Shipping and Mailing
Make Shipping Easier
One of the things I least looked forward to becoming an author was the prospect of spending a lot of time at the Post Office. The threats of this drove me to distraction until recently when I discovered that the reason everyone was spending so much time at the Post Office was because they did not have the secret of Media Mail from home.
PayPal has a magical tool:
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_ship-now
In addition to doing USPS it can link to your UPS account. While your regular USPS account can help with flat rate and Priority Mail this is the magic trick for Media Mail.
The rules of Media Mail are simple: It has to be a book or recording and it can’t have advertisements. It’s can’t be anything really beyond the things described and it is subject to search so if you try to throw in anything extra there’s a chance they’ll charge your recipient the difference.
This tool was originally tied into eBay which is how I learned about it. My last job did a LOT of eBay toward the end and we got really good at it.
Make Mailing Impactful
In addition to this super helpful trick, my last job taught me not to waste an opportunity to make memory. If you have to mail something, do your best to make it an occasion.
If you have to buy pad packs (which I always recommend) consider getting them in a color that matches your cover or your site.
If you can’t do Media Mail because of the swag you’re throwing in, fill the space with something fun. (I like to throw boxes of nerds in mine because they keep stuff from moving around AND match my book theme.)
I have a small tissue paper addiction (yes, that’s a thing) so if I do put in filler paper, it’s the same color as my cover.
When in doubt, draw on the package.
It’s always little things that stand out to people, and if you’re taking the time to mail, consider making it that much more memorable in a sea of brown paper packages.
Supplies That Make Life Easier
So if you do a lot of mailing here’s some of the supplies I live by:
#2 Pad Pack Mailers - They’re the perfect size for hard cover books
Full Sheet Sticker Paper - Make things easy on yourself, print the label right on a sticker and avoid the taping nightmare.
Dymo XL Label Writer - If you do a Kickstarter or need to mail a LOT consider getting one of these suckers instead of the paper. You’ll thank me later.
USPS Flat Rate Mailers - When you use the online shipper anything you can fit inside these suckers is $7.55 in 1-3 Business Days. (Also known as the eBayer’s best friend.) Having a bunch of these on hand make a swag giveaway easy and USPS sends them to you for free!
I hope these tricks help!!!