Earlier this week I took three packages to the post office and shipped them all at the ultra-cheap “book rate.” (It has its origins in the Founding Fathers’ belief in the freedom of the press.) Actually this rate is called Media Mail now:
Small and large packages and thick envelopes can be sent domestically using Media Mail. Contents are limited to books, manuscripts, sound recordings, and certain other educational materials. Formerly called “Book Rate”, Media Mail cannot contain advertising, except eligible books may contain incidental announcements of books.
The clerk questioned me (read: gave me the stink-eye) because clearly it’s Christmas and she assumed I was shipping gifts. And I was.
“I work in the publishing industry,” I told her, feeling very righteously indignant. “I’m an editor. Everyone on my gift list gets books.” And so I was allowed to ship everything—and I was careful not to include anything but books—at the low-low Media Mail rate.
All that to say this: you, too, could be shipping all your gifts at the Low-low Media Rate. Books always make good gifts, even for people who aren’t necessarily capital-R Readers. Books come in all shapes and sizes and categories. As you know.
It’s been awhile since I wrote a gift-giving idea post, so today I’m just going to recap posts I’ve written in years past.
The Twelve Books of Christmas (suggestions for guys, gals, everybody)
Giving the Gift of Imagination (some books are just magic)
Some of My Favorite Nonfiction
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (Christmas books for kids)
A List of Epistolary Novels (stories told in letters)
The Circle of Life (books for the very young)
OverLooked Irish Novels (I’ve now read them all)
Magical Realism (a list)
Finding the One Magic Book (great reads for nonreaders)
My Favorite Book This Year
My Favorite Book v. 2013
The Christmas Book
The Way We Were (memoir)
Movies for Writers (not books but …)
This should be enough to get you started. 🙂
Tweet: You, too, could be shipping all your gifts at the Low-low Media Rate!
Tweet: Books always make good gifts, even for people who aren’t necessarily capital-R Readers.
Tweet: I work in the publishing industry. I’m an editor. Everyone on my gift list gets books.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”