Support for Indie Authors discussion

I'm using Vellum to produce some e-books as ARCs or review copies. The output seems good, but the file sizes of all but the generic epub and nook version are large, too large, greater than 25mb. This is a problem. For example, I am unable to load a mobi file on Booksprout because the maximum size is 10mb or so and mine is 26mb.

The book is a collection of fable-like short stories and contains ten pen and ink illustrations. I have tried compressing the images but the file size remained constant.

Any solutions out there?

Not a clue. You might check with Vellum. Illustrations can really eat up space, which might be the problem.

Eileen wrote: "You might check with Vellum. Illustrations can really eat up space, which might be the problem."

Vellum Help doesn't address this issue of reducing file size, apart from noting files in mobi format are considerably bigger than generic epub because they contain numerous version of the e-book adapted to various generations of Kindle device, customers download only the appropriate file, which is much smaller.

Wish I could help, but know nothing of how Vellum works.

What were the sizes of the images once compressed? Perhaps they didn't compress properly?

Make sure the image files are pngs first, as this naturally compresses when compared to jpegs, and then can be compressed further using compresspng.com or a similar service.

As a fan and user of Vellum (I found it a lot less hassle and better in results to the other options, especially Scrivener), I'd also suggest, if you're uploading to Booksprout, Storyorigin, Bookfunnel and other such places, try splitting the book in two with a note at the beginning of the ARC explaining why and where to get the second/first half in case they missed it.

If you're planning on using Netgalley, they tend to like the epub version (I usually give them the Kobo version over the generic epub) so you can give it away as one file as intended there.

Good luck.

Drae wrote: "What were the sizes of the images once compressed? Perhaps they didn't compress properly?

Make sure the image files are pngs first, as this naturally compresses when compared to jpegs, and then ca..."

Okay, will try that. I think I compressed from the original tif files.

Once you set the BPI of a picture and save it, initially, it can't be compressed when you make it part of the manuscript because it is compressed. That's the entire purpose of JPG, or PNG, or...

So add up the size of all your photo files and I think you'll find that's the culprit.

Think about the size of the picture the user will see and set the DPI for that, not a wall-sized photo. If it's going to be viewed on a tablet, for example, and not as full screen, you can probably get by with 150 or 300 DPI.

Jay wrote: "So add up the size of all your photo files and I think you'll find that's the culprit."

Up-date. Compressed png down to 9.4mb total from 34mb and before that 120mb. Size of mobi using each set more or less the same (in fact, slightly larger with most compressed).

Boh, as the Italians say.

Drae wrote: "try splitting the book in two with a note at the beginning of the ARC explaining why and where to get the second/first half in case they missed it."

Interesting idea. So you create two mobis and with those produce two ARCs. Can I ask how you explain where to get the second part when, at the point of manufacture, you won't know the releveant link? I mean, is it just a matter of advising them that the second half will be there on that service?

Hmmm, both parts still exceed the 10mb limit on Booksprout

Up-date. Compressed png down to 9.4mb total from 34mb and before that 120mb.

There is no lossless compression for pictures. What you did was reduce the resolution. Were you to show both before and after on a large screen you'd see the difference. The reduced size shot would be pixilated on the large screen. The trick is that on a small screen you don't see it. Just be sure to view it on the size screen the reader will have to be certain there's no problem.

If you could simply compress and lose nothing they would have already done it to save space when it was created.

Jay wrote: "There is no lossless compression for pictures. What you did was reduce the resolution. Were you to show both before and..."

Indeed.

And, more to the point, using smaller, lower resolution images made no difference to the total size of the mobi, only deleting them did - but deletion is not an option as the ARC would no longer represent the product on sale.