how to mail your zine

[Jerianne]

I finally had some time this weekend to finish up the updates to the Zinester’s Guide to U.S. Mail (PDF), in light of the changes to Bound Printed Matter. This guide covers the various options U.S. zine publishers can use for mailing within the U.S. and internationally, including detailed information about First Class, Media Mail, and Bound Printed Matter. The new version of the guide now also includes a section about using Parcel Post.

You can also download a 1-page Postal Rates sheet from the Zine World website; it has rates for sending First Class mail within the U.S. and internationally, according to various sizes and weights.

Edited to add: I forgot to say -- I'd love to hear any postal tips that anyone else has to offer! The tip about using PayPal to print postage labels was something I only found out about a couple of months ago.

[Emma Stronach]

You can print postage labels from Paypal? That is so cool!

I've heard about the US rate change, really feel for you guys. What sort of an impact has it had? What is the increase in cost? Sorry, I'm just curious.

[Jerianne]

Well, it used to be that you weighed your envelope and you applied whatever the postage is for that weight (up to about 1 pound, then you either had to send by expensive priority mail or cheap but slow options like parcel post). Now you have to check not only the weight but the size of the envelope. For example, a 3 oz zine mailed in a 6x9 inch envelope costs $.76. The same zine in a 6.5x9.5 inch envelope costs $1.17. Regular letter-size envelopes are a little cheaper to mail than they were; larger envelopes cost more. Packages -- which includes envelopes that are more than 3/4 inch thick -- cost much much more. There are also more nonmachinable surcharge criteria. Basically, it was a big pain in the ass to get used to.

Emma Stronach said:

You can print postage labels from Paypal? That is so cool!

I've heard about the US rate change, really feel for you guys. What sort of an impact has it had? What is the increase in cost? Sorry, I'm just curious.

[Emma Stronach]

Pain in the arse indeed, sounds like a mess. We're supposed to have all those sorts of rules here, but most post offices don't care what you send as long as you write "booklet" on the little custom form that we have.

[Ericfishlegs]

Yeah, so last week I go to the PO to mail a stack of zines. It cost me 1.17 apiece to mail them which I didn't like, but I figured I was just getting screwed over by the new regulations. So just today I go to mail some zines and the woman at the counter checks the size of the envelope against a little chart they have and as a result this stack only cost me .77 apiece to mail. Now if I have to may more because they changed the system that's fine. I don't like it but there's not a hell of a lot I can do. But having to pay an extra .40 apiece because the woman at the counter didn't feel like checking her little chart... now that kinda pisses me off. So if you're using a 6 x 9 envelope don't be afraid to call them on it if they try and charge you a higher rate.

Jerianne said:

Well, it used to be that you weighed your envelope and you applied whatever the postage is for that weight (up to about 1 pound, then you either had to send by expensive priority mail or cheap but slow options like parcel post). Now you have to check not only the weight but the size of the envelope. For example, a 3 oz zine mailed in a 6x9 inch envelope costs $.76. The same zine in a 6.5x9.5 inch envelope costs $1.17. Regular letter-size envelopes are a little cheaper to mail than they were; larger envelopes cost more. Packages -- which includes envelopes that are more than 3/4 inch thick -- cost much much more. There are also more nonmachinable surcharge criteria. Basically, it was a big pain in the ass to get used to.

Emma Stronach said:

You can print postage labels from Paypal? That is so cool!

I've heard about the US rate change, really feel for you guys. What sort of an impact has it had? What is the increase in cost? Sorry, I'm just curious.

[hiddendoors]

If you're sending a large zine or a large stack of zines to the same person, I wonder if you could send it by media mail?

[Jerianne]

If it's going to weigh more 10 oz., yes, I'd go for Media Mail.

hiddendoors said:

If you're sending a large zine or a large stack of zines to the same person, I wonder if you could send it by media mail?