When people strongly desire a particular creative outcome, they often fall victim to scammers willing to take full advantage of that longing. That is particularly true in the world of book publishing, where predators abound.

Here at Imagine Communications, we’ve helped dozens of authors successfully get their books to market, some of whom had been previously burned by other companies. One client paid a national firm a considerable amount to professionally edit their manuscript, only to discover the finished book was rife with errors. Another’s book was of such inferior physical quality that the binding fell apart soon after printing. In the book world, “buyer beware” is truly the name of the game.

Not all engagements are salvage operations. Sometimes we get involved from the very beginning. A handful of clients have approached us with outstanding ideas but no idea how to write them. In those instances, we’ve provided ghostwriting services, interviewing them for as many as 20 hours before crafting their thoughts into a cogent narrative. Others just need a particular service, whether it’s proofreading, typesetting, cover design, printing or simply consultation to guide them through the publishing jungle in one piece.

Of course, goals differ. A few clients covet a spot on the New York Times bestseller list. For them, we do our best to keep expectations realistic. Can it happen? Sure. Is it likely? About as likely as winning the lottery.

Others want a keepsake for family and friends. One older gentleman printed 500 books to be handed out at his memorial service. (Yes, he expected a large turnout.)

No matter the intention, our mission is to provide clients with a book — fiction, nonfiction, business, memoir, children’s, technical, what have you — at a fair price and every bit as good as the ones coming out of the big publishing houses.

We can’t guarantee a spot on the New York Times bestseller list. But we can guarantee a final product to be proud of.