Shipping information

Shipping information for magazines and books

Our shipping and handling charge normally is made up of four compnents, added together — the cost of shipping, a shipping surcharge, the cost of packaging materials, and a handling charge.

For shipping single or sometimes even two or three copies of magazines, I prefer to use Priority Mail. The strong cardboard Priority Mail envelopes are available free from the Postal Service and provide good protection and quick delivery at a reasonable price. The postage for U.S. destinations is $4.60 up to the capacity of the flat-rate envelope. If we can use a flat-rate Priority Mail box, the postage is $9.15 regardless of weight. If we use Priority Mail we can use free envelopes or boxes from the Postal Service, so in those cases we do not charge for packaging. If we use a flat-rate envelope or box, our handling charge is fifty cebts (otherwise one dollar) for U.S. destinations.

For destinations outside the U.S., Priority Mail International is US$9.00 to Canada and Mexico, and US$11.00 to most other countries for everything that will fit in the flat-rate envelope up to a maximum of four pounds (about 1¾ kilograms). Please note that if the shipment will not fit in a standard Postal Service flat-rate envelope the postage will depend upon the weight.

Express Mail (in the U.S.) and Express Mail International (outside the U.S.) provides safer and faster service, but at somewhat higher cost.

For weights over four pounds to U.S. destinations, Media Mail is cheapest for books or Bound Printed Matter for magazines, least secure, and slowest; Express Mail is fastest, safest, and most expensive; and Priority Mail is a good compromise of speed, safety, and cost. Please note that although Media Mail or Bound Printed Matter is cheapest, we can not use free postal service envelopes and will probably have to charge for the packaging (see Packaging Costs).

For weights over four pounds to destinations outside the U.S. postal system, The lowest cost is First Class Mail International, the next higher cost is Priority Mail International, and the most expensive is Express Mail International. Rates depend on the country of destination, and some services are not available to some countries.

Click here for details about the shipping surcharge.

Click here for details about packaging costs.

Click here for details about handling fees.

Click here for details about postal insurance.

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