I don't know if it's the best, but I use 300dpi, then downsize my images to 700 pixels vertical size. This should come close to the maximum size allowed in the online db.

Others may use higher resolutions locally, but for me 700 pixels is a good size.

Regards.

Submitted scans will be reduced to a max size of 500x700 pixels (the standard cover is about 5x7 inches so think of it as 100 DPI if you like).

What you scan in at would probably be higher.  I set mine at 600 DPI (about 3500 x 4200 pixels) when scanning to grab more detail.  I then use 3rd party tools to reduce the size, clean up and tweak the image before finally reducing the size to 500x700 for submission.  I save them at twice that size for local use.

And submitted scans are also limited (reduced) to under 200,000 bytes (195-196K) if they aren't that small when submitted.

Edit: see also this thread or
this thread

Just to be clear (and as DJ shows in his example) because the maximum size is 700x500 that is a maximum for BOTH dimensions so it will compress any scan over the maximum in either height or width. Eg a 480x702 pixel scan will be compressed down to 479x700.

FWIW I find about 96dpi keeps a scan under that size, but personally use about 388dpi (ie. 4 times as much) and then resize.

Hey ... I think I have something to add here ... I've had some of these accepted.  Mostly all kids DVDs though.    My accepted method in the house:

1.  Scan in through Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.  The only special setting, I think, is that I changed the DPI to 300.  (For what it's worth, before I got PE6, the utility in Profiler worked very well for me.)
2.  Fill in rounded corners, check for obvious problems and fix them.  (I had one slip cover that had a significant crease in it, and I was able to "remove" it.)
3.  After I'm all done, I resize to a height to 700 pixels.

I notice that my scans come out a *bit* on the dark side.  But I think they end up looking pretty good and I seem to get some yes votes.

Rink