Like my friend Lorie, I read comics and manga and then write blurbs for a comic book database company. These blurbs are not to be confused with reviews. They're merely for informational purposes.

This, in itself, is not interesting. However, I always have a rollicking good time at the post office once I've completed an assignment.

So the editor at ComicBase always sends me the books and comics via media mail, and expects me to ship it back via media mail. And let me tell you, I always intend to ship the box back via media mail, but I get stymied every time.

I remember the first time I tried to ship something media mail (I think a book someone bought from me on Amazon) and I go to the post office and they're all like, "The package has to be open in order to receieve the media mail rate."

Me, "Sure. Whatever."

They open it and ruin my beautiful taping job. So I learn for the next time: bring tape to post office since package has to be open.

So when I start working for ComicBase, I foolishly did that the first time. Silly me, I thought books would be easily shipped via media mail.

I approach the counter.

Me, "This package needs to be shipped media mail. I left it open so you can inspect it."

Postal Worker rifles through and pulls out the bound manga books to get to the comic books underneath. "These don't qualify for media mail."

So here's the little production I go through every time I go to the post office. I get confused about how comics aren't media mail and make them show me their media mail policy:

"Generally used for books (at least eight pages), film (16 mm or narrower),
printed music, printed test materials, video and sound recordings,
playscripts, printed educational charts, loose-leaf pages and binders
consisting of medical information, and computer-readable media. Books may
contain no advertising other than incidental announcements of other books. "

Me, "But it says media mail is used for books that are at least 8 pages. And
comics are always like 20-30 pages, if not more."

Postal Worker, "That doesn't count for comics."

Me, "Why not?"

Postal Worker, "Because they contain advertising for things other than
books. Like milk and Xbox."

And that's where they get me, because they're right. I can only think of one
comic this time around (Deity: Requiem) that didn't have a single
advertisement in it.

Postal Worker, "You can ship the books [she means, it's always a she: the bound manga books] for the media mail rate, and ship the comics separately. Or we can calculate the books for the media mail rate, then calculate the rate for the
comics, add those together and then ship the package."

I always take the second option. I make them calculate it to make sure I'm not getting ripped off.

Once the clerks have added everything up, it always turns out that sending
the box priority mail is always cheaper by like 80 cents or so. So I go with that.

The post office has no objections to shipping the bound books (the manga) via media mail. It's in their policy that they have to comply. However, it's the comics they refuse to ship at the media mail rate.

But here's where it gets really interesting.

When I informed the editor about the situation, here's what she instructed me to do the first time.


"Whether comics count as media mail or commercial items really depends on how nitpicky your post office server is. It doesn't make sense for them to set rules about what media rate is, and then not follow it, but I once had a post office worker threaten that they'd open my package to check whether the items qualified. The plucky answer would be, "Bring it on!" but your best bet to avoiding media rate hazards is to just 1) package and secure the books in a snug box before bringing it to the post office (you can use the same one I send you, which will have a return address label included), and 2) tell them the contents are all books. Since you will probably be getting a decent share of manga for each set anyway (for some reason, comics count as books when they're collected, but not as individual monthlies), this won't really be much of a stretch. (To finish the post office story: I eventually convinced my snarky server that I was shipping books, because most of the comics were trade paperbacks and looked the part.)

"In any case, you will be reimbursed $5 for shipping with each paycheck, so that will still cover your costs for this round, but in the future, the boxes will be weighing in at 4-5 pounds, and that's when you'll definitely want to make sure you get the media rate shipping."

I have done exactly what she says. I take my box of books happily and snuggly taped up and tell them it's books. They threaten to open, and I say, "Go ahead." Show no fear, right? But the same scenario played out again today. I won't re-type it because it is word-for-word what happened. It always is.

I informed the editor at ComicBase that not even her plucky suggestion could deter the post office and she responded.


Your postal worker needs to read their own rules regarding postal regulations. Comic books fall into their narrow definition of media mail. The key phrase here is "incidental announcements of books," which are pretty much what most of the advertising is about (esp. with manga). We've never had any problems with any of our shipments, nor have any of our writers really run across this problem. Either you have to completely, utterly, totally insist upon this point, or find a better post office to serve you, because I do absolutely need to enforce our limit on postal reimbursements.

So that statement above is what prompted me to reply to the editor's e-mail with essentially what I've said here. At first I was irate because how dare she insinuate that I haven't done everything in my power to obtain the media mail rate. What am I supposed to do? Humiliate myself in some fashion so they take pity on me or get fed up with me and cave to the media mail rate? I asked the editor in my reply, "So they have no objections to shipping the bound books (the manga). It's the comics they refuse to ship at the media mail rate. If you want to tell me how to argue the bit about the advertising, I'd love to hear it."

Because seriously, there's not another post office within walking distance that I can use, and I shouldn't have to inconvenience myself and go to another post office to make $5 a blurb. It's not worth the hassle for me to try to pull one over the post office. Because that seems like what the editor is trying to get me to do.

( 2comments )

at June 13, 2005 9:09 PM  Lorie said...

I agree that the editor didn't give you the best suggestions, but ultimately, if they don't let you send it media mail, you're out $1.80. I guess that amount isn't worth fighting for to me.

But then, this is all so bizarre to me because I've never had anyone question my media mail here in St. Johns. Once they asked if I had included any correspondence in the box, and usually they'll say something like, "What are you sending?" And you know, last time, I'm almost certain that my exact words were, "A bunch of comic books." They've never asked me to open a box or anything like that. (Although apparently someone might be checking my boxes after the fact because I'm most likely the source of the inspected box from Michigan that she mentioned in one of the replies you forwarded to me.)

 

at June 13, 2005 10:00 PM  Samantha said...

I think I'm just going to stop the whole ComicBase thing. I mean, she's asking me to break the law. Just because other post offices around the country don't ask doesn't mean that it's right that you guys are able to take advantage of their incompetence, but ultimatly if the post office workers aren't going to do their job correctly, then all the power to you: Take advantage of lax adherence to rules. But she's telling me to go to another post office and see they're stupid enough to let me send comic books via media mail so that I can take advantage of their incompetence.