PW Studio: Lulu
Lulu is prioritizing innovation and tech to fuel the next wave of publishing
Founded in 2002 by Canadian entrepreneur Bob Young, Lulu is recognized as one of the first online self-publishing platforms—an OG in the indie pub space. Over the years, it has transformed into a global publishing technology company, serving businesses, publishers, and creators of all stripes.
In the past several years, Lulu—which is headquartered in Research Triangle, N.C.—has built critical infrastructure to enable modern publishers and businesses, and has introduced tech-enabled solutions to help the global publishing ecosystem thrive. Along the way, Lulu has expanded its print network, strengthened its direct-to-consumer and e-commerce integrations, and invested in APIs that enable customers to route content through a distributed print-on-demand network.
Lulu’s API-driven platform allows customers to sell books across the world using scalable, on-demand production, automated backlist fulfillment, and direct-to-consumer sales strategies. The company wants to help medium-to-large publishers looking for a seamless print infrastructure to support and elevate their brands.
Lulu’s API technology connects publishers to its global print network of 11 facilities (and growing), allowing them to utilize high-quality, print-on-demand, and fully customizable book printing and fulfillment options while avoiding bulky print runs and wasteful practices, leading to lower costs, shorter lead times, and more stabilized supply chains.
There are no service fees to access Lulu’s custom printing API, Matt Briel, Chief Marketing Officer, notes, and customers can print and ship throughout the world. With more than 3,200 product combinations and no minimum print quantities, Lulu’s API lets customers personalize their products to meet their needs, and do so at scale.
Lulu boasts an integration-first publishing infrastructure that can grow with a customer’s business, and their API-driven platform allows for intelligent job routing and real-time order visibility, resulting in less manual work and faster launches. It can route orders to a network of production partners, enabling zero inventory, reduced cross-border friction, and faster delivery to more than 150 countries.
In addition to its API platform, Lulu has built integrations with the e-commerce sites Shopify, Wix, and WooCommerce, to better connect publishers to readers, and readers to books. The company’s direct-to-consumer and white-label fulfillment lets customers sell directly from their own storefront or channels while Lulu handles printing and fulfillment behind the scenes, resulting in stronger margins and deeper customer insight. Briel states that, “Creators and publishers are choosing to build their revenue streams through more stable and direct channels, rather than relying solely on social media and third-party retailers for sales. Since we launched the first ever Shopify plugin for print-on-demand books, back in 2017, we’ve continued to invest in developing more technology to support this growing demand for direct-to-consumer print books.
In 2025, Lulu appointed Craig Petersen as CEO. Per a Lulu press release announcing the appointment, Petersen has a “technology and platform-oriented background with experience leading organizations “at the intersection of software, data, and customer-centric systems,” an area the company continues to explore as it evolves.
“Our technology and software allow anyone, from an individual to a creator to a traditional publisher, to leverage print-on-demand for book-of-one printing, short runs, supply gaps, low-risk market experimentations, and backlist availability,” Team Lulu wrote in the press release announcing Peterson’s appointment. The company has an SOC 2 Compliance certification—ensuring that it has the appropriate security controls, policies, software, and configurations in place at all times. “Together, these capabilities position Lulu as a trusted partner for any individual or organization that requires speed, reliability, and operational consistency in print fulfillment.”
A Certified B Corporation, Lulu has committed themselves to balancing purpose and profit. They prioritize sustainability and strive for the highest social and environmental performance standards. The company’s tech innovations will continue to evolve, but its mission, Briel says, remains the same: to make the world a better place, one book at a time.