Shipping, Packaging, and Handling Costs
a.k.a. The Mysterious World of the US Postal Service
The following list breaks down the costs of shipping.
Envelopes are 30 - 40 cents each.
"Handling" is $1 per order. Handling always seemed silly to me as a consumer, but now that I see Mom walking each package to the post office, or driving the big orders to UPS, I see the reason to charge for it. Sometimes we round off a little bit to get whole numbers.
Media mail in the U.S. = $4. This includes $2.89 actual shipping, plus the envelope and handling. I round down to keep the numbers simple.
Priority mail: As of 2012, there is a flat rate envelope we can use in the U.S. It costs $6.30. This includes $5.30 actual shipping and $1 handling. (Priority mail includes an envelope.)
As of 2012, there are two reasonably-priced options for international shipping. (There is a exorbinantly-priced 3-5 day option, as well.)
1. Priority Mail Flat Rate envelope = $18. This envelope can hold 1 or 2 books. The postage is $16.95, which includes the envelope. The handling is $1. I round up five cents because it is easier. This takes 6 to 10 business days. Note that to Canada, this option is only $14.
2. First Class International = varies by country. Canada is $7.90 ($6.60 shipping, $0.30 envelope, $1 handling). Many countries are $14.50 ($13.17 shipping, $0.30 envelope, $1 handling). The delivery time "varies by country." Most books seem to arrive within 2 weeks. One order (to Mexico) took 6 weeks, though, so we wait 8 weeks before we consider the books lost.
Here's an idea: save money on shipping by buying multiple books! In 2011, we sent 22 books to Spain, in packages of 8 and 7 to avoid import taxes. Our Spanish customer posted about the book on his bread listserve, and 21 people responded. They made arrangements to distribute the books when they arrived. The package of 8 cost about $52; then we discovered a "flat rate" box option and fit 8 books in for $43.45, just over $5 a book. Let us know if you are interested, and we can find rates for your country.