Guidance on ordering from Lulu

[Seraphim Newman-Norton]

Copies of "From Sylvan Surrey to Babylon" are printed by Lulu in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They generally take about a week to print and bind the book and if you are ordering from the United Kingdom and choose the cheapest postal rate available, they should take on average fourteen days to arrive by Royal Mail; so expect a total wait of three weeks from when you place your order.

Lulu offers a range of postal rates, some of which are ridiculously expensive. Although you cannot track their flat rate items online this is clearly the best value at £6.46 a copy, although there is a limit of three copies at a time which can be ordered at this rate. Don't be mistaken into ordering it by economy rate, which has no advantages but costs more.

Copies ordered before 1st August 2009 will be available at a special rate of £20.00 per copy, after which they will cost the full price of £25.00 each.

[Seraphim Newman-Norton]

Lulu's flat rate postal delivery to Europe is actually a special offer and will end on 30 June.

Flat Shipping Rates:

• 1 copy: £6.46
• 2 copies: £12.46
• 3 copies: £16.46

Shipping Method: FedEx International Mail

Shipping offer valid until 30th of June.

[Seraphim Newman-Norton]

This morning's post brought the first batch of "From Sylvan Surrey to Babylon" ordered on 22 June, following approval of the proofs. These were posted on 29 June, so took 13 working days (excluding Sundays) to arrive. Although Lulu is based in the USA, these books were despatched from Sweden, where they are actually printed. Hopefully those who ordered early will also be receiving their copies in the next few days. Excluding the day I placed the order, it took exactly three weeks. Unfortunately, the postal delay is the longest part of the process but to pay postal rates even higher than the cost of the book seems pretty senseless !