Shipping Services
Here are the best resources I’m aware of to purchase your own shipping labels.
Shipstation through Paypal
This is what I use. It requires a Paypal account. I like this because it allows me to ship books (within the US) using media mail, which is the cheapest way to mail books.
Shipstation
I haven’t used Shipstation without the Paypal integration so I’m honestly not sure what the differences are.
Pirate Ship
I haven’t used this myself, but it’s on my radar as a way to get discounted prices for shipping through UPS & USPS.
Packaging
Ideally you want to package up your book babies so they arrive in pristine condition. (Unlike Amazon who chucks a book in a box and hopes for the best.) This means you probably want a rigid or bubble mailer. I’ve used a few different companies, but Eco Enclose is my favorite. If you use Eco Enclose be sure to order a few free samples and make sure the book fits nicely (sometimes it’s hard to account for the thickness of the book when choosing a mailer size.)
Let’s discuss.
Share your reflections or questions about this part of the process below.
Self Pub 101 (Shipping Your Book)