When deciding on the layout of your book, and more importantly in this instance, the illustrations, what is your best option? However tempting it may be to use colour illustrations, I would suggest that for the sake of costing, you stick with black and white illustrations when it comes to the interior of your book. Don't price yourself out of the market.

Using Lulu, and taking a 100 page book with illustrations as an example, in 6"x9" format, standard paper, perfect bound and with the illustrations in colour - even if only one - the set-up and print cost per copy will be ridiculously high, at £14.98. And that is just the cost price. You would then have to set your retail price somewhere above that, out of which Lulu will want a cut.

Contrast this with £2.98 if using black and white illustrations only. Now you can pitch the book at a reasonable price, with a reasonable profit margin. I know which one I would choose.

That's a heck of a difference! Is there a limit to how many pics you're allowed to use for the £2.98 fee, I wonder?

I don't think there is a limit of how many bl and wh illustrations you include if supplying your own PDF file, Mo. At least I haven't found anything mentioning limits on numbers.

Choosing the wrong format can have an adverse cost-effect, too - as I found out the first time I used Lulu for a proof copy of a novel. For novels I'd always choose the standard 6"x9" now. The first time I chose A5, thinking it would be cheaper - and I ended up £10 poorer than I should have been.

Are photo's counted as 'illustrations', Mater?

Yes Trevor, photos are counted as illustrations. Any little bit of colour in the interior of the book will hike the cost up astronomically - so are best left out, or to the cover - where colour is the standard.

So, basically I have to convert the photo's to monochrome before I submit if I want to keep them in? I was hoping they might just print them in BW regardless of how the original was forwarded.

 I suppose there might be a service there somewhere to do that, but not a free one. To take advantage of the no cost up front, you have to put your DIY cap on! It's not hard in photogallery though, is it? Just a bit of a drag when you want to get on with it.

Yeah, It's easy enough Merit, I guess I'm just a lazy bugger at heart. LOL

 Or could it be that it's the boring bit?