Image Optimization simply means what it sounds like—we take a poor-quality image and using our mad skills and a lot of AI (yes, yes, Artificial Intelligence) we make the images far superior. Higher  resolutions, suitable sizes for print and the like. If you have a 6x9” book, let’s say, and your image is only 1” wide and 2” tall, and 72dpi, it’s going to be dreadful if you ask us to make it full-page—which would mean, typically, 4.5” wide and however-many tall. You would be very unhappy with the results. What we do allows those teeny-weeny images to be made larger, crisper, and just BETTER—and terrific for your normal-sized book.

Of course you can;  you can DIY if you are technically and technologically proficient, but optimizing images for a print book, or eBook is fraught with pitfalls for the first-timer. Everything that goes into making a commercially viable, professional-looking book is typically not familiar to the layperson. We're not saying it's the equivalent of magic spells! Or launching some new SpaceX booster, either.  (Sorry, Elon!)

But you need to know things like what size the images need to be. Are you going to publish at KDP (300dpi minimum for print), or Ingram? (360dpi for print!).  What size trim book are you making? Is it a 5x8” (which means, typically, a 4” or so type block), or 8x10”, which would be more like 6.5” and thus, need a wider image—more pixels?  For that matter, are you making a “regular’ book or is it a full-bleed book? Two totally different sizes, for the same image, even if the overall book is the same size. Does the image need only resolution enhancement, or are you cleaning up scratchings, increasing the focus on faces  and so on?  Don’t let me scare you, though:  if you are able to DIY, though, we absolutely encourage you to do so and save some shekels. 

You do!

You're the copyright holder, not us.  We make no claims on your copyright, your text, your title, or your book.  We're simply providing services to you--we have no rights in and to your book. If down the road, you decide to switch from one publishing platform to another (say, from KDP to Ingram) you won't have to get us to "agree" that you have the rights to your own book--you already do!

Absolutely. If you are uncomfortable sending your "baby" images to us, or your babies, to us for a quote, or for optimization, we're happy to give you a Non-Disclosure Agreement. Just ask us in your email to us. I'll ask you for your legal name, your town/city/borough of residence--but not your street address!--your city and state or country of residency.  Once you send me that, I'll send you an executed NDA. 

Once we put the file into production, we use secured, encrypted email addresses and 64-bit encrypted sites, to protect your IP (Intellectual Property).  To the best of our knowledge, no other print or digital formatting company spends the thousands of dollars that we do, each year, securing your files.  We take file security, your IP and your book very seriously indeed.