How to pack books to send to someone we love? Books can be sent by a trusted expedition agency . Before sending it, we recommend the textbooks that we pack neatly.
Clean the book. If the cover is uncoated paper, you may be able to use an eraser to remove some smudges, but be gentle.
- Protect the package from moisture. When the cover has dried, wrap the book(s) in some kind of plastic in case the box gets stuck under a drain spout at some point along the way.
- The plastic sleeves in which newspapers are delivered to homes are the right size for most books. Put the book in the bag, fold over the top of the bag, and seal it with packaging tape.
- Don't over-tape; use just enough to tape down the edges. (It's a nuisance if the recipient has to cut off yards of tape to get to the book.) Then wrap the book in bubble wrap for additional protection.
Add any letter or card you want the recipient to get.
- To qualify for the Media Mail rate in the United States, which is the best shipping rate the U.S. Post Office offers for books, don't add personal letters or non-book items, or you'll have to pay the higher Parcel Post or Priority rates. Mail a card by itself and tell the person that a book is coming separately. (The card usually arrives first.)For other countries, ask your post office for advice on parcel costs.
- If you didn't include a commercial packing slip, write a duplicate address label to include inside the box in case the original label is torn off or becomes otherwise unreadable.
Consider sending a paperback book in a padded envelope. A box is still the best packaging container to use, especially if the book is valuable or sentimental to either you or the recipient.
However, paperbacks don't have the overhanging covers and exposed corners that hardbacks do, so they travel better in envelopes than do hardcovers.
- Use a box that is larger than the book. For hardcovers, find a cardboard box that is a little larger than the book. In the United States, if you don't mind paying the higher Priority Mail rate, you can use the Priority Mail boxes that the post office provides free (it's a service you get for paying more).
But if you use the free Priority boxes, you won't be eligible for the cheaper Media Mail rate.
Make a reused box look fresh. If you're reusing a box, you can make it look nice for the recipient by turning it inside out. Just find the spot where the box is glued together. Usually, it's just one seam. You can separate that seam with a butter knife, turn the box inside out, and retape that seam.Voilà ! You have a nice, clean box. If you want to reuse a box but don't (or can't) turn it inside out, scribble through the old addresses, labels, and markings with a big marker, or put adhesive stickers over them.
Tape the bottom. Don't weave the flaps of a box together to avoid using tape when you're shipping books; it's not as secure.
- Fold the small side flaps in, then close the large flaps so they meet perfectly and tape the seam with packaging tape or strapping tape.Leave plenty of overhang for the tape to go up the sides of the box, which makes it stronger. Taping the flaps of the box instead of folding provides additional security to the package and keeps the box in better shape.
- Add packing material. Set the box right side up, with the top open. Layer the inside bottom of the box with some packaging material -- packing peanuts, air bags, Styrofoam, crumpled plastic grocery bags, or crushed newspaper as a last resort (newspaper is relatively heavy and adds to the shipping cost).
- After the bottom of the box is filled in, set the book (wrapped in multiple layers of plastic bubble wrap) on the layer of packing material. Fill in the space around the book with more packing material, then fill the box to the top. You want the book to stay firmly in the middle of the box and not slide around.
- Can the book still shift? The key is to close the flaps of the box when you finish packing, but don't seal it yet. Shake the box. If you can feel or hear rustling or movement, add more packing material until the box is packed just enough to prevent any movement within.This will protect the book from getting beaten up, no matter what handling the box receives.
- Write the address, or put an address label, on the top flap of the box before you tape it closed.
- To make delivery faster and more accurate, you can look up the 9-digit zip code under 'Find a ZIP Code' on the US Postal Service website.
- Write in ballpoint pen so the address won't smear if it gets wet, then cover the address (or label) with clear packing tape.
- Tape the box closed. Tape the top seam with one long piece of tape, then put tape over all the side seams to strengthen the box.
- Take the package to the post office. Ask for the best postal rates for your zone and area but be sure to compare with tracked and insured postage as well, especially if what you're sending is valuable in the event of loss or damage.
- If you want to see how smart you are, ask the clerk the difference between Media Mail and Priority Mail rates. Wow! If you qualify for Media Mail rates, you saved a lot of money!
TIPS:
- Double box the books. Pack them neatly and secured in one cardboard box then repeat the process leaving a space between the two boxes. One way to do this is to use bubble wrap just in the corners to protect the box with the books.
- You want the book to arrive undamaged. Damage usually happens to the corners of hardcover books, which can get bent (or "bumped," as they say in the book trade). The book should be packaged so that the cardboard box takes any damage, instead of the book itself.
- Many commercial bookstores have extra packing material that they will give you if you ask nicely. Ask for a lot, and keep the extra in a trash bag ready to pour into boxes when you need to ship something. Crumpled plastic bags from a grocery store can also fill the spaces inexpensively.
- Sometimes with small books, the Priority Rate will be close to the Media Mail rate, and it will be worth it to upgrade to Priority. The book will arrive a lot sooner, thus with less time to be damaged in transit.
- Ask for a "zero postage strip" at the post office if you use stamps. This proves that you gave your book to a human and it won't get sent back to you for being over the weight limit.
- Shipping Assistant requires you to use Delivery Confirmation, but it only charges a few cents for this service (and it's free with priority mail). PayPal also has a nice shipping system.
- First class mail is good if you can afford it, but only works for lighter books.
- Know your postage rates; before you pack.
WARNINGS:
- If you sell books on the Internet, make sure the buyer has no complaint. It isn't the post office's fault if a book arrives damaged if the sender didn't package it properly. Media Mail shipping can take two weeks, which is two weeks for the package to be dropped, kicked, or stacked with dozens of other heavy boxes.
- If you have a preprinted adhesive address label with a bar code, you don't need to cover it with tape, which can make it more difficult to scan. But if your label was printed on plain white computer paper, it may tear in transit, so you should tape down the entire label, covering it with clear packing tape.
You will need:
- Padded envelope (for paperbacks)
- A box bigger than the book (for hardcovers/paperbacks)
- Bubble wrap
- Plastic sleeve or clear plastic to cover the book
- Packing material such as packing peanuts or Styrofoam
- Strapping tape or packaging tape
- Scissors
- Eraser
- Windex
- Paper towel
- Lighter fluid
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