Ive recently stumbled across Mick Rooney’s blog, the handily named “POD, Self Publishing and Independent Publishing” and I highly recommend it. He covers a lot of ground, and there is a lot of good info over there.

One piece in particular caught my eye… an article titled “Lulu Launch Open Publishing Platform For Developers.” Mick explains how Lulu is basically opening up an API (Application Programming Interface) that will let third party interests – publishers, web programmers, etc – tap into the publishing power of Lulu, and offer Lulu’s publishing services under their own branding.

Now, I know indie publishers have been publishing under their own imprints via Lulu for some time now – but this makes it not only official, but apparently encouraged by the company. This could be a bit of a big deal.

In addition to being a writer, publisher and bookseller, I am also a web programmer – so the news of a new API is always exciting. But when I here about an API that may very well allow me to publish your book straight from, oh, say, AuthorsBookshop.com without you ever having to leave the site? Well, talk about the computer geek world and book geek world crashing together like… like… well, like two awesome worlds crashing together to make one bigger, awesomer world I guess.

I haven’t delved into the API yet, so I can’t say for certain how open our powerful it is, but if Micks report, and the press release (below) are accurate – this could be pretty exciting for third party developers and indie authors, indeed. And, it could open a whole new vista of services for sites such as AuthorsBookshop.com

Lulu Opens Doors to Developers

New Lulu Publication API provides direct
access to industry’s most robust open publishing platform

February 24, 2010 (Raleigh, N.C.) — Lulu, the open publishing pioneer, today announced that it has opened its platform to developers, giving them direct access to its publishing engine and creating new opportunity for publishing innovation.

The Lulu Publication API lets individuals, publishers, businesses and other organizations create a new breed of Web application enabling on-demand publishing through Lulu, marketed under their own brand names. Using the API, a software company, for example, could instantly publish hundreds of manuals and gain worldwide distribution. Or a publisher could build and host a branded application letting independent authors publish and distribute under a new imprint.

“Two words define Lulu: open innovation,” said Harish Abbott, Chief Product Officer of Lulu. “We have built an open publishing platform agnostic to both the type of content creator and the type of content created. We can’t wait to see the kinds of applications our ecosystem of innovators develop using the Lulu publishing engine.”

The announcement today coincided with the O’Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing conference in New York, where Lulu is a sponsor.

The combination of Lulu’s Publication API and powerful market and distribution platforms ensures a range of development opportunities and wide selection of offerings in hardcover, paperback and eBook formats.

The publication API is just one element of the open publishing market that Lulu is building. Lulu is committed to helping anyone publish and sell anywhere and reach targeted audiences through its social discovery platform.

For more information about the Lulu Publication API, visit: http://api.lulu.com.