Hi,

This temporary issue should now be resolved. If not let us know.

-Craig

Still no answer from Blurb Customer Support about this?  Being a Norwegian, I have planned several book titles, but if this is not looked into by Blurb/UPS, and is unanswered by them, I might have to look elsewhere…  :(

Indeed, we couldn’t agree more.  Blurbs shipping prices are ridiculous, particularly on paperbacks, which are so light and cost next to nothing to send.  There is no point selling a book for under fifteen dollars when the shipping costs almost as much as the book itself.  This hinders sales and profit margins – and doesn’t improve the more copies you buy either.  In fact bulk buying just isn’t worthwhile on blrub.  I took an 80 page paperback book to the post office, which cost me almost ten dollars to recieve from blurb and was informed shipping from US to Australia would have cost between $2 and $3 AUD.  I hate to say it but it seems to me that Blurb may be profiteering on postage to the detriment of clients who actually want to sell books!!  It’s most disappointing.

Quiero hacer saber, lo bien impreso que ha llegado mi ultimo libro, lo mismo que en anteriores ocasiones me he quejado, y protestado por la mala calidad, en esta ocasión quiero felicitar a Blurb, y sobre todo al “Señor Impresor” de Europa. No se, si es que han contratado a un Señor, que por fin sabe utilizar y calibrar las maquinas, o, que por fin están utilizando los perfiles correctamente, pero mi ultimo libro ha llegado con una impresión muy superior en calidad a los anteriores, y este ha sido en papel estándar y aseguro que yo he procesado las imágenes de la misma forma que anteriormente y ha resultado con una calidad superior a libros anteriores en papel premium.
Gracias Blurb, no despidan a esa persona, lo esta haciendo bien, enhorabuena!!!!.
Un saludo.

So this is an extremely frustrating first time experience. I spent a good four hours designing my book in Lightroom 4, it’s 90 pages. Uploaded it and want to send it to my client for a preview.

First time i uploaded the previews only partially loaded after 2 hrs. Tried to reupload a second and third time and both time it just flips through and says “loading” with nothing displayed after a full day. Made it public, made it full book. Nothing.

At $42.00 bucks a book, there is no way I am going to order until I know for sure it comes out looking right and the solution for looking at it in pdf or lightroom is a bad one. For example, my cover text in lightroom was not in the bleed or text unsafe area but the partial preview showed that my first letter was actually in the spine, which I would have never known without the preview.

Anyways, there’s a bunch of threads on here having preview load errors and each time a moderator says “it looks like it’s working now” and then the thread ends. Does anyone know what the actual problem is? Is it how my images are formatted in lightroom? Is it too many pages? Would be great to know if I use this service going forward.

http://www.blurb.com/books/4120750-thailand

If anyone can actually see that preview, please let me know.

OK it is good.

Hi there,

 I am just about to start dropping 440 odd pages of pre-formatted text into Booksmart and it looks like the text flowing function is more bother than it’s worth. Sticking with a regular text box looks like a more productive work flow.

 This will be my second book with Blurb but my first book using Booksmart. My first book was created using the Book module in Lightroom 4 and I was very pleased with the results. I need to use Booksmart to get access to the higher page count. Books created with Lightroom cut off at 240 pages.

Hi gregm1676,

This format is not going to be included in BookSmart at this time. It continues to be offered only within the InDesign plug-in and our PDF to Book uploader.

-Craig

Just a quick note as I have had the same problem.

My hard drive failed near the end of finishing a book and have been trying to recover it from what I backed up.

 I seemed to have 2 different versions of my book, one early on and one nearly finished.

Could see all the images etc in the nearly finished one but booksmart wouldn’t open it even after moving it to  the Booksmartdata file.

I realised I had changed the name of the folder to make it easy for me to recognise in comparison to the other similar named ones I had been messing with moving around etc.

I renamed all the files the same new name as the folder & in the folder ie.

Folder name  is newname

newname.backup

newname.book

newname.jpg

newname.settings

and then the library folder is underneath,

and now it shows up when I go to open a book, PHEW.It took me so long to make that book.

 Customer support weren’t much help on this but thanks for all you lot that helped me too!

 Hope it’s understandable, I’m not very technological!

Yes it show in macs under;

Name of computer>Library>Application Suport>BookSmartdata>newname

Thanks guys!

Does it mean, I don’t need to export my adjusted raw files from lightroom, than re-import them as jpegs into LR catalog, and even then go to the book module and submit the book from jpegs ? Can I use directly raw files ?

I opened up the pdf file, and took screenshots of the pages, then printed them out, but of couse you could just send them screenshots.

In the future I am looking at tutoring one on one to show people how to use Booksmart so they can do their own book and it will be at home a bed and breakfast type accommodation. Has anyone else done this? Also wondering best way to let people know about the tutoring and bed and breakfast?I live in Australia. There are people that have thought of stories or written them and nothing more done so I want to encourage them. I also thought of typing stories etc for people in future. Last year I wrote a poetry book through Blurb which I am happy with and now I am working on children’s stories to be finished this Oct/Nov.

I look forward to your replies.
Regards Madonna Weaver

Joe I am in Australia and have written a book of poetry in which I’m happy with. I also thought of showing others how to use blurb so they can make their own book. It would be a one on one tutorial and our home would be like a bed and breakfast where they will stay. This will be in the future. At the moment I am working on my children’s stories so would find it difficult to type up peoples stories etc. I was thinking later on that was another idea of typing books for people. Other than advertising on classifieds and accommodation sites I’m at a loss to think how I could get people interested to come to our home for a tutorial or type for people. Do you have ideas how I could start? Thank You. Madonna Weaver