Monday, March 31, 2008
So, late last week, I'm at the post office, using one of their awesome automated machines to send some copies of Perfect You to librarians when I think "Hey, the line isn't very long--why don't I run one over and mail it the old-fashioned way, to celebrate the fact that I don't ever have to do it again!"
You can probably guess what's coming.
Apparently, all the books I'd just gotten ready--and dropped in the mailing bin--using the automated kiosk, had been labeled as packages instead of parcels (apparently there's something like a quarter-inch difference between them in terms of height (!)) and so I actually needed to spend an extra 33 cents on postage for each one.
Yes, that's right. So I had to ask someone to come out, open the mailing bin, pull out all the books I'd just so happily put postage on--and then wait in line to add 33 cents worth of postage to each one.
I'm not sure who was more upset*: the people in line behind me, who had to watch as I purchased---and then had to apply 33 cents worth of stamps to EVERY package so the person working behind the counter could hand cancel them, the postal worker who had to do this, or me, who has now learned a very valuable lesson.
When one is mailing items through the post office always, always, pick the parcel option when mailing books. Not package. Parcel.
In other news, congrats to Lisa McMann, whose awesome novel Wake just made the NYT bestseller list. YAY!!!!!
Oh! And over the weekend, I totally found--and got--what's going to be the big prize in the Stealing Heaven contest. I wanted to do something different, and so this contest won't be like the one I'm running for Perfect You--it's going to have a different format altogether. Anyway! Here's what I found--I think it's perfect because a. it's silver. b. it totally represents something from the end of the book (IMO) and c. it also represents two characters. Plus, it's so pretty!!!! (Also, they really know how to package something so it looks AWESOME at Tiffany--tissue paper and pretty boxes and bows--I so want to open it, but I can't, because it's not for me, it's for one of you! Though I may end up buying one for myself because I really do love it)
And, of course, I have some links:
Writing Tips from Dutton's Children's Books -- make sure you check out "Questions Every Aspiring Author Should Ask"
Sarah Monette writes yet another fascinating essay--this time, about her writing process
Two authors weigh in on art and craft in writing -- Different viewpoints, and both are fascinating reading.
Agent in the Middle on why some published authors can't find agents
I know I'm always talking about the Melissa Michaels essay that I think everyone should read--and now I have another one for you. Alma Alexander writes about the midlist blues
(*I suspect the people in line behind me win the 'who was more upset' contest, because there I was, with postage-ready packages....only they weren't postage ready!)
You can probably guess what's coming.
Apparently, all the books I'd just gotten ready--and dropped in the mailing bin--using the automated kiosk, had been labeled as packages instead of parcels (apparently there's something like a quarter-inch difference between them in terms of height (!)) and so I actually needed to spend an extra 33 cents on postage for each one.
Yes, that's right. So I had to ask someone to come out, open the mailing bin, pull out all the books I'd just so happily put postage on--and then wait in line to add 33 cents worth of postage to each one.
I'm not sure who was more upset*: the people in line behind me, who had to watch as I purchased---and then had to apply 33 cents worth of stamps to EVERY package so the person working behind the counter could hand cancel them, the postal worker who had to do this, or me, who has now learned a very valuable lesson.
When one is mailing items through the post office always, always, pick the parcel option when mailing books. Not package. Parcel.
In other news, congrats to Lisa McMann, whose awesome novel Wake just made the NYT bestseller list. YAY!!!!!
Oh! And over the weekend, I totally found--and got--what's going to be the big prize in the Stealing Heaven contest. I wanted to do something different, and so this contest won't be like the one I'm running for Perfect You--it's going to have a different format altogether. Anyway! Here's what I found--I think it's perfect because a. it's silver. b. it totally represents something from the end of the book (IMO) and c. it also represents two characters. Plus, it's so pretty!!!! (Also, they really know how to package something so it looks AWESOME at Tiffany--tissue paper and pretty boxes and bows--I so want to open it, but I can't, because it's not for me, it's for one of you! Though I may end up buying one for myself because I really do love it)
And, of course, I have some links:
Writing Tips from Dutton's Children's Books -- make sure you check out "Questions Every Aspiring Author Should Ask"
Sarah Monette writes yet another fascinating essay--this time, about her writing process
Two authors weigh in on art and craft in writing -- Different viewpoints, and both are fascinating reading.
Agent in the Middle on why some published authors can't find agents
I know I'm always talking about the Melissa Michaels essay that I think everyone should read--and now I have another one for you. Alma Alexander writes about the midlist blues
(*I suspect the people in line behind me win the 'who was more upset' contest, because there I was, with postage-ready packages....only they weren't postage ready!)
posted at
12:51 PM
4 comments
links to this post
