (lulu.com/terms-and-conditions, checked 15 October 2026; blog.lulu.com/do-you-need-an-isbn, checked 15 October 2026; help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255457-isbn-the-basics, checked 15 October 2026)
- A cover or layout built from Lulu's own tools or templates. Lulu's terms say layouts or templates created with its tools are Lulu's property, so bring a finished cover file that you hold. (lulu.com/terms-and-conditions, checked 15 October 2026)
- Retailer listings and reviews tied to the old ISBN. A new ISBN starts as a new listing, and whether reviews can be carried over is the retailer's decision.
The order of steps, so the book is never unavailable
- Keep your interior and cover files, and leave the Lulu listing live while you move. (lulu.com/terms-and-conditions, checked 15 October 2026)
- Decide the ISBN: keep one you own, or take a new one with us.
- Order a single proof copy from us (the calculator prices one copy) and approve it.
- Publish the new edition with us and check it is live on Amazon and the other stores you sell through.
- Only then ask Lulu to remove the book from distribution. Its terms say you may request this at any time, and 'It may take 6-8 weeks or longer for your listing to be completely removed'. (lulu.com/terms-and-conditions, checked 15 October 2026)
What to check first
- Which ISBN is on the book? A free Lulu ISBN stays with Lulu; one you bought can move. (blog.lulu.com/do-you-need-an-isbn, checked 15 October 2026)
- Do you hold a finished interior and cover file? A cover built in Lulu's tool may not be yours to reuse. (lulu.com/terms-and-conditions, checked 15 October 2026)
- Is Global Distribution on? Removal can take 6 to 8 weeks or longer, so plan for the overlap. (lulu.com/terms-and-conditions, checked 15 October 2026)
- Does the book meet the trim and page limits of the new print run? Check them in the calculator.
To price a reprint or a proof copy before you move anything, use the calculator.
Three questions to ask any provider
Including us. The answers decide more about value than the headline price:
- Ask who the publisher of record will be. If it is not you or your imprint, understand why before you sign.
- Ask what royalty share they take. Any percentage of your sales is a cost that compounds over the life of the book.
- Ask whether you receive your editable source files. If you cannot take your interior and cover elsewhere later, you are locked in.
On all three, our answer is: you are the publisher of record, we take no royalties, and you receive your print-ready and editable files.
How this comparison was made
- Prepared by the Harmony Publishing editorial team.
- Lulu's public product, help and terms pages were read on the dates in the sources list; nothing was purchased, and no account was opened.
- Our figures are the live output of our own calculator, for the scenario stated above.
- A competitor price appears only with a source and the date it was checked; until we have captured one, the cell says so. We never estimate a competitor's price.
- Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Each source below carries the date it was checked, which can be earlier.
Sources
- help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255486-how-to-create-a-print-book — checked 15 October 2026
- help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000262744-creator-revenue-guide — checked 4 October 2026
- www.lulu.com/terms-and-conditions — checked 15 October 2026
- blog.lulu.com/do-you-need-an-isbn/ — checked 15 October 2026
- help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255457-isbn-the-basics — checked 15 October 2026
- www.lulu.com/ — checked 15 October 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is Lulu cheaper than Harmony Publishing?
Lulu charges per copy and does not include editing; you bring a finished interior and either build a cover in its tool or upload one. Its figures look lower because less is included. The comparison only holds if you add the cost of the services you would arrange elsewhere. If you already have professionally finished files, Lulu can be the cheaper route for printing alone. (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000262744-creator-revenue-guide, checked 4 October 2026; help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255486-how-to-create-a-print-book, checked 15 October 2026)
Do I need print-ready files for Lulu?
Yes. The interior must be a properly formatted PDF at the size of the book you intend, and the cover a single-page PDF spread of back cover, spine and front cover, or one built in Lulu's cover tool. Producing those files is the part we do. (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255486-how-to-create-a-print-book, checked 15 October 2026)
Can I use both?
Yes. An ISBN is non-exclusive, so a book produced with us can be printed or distributed through Lulu, or produced and printed with us and listed elsewhere. There is no conflict.
Which has more format options?
Lulu lets you choose interior colour, paper type, binding and cover finish yourself in each project and prices them per copy. We recommend a specification with you and show the delivered price in our calculator. If you want to set each option yourself and your files are ready, Lulu is a direct tool. (help.lulu.com/en/support/solutions/articles/64000255486-how-to-create-a-print-book, checked 15 October 2026)
Can I move a book from Lulu to Harmony?
Yes. Keep your interior and cover files, decide whether to keep an ISBN you bought or take a new one (Lulu says its free ISBN cannot be taken to another platform), order a proof, publish with us, and only then ask Lulu to remove the book from distribution, which Lulu says can take 6 to 8 weeks or longer. (blog.lulu.com/do-you-need-an-isbn, checked 15 October 2026; lulu.com/terms-and-conditions, checked 15 October 2026)