How to send a STAMPED self addressed envelope to another country?

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Sam Stephens

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Hi,

I'm getting ready to send my submission from Australia off to a UK agent, and I need to include a stamped self-addressed envelope.

Does anyone have any tips about how I would get a UK postage stamp so that my envelope can make it's return journey?

Thanks!
Sam
 

Deccydiva

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I think you can get something like an International reply coupon - apologies if this is not the exact name - which allows you to pay for return postage in another currency. Someone should be along shortly with a proper answer!
I'm fortunate, although Ireland is on the Euro, an hour's drive takes me over the border with Northern Ireland which is in the UK so I can buy postage stamps there for submissions sent to UK Agents!
 

aka eraser

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Yep, if you can't get stamps from a foreign country (and nowadays, thanks to this loverly Interweb thingy, I believe you can) hie yourself over to your local post office and buy International Reply coupons instead.
 

Sam Stephens

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Thank you everyone for all your help!

It seems Australia Post don't offer International Reply Coupons anymore, and the grumpy lady at the local office insisted there is no way to do this.

I might check out the UK's mail website and see if they have any options.

Meanwhile, if anyone else has managed to do this before, please let me know!

Thanks again,
Sam
 

Atlantis

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Thank you everyone for all your help!

It seems Australia Post don't offer International Reply Coupons anymore, and the grumpy lady at the local office insisted there is no way to do this.

I might check out the UK's mail website and see if they have any options.

Meanwhile, if anyone else has managed to do this before, please let me know!

Thanks again,
Sam

What? I live in WA. I hope to hell the person in that store was wrong. If they have stopped selling those things its going to make life much more difficult for writers in Australia. God. What a pain in the butt. Now I'm going to have go online...buy forgein stamps...wait two weeks for them to arrive...compared to going down the shops and getting an international exchange coupon. Thank god for e-queries.
 

Edmontonian

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I asked a co-worker

I asked a co-worker and friend who lives in Ireland and they asked a relative in the UK to send me in Canada some British stamps. If you don't know anyone in the U.K. who can do you this favour, try buying U.K. stamps over the internet, just make sure they are in mint conditions and can be used for international postage.

Thanks,

ED
 

waylander

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You can buy UK stamps from Royal Mail, but you have to buy large quantities - at least 50 I think.
Don't know what the standard airmail letter rate is to Aus, but I can find out.
I've heard it said that you can only buy US stamps on the net if you have a US address to send them to - anyone got experience of this
 

Sam Stephens

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I found on RoyalMail.com that you can buy postage and print it out yourself - I was about to do so, but then noticed that you need to use them within 7 days.

I contacted the agent again, and they've said they're happy to reply via email and recycle the submission, so that'll be fine for this submission.


It's a great idea getting friends in the country to mail you stamps, though!

cheers
Sam
 

Mac H.

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Many agents don't take IRCs.

Why on earth would they? The whole point of a SASE is that it just takes a moment to reply - print a reply, put it in the envelope and dump the envelope in the stack to drop off at the post box.

"Just takes a moment to reply" is very different to "Stand in line at the post office for half an hour".

To quote one example (Miss Snark) :

Guess how much I hate IRCs?
no, guess again...more.
No...MORE.
You're close, but still not close enough.


IRCs mean you have to go to the post office. Then you stand in line.
Then the clerk is clueless, has to call the superviser and they still are clueless.

Suck it up. Buy a stamp.
Ref: http://misssnark.blogspot.com/2006/01/international-reply-coupons.html

Mac
 

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I get US stamps by writing to the Postmaster General at a Post Office in Spokane. I send a cheque, ask for a varied denomination of stamps, and they send them to me. I can also buy US stamps using the same method from Canada Post in Ottawa. The only thing with buying from Ottawa is that they'll send you their philately magazine every few months. More junk mail.

The same thing should work if you contact a post office in London. The addresses should be on the Internet.
 

ishtar'sgate

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Thank you everyone for all your help!

It seems Australia Post don't offer International Reply Coupons anymore, and the grumpy lady at the local office insisted there is no way to do this.

I might check out the UK's mail website and see if they have any options.

Meanwhile, if anyone else has managed to do this before, please let me know!

Thanks again,
Sam
Living in Canada I run into the same problem when sending things to the US. International Reply Coupons aren't accepted so I simply tell friends in the US I need postage and pay them to send me what I need. It's a hassle but I don't see any way around it.
 

Chumplet

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First, I got my dad to send me some stamps when he visited the States. Then I asked my brother to send me some.

Then I discovered the Internet. I can use my credit card and order any kind of stamps from the USPS. A little research and it's easy to find out what amount to put on your envelope.

Those 'forever stamps' come in handy because you can still use them when the postage has gone up in January.

Considering how many queries I sent and how many rejections I received, it should be easy to use them all up, so buy plenty. You can always write off the expense if you're keeping track of that sort of stuff.

I'm sure the British Post will have the same setup, and send stamps anywhere in the world.

I still have an IRC sitting in my desk. I've never had the nerve to use it, after Miss Snark's rant.
 

waylander

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If anyone wants UK stamps, PM me and we'll sort it out
 

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The root problem is that the publishing industry is upside down. It's 2008 and the entire industry acts like it's 1952.
 
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