Shipping Cleared Up

For those of us who are still designing our books, the bottom line on whether to upload on friday or work through the weekend has been cleared up. 

I spent some time on LuLu's live chat help service with "Ben C." and he cleared some things up for us. LuLu doesn't do any production services on the weekend, so if you sent your files into them on Friday the chances are that it wouldn't be touched until monday or tuesday. Again the standard production time is 3—5 business days. That means that pretty much most of us are going to be using the expedited rush service also known as "Super Fast" for the additional $25.

Here's the good news. The Super Fast service does include the shipping to you, overnight and via Fed-Ex! Ben C. explained it, and here's a piece of the chat transcript.

bonogun@juno.com: And just to verify . . . the $25 rush will get orders posted prior to 4 p.m. North Carolina time, will be certain to be printed on the following business/printing day? (soft cover perfect bound)
Ben C: It would be 4PM EST.
Ben C: If you order before 4PM EST then your book will be printed on the same day and shipped the next day and you will received it the next day after it shipped.
bonogun@juno.com: the last part is new to me "you will received it the next day after it shipped". This suggests that it rushes the shipping as well. Is this the case?
Ben C: Yes that's correct.

Good stuff! So again, orders received before 4 p.m. EST and as Super Fast will be printed that day, overnighted the next day and at your door on the third day. So You could in theory submit your order on monday at lunch time and have it in your hands on wednesday. 

Sarah, you need to get real on this slip case and decide what your going to need from us, for materials and how much time to effectively get that done. As a group we want to arm you with all the flexibility that we can. 

I submit to the group that Sarah have access to all the volumes by thursday the 4th, so that she can begin construction of the slip case. If you submit your order with Super Fast before 4 p.m. EST on monday the 1st then we can hook her up by then. What say you?

—sean