3 - How to Pack a Book to Ship

You receive a "Sold! Ship Now!" email from Amazon letting you know the good news - YOUR BOOK SOLD! YAY!! It's always a thrill (even years and years after the first) to see that email show up in my inbox! Now you need to get the book packaged up and off to your buyer.

There are many many ways to pack books for shipping!

I started with the traditional bubble mailers and went on from there - at this time I use a method that I learned from another seller named Fiziwig. I have changed the method to suit me, and I like the finished result.

See pictures of the process.

I really love packing books. So many people love to scout or love other aspects of this biz but I love to pack and ship. This step says your work has been successful - you got paid, your book is ready to go to its new home and you get to make that impression and that presentation to your customer.

I figured out early on that since I can't make my used book any newer (I can clean it up, but frankly it is what it is) I can make the packaging as nice as possible for a good presentation. If my customer bought from me in a brick and mortar store, I would place the book into a bag, hand it over with a smile and a thank you. So all of those elements needed to be in my delivery.

I giftwrap every book. I use a nice heavy brown recycled kraft paper but it has designs on one side - gold stars, or white lace, or flowers, or butterflies, or doggie paws, etc. This started because I felt it held the book well and protected it better, didn't let the covers flap or bend, etc. And it's really pretty. I also buy big bright smiley stickers to put on each wrapped item. I seem to sell quite a few books related to dogs, so the doggie paws paper and doggie stickers go together. I get a LOT of great comments from dog owners who receive those.

The stickers are the smiling face handing you your purchase, and they're also a way to be creative and to entertain myself while packing, frankly. :)

Okay, book is wrapped and has a big bright sticker on it. I print out the packing slip on paper that has a design on one side. Flowers, nice border, something colorful. Those get cut in half (two packing slips to a sheet). The other side is plain white, so I turn it over and print the label and postage on that side. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Book is wrapped. If it's softcover it goes into a plain cardboard sheet that wraps around it. If it's light cardboard or b-flute, I make a book burrito. That's a strip wrapped around it end to end, and a larger strip wrapped around it side to side and taped. It's all protected that way.

If it's hardcover it gets wrapped in foam or in bubble wrap and sealed at the edges with the impulse sealer.

That wrapped book now goes into a clear plastic bag (water resistant, tamper resistant), the label and postage get printed, and the label slips inside the bag. Bag is then sealed and trimmed.

That's if it's Media Mail or First Class Mail. Priority that's small enough to go into a flat rate envelope gets wrapped, stickered, then reinforced with cardboard, slipped into the envelope and sealed with tape across the top and the bottom corners.

Pricey items get wrapped, padded, sealed in bubbles and placed in a box.

My daughter is also a bookseller and I taught her to pack this way. She has a great recent feedback that pretty much sums it up:

5 out of 5: "The books arrived right on time, packaged within an inch of their lives. Each book was individually wrapped with star-printed craft paper and little star stiickers. Thanks for the great books in better than advertised condition and for taking the time to package the books so well."

I usually say a small prayer along the way thanking my angels for this book coming my way and for the sale of it and that it's on the way to the next person. I ask that it will be safely delivered, quickly, and that the person receiving it is very happy to get it, and is able to learn something or find something they need or find direction or comfort or joy in this purchase. Not a big deal, just a small thing I think about as I'm working that applies to all of the books.