How you get your material to Book Services depends upon the format it is in.
Text. We recommend text be submitted as a Microsoft Word file (.DOC or .DOCX), but we can transcribe from handwritten manuscripts or audio recordings. We can also perform OCR (optical Character Recognition) from printed pages. Because we proof read and edit using Microsoft Word, submitting in MS Word format saves time and avoids extra cost.
MS Word File Guidelines (We can work with any MS Word file, but these guidelines will save time and money.) See: How to Format a Novel Manuscript for a more detailed guide.
Images. Pictures, diagrams, charts, artwork, etc. are best submitted electronically at a resolution for print reproduction of at least 300 dots per inch (dpi). Be sure to allow for the size the image will be on the printed page. Any file format supported by Adobe Photoshop is acceptable (see Photoshop File Formats) but please consider file size and susceptibility to quality loss due to compression. We prefer TIFF and PNG over JPG because they are lossless formats.
CAUTION: Do not submit scans of offset printed images due to moiré patterns that are created by the offset dot screen unless you are knowledgeable on how to remove the moiré. (See Descreen Home Edition plug-in for Adobe Photoshop.)
Audio. Any file format supported by the Quicktime player is acceptable, however MP3 is preferred. (See Quicktime File Formats.)
Scanning.
For text that will be OCR processed by Book Services scan at 300dpi or higher, Black & White. File format is easiest as a multipage PDF.
For images intended for standard print reproduction as well as e-book, scan at 600dpi with 8 bit color depth in RGB format. For images for fine art print reproduction on the Hewlett Packard Indigo presses scan at 600dpi or higher (if the image will be enlarged when printed) with 16 or 24 bit color depth RGB NOT CMYK.
Please contact us before submitting any files. We will provide a link to a DropBox folder assigned to your project.
Please contact us before sending any physical items.