How LuLu leverages its API to tranform the book publishing industry

Lulu was started with the goal of utilizing the internet to shorten the distance between content creators and buyers. After eight years of research and development the lulu platform was launched.  It eliminates three steps of the traditional publishing model and connects creators directly to buyers through the lulu API platform.

Customers can manage a publishing business end-to-end.

Eight years may seem like a lot of time but lulu has really done a great job of automating the tasks of agents, publishers and retailers.  Lulu had to create a way to import files of all different formats and develop a way to integrate them, build up a way to store all of the information, generate books,  print books and distribute them.

Lulu is a free and open platform.  Typically API's only expose a company's data to manipulation.  This method makes sense if the value of your business is in your data.  The Lulu API provides entire access to lulu technology because the real value lulu brings is the process they have created.  It empowers next-gen publishing models by lowering barriers to entry "bringing your great idea to your neighbors doorstep".

lulu.com

There are often risks when relying on an API.  A recent example is when Google Translate closed its translation API, requiring many websites and App developers to find new ways to translate data or face extinction.  If a business considers access to another companies API a strategic asett then that business is setting itself up for possible failure at anytime should the API become restricted.  In my view Lulu possesses less a risk than the traditional API for the end user.  Lulu provides a process to transform data, not data for the user to transform.  A lulu user can find a new process to publish their books should lulu ever cease to exist.  A lulu users strategic asset is the content they create.   There is seemingly no risk of lulu ever closing its API because the business is built around it.

Inversely, imagine lulu was a platform that only made the text of books available and you built a business process to use the text to generate ebooks.  If lulu closed in that case the business would be in a stretch because lulu's data was strategic asset to the business.

Before I grew up! is a website that takes advantage of the lulu platform.  It was built by someone to help his family create a book with with pictures and stories.  Each baby book has an associated email address and family members can email pictures and stories. Lulu then generate a book from all of the information and makes a hard copy or ebook available.  Interestingly enough, an elementary school has since gone on to use his application on the lulu platform to create their yearbook.

beforeigrewup.com  

Lulu is a business totally about the API, leaving development of the platform up to the users.