Product FAQs
What is Lulu and print-on-demand?
Lulu is a trusted marketplace and printing service where authors can publish and sell their creative content, such as novels, memoirs, poetry, cookbooks, technical manuals, articles, photography books, children’s books, calendars, and more. They have been around for almost 20 years with printing locations across the world.
The books are printed-on-demand (POD), a method of producing books at the time of purchase. Rather than printing a multitude of books in a single run than selling, Print-on-Demand produces books in response to an order. POD slashes the upfront cost to print and enables authors to publish without maintaining a stock of books on hand. Thanks to the continual advances in printing technology, POD printers can produce books at the exact same quality as traditional printers.
Lulu was a natural fit and place to sell the Our House books as we wanted to offer great quality products, reasonable printing/shipping times, no out-of-stock issues, and the chance for everyone in our community from across the globe to purchase whenever they wanted. Our House has carefully vetted and tested the quality and shipping methodologies - we are so happy to be selling our books through Lulu and they have given us the opportunity to become our own publisher in the process.
How are the Our House books made? Are eBooks or downloads available?
All of our books are printed 0n-demand (POD, see question above) when you place an order. We designed them to be colorful with fun designs and engaging content inside. Each product page has a general product description including a preview of the pages inside and the number of pages in the book.
As far as composition, we optimized printing specifications based on homeschooling usage and balanced with an affordable price point. Our House books are printed to the following specifications:
-
Glossy colorful paperback covers
-
Coil-bound binding (a favorite for students & teacher)
-
60 lb. white interior pages (economical and durable for writing inside)
Our books start at $8.99 and average just $12 after shipping and usual discounts offered on Lulu - always check for promo codes on their site that can be layered with any sales discount Our House offers on the books.
Due to copyright and publishing reasons, we will not be offering our books on Lulu in the form of downloads or eBooks. We understand any frustration this causes especially for our international customers, however, we already offer a multitude of FREE homeschooling printables and PDFs downloads featured in parts of the books on the site, check them out here. Perhaps in the future, as we see more need, we will develop more solutions in this space. For now, we've put a lot of creativity, commitment, work, and love into creating these books, they are made with homeschooling families in mind and they have been vetted by the Our House family. The proceeds from these books help keep our content FREE and constantly going!
Lulu is a print-on-demand company. They ship across the US and international from a variety of printers they have across the world. The printing location depends on your location and which printer is closest.
Books print in 3 to 5 business days. Then they ship to your destination. Since all products are manufactured when ordered. This process is very efficient and environmentally friendly, but it can take just a bit more time than ordering a print-ready book online.
Shipping Times by Method
All delivery times are in Business Days (Monday - Friday). Mail and non-traceable methods are not guaranteed. View the shipping table shown here for details. Please note the following:
-
Shipping days listed on the table exclude manufacturing times
-
Shipping times are estimates and not guaranteed. They may be affected by factors outside of Lulu's control, including incorrect delivery addresses, customs delays, and Post Office delivery restrictions. Orders affected by such delays may take as long as 6 weeks to arrive. Lulu will take no action on these orders during that time.
-
For Mail and Priority Mail services, please note that certain areas require extra transit times and could take up to 28 days to receive.
-
Mail and Priority Mail Orders that do not arrive within our 28 day shipping allowance may be eligible for a reorder at the discretion of Lulu Support Staff. Please note Lulu only does one reorder per customer.
-
International Economy packages are delivered using the postal service of the destination country.
-
Express shipping cannot be selected for delivery to P.O. Boxes since this shipping option requires a physical address.
-
Local Customs and Immigration agencies determine duties or taxes levied against packages arriving from outside the destination country. These additional fees are the responsibility of the recipient. Lulu cannot be held responsible for any costs incurred by the purchaser or recipient of orders due to shipment failure or late delivery.
-
Lulu does not offer shipping insurance.
-
Packages shipped to military APO / FPO and diplomatic DPO addresses must use US Postal Service shipping. Express shipping cannot be used as this option requires a physical address.
-
Please note that Lulu does support shipments addressed to Armed Forces Europe, Armed Forces Pacific, and Armed Forces America. Select the option that best fits your Armed Forces shipping destination.
How much does shipping cost?
Shipping costs are added during check out. Add your selected items to your Lulu shipping cart, choose your shipping option, and the rate will be displayed.
Shipping costs are determined by multiple factors including a package’s dimensions, weight, destination, selected shipping method, and the availability of periodic discounts. To reduce shipping costs and delivery times, Lulu makes every effort to print your order at the printing location closest to your shipping address. Occasionally a book’s format requires it to be printed at a specialty print facility, which may also affect shipping costs.
Considering these factors, the best method for accurately estimating shipping costs is to create a test order. Add copies of our book to your shopping cart, enter the shipping address, and let Lulu calculate the shipping cost based on your selections. You can then select different shipping options and continue to checkout.
How do I know if my books have shipped?
You will receive an email from Lulu.com stating your books are on their way. You can also check the status of your order by going to your account on Lulu, clicking on your username and selecting the My Orders option. If you do not have a Lulu.com account, submit a Lulu support request and they will look up your order status.
How long does shipping take? International available?
Printing and shipping statuses are explained below.
-
Processing: Lulu received your order and it is being processed.
-
Fulfilling: Your order has been queued for printing. Orders in this status cannot be modified or canceled.
-
Partially Shipped: If you ordered a mix of books, this status will display until all items within your order are shipped.
-
Shipped: All items in your order have shipped.
-
Refunded: All or part of your order had been refunded through your original payment method
-
Canceled: Your order has been canceled
How can I track my shipment?
The shipping confirmation number will include your order's tracking number. If the tracking number appears as a hyperlink, clicking it opens the package tracking page for your order. This information is also available from the My Orders > Order History page on Lulu.
Is there Sales Tax?
Internet retailers are subject to the same tax collection requirements as any other retailer. Lulu collects taxes in the following ways:
-
In the United States, sales tax is calculated based on the current applicable rates of the order’s destination, the total selling price of each individual item, and the shipping charges of an order. As of 10/1/19, Lulu.com collects sales tax for orders delivered to ALL US states EXCEPT the following: Alaska AK, Delaware DE, Mississippi MS, Montana MT, New Hampshire NH, North Dakota ND, Oregon OR.
-
Canadian Goods and Services Tax (GST) are applied to items with destinations in Canada. Provincial Sales Tax (PST) or Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) may also be applied, depending on the item(s) and destination.
-
In accordance with the laws governing members of the European Union, Lulu is obliged to charge VAT on all applicable goods or services delivered to destinations in those member countries where thresholds have been met.
You can see the amount of tax added to your order in the ‘Review & Place Order’ step of the checkout process or in the 'Order Receipt' available in your order history.
Problems with my order, what do I do?
Always, always contact Lulu Support for an issue with your order. Our House does not handle any aspect of the orders. We create the content, design the books, pick the material/composition and ensure our latest editions are available on the marketplace. Prior to ordering or for general questions about the products such as content, please feel free to leave us message at [email protected]
Lulu is a great printer with superior customer support. As with anything you buy, issues can happen. Should there be an issue with your order, here are general recommendations from Lulu Support:
I received the wrong book OR book(s) are missing from my Order
If you received the wrong item or an item you didn't order, please contact Lulu Support. If items are missing from your order, check your packing slip. If you don’t find the item(s) on the packing slip, it is possible that part of your order was printed at a separate facility. Log into your Lulu account, go to your Order History, and click on the order number in question. Check to see which items have shipped and which haven’t. Items should be separated by shipment. If items do appear to be missing please contact Lulu Support > Incorrect Order.
Damaged or Defective Items
If you receive your item and it is damaged or defective, please take a photo and contact Lulu Support > Damaged Order for assistance. Don't forget to attach your photo(s).
Contact Lulu Support:
