Metered Mail?

Mythica · Mar 16, 2008

I really hope I didn't condemn myself to a rejection..I sent my two partials out on Friday, but it was metered mail instead of stamped. I didn't know there was a difference until today, since I just went to my mom's work and she helped me get it all together. I've just learned reading through a few submission guidelines for different agents that some of them request that you don't send metered mail. Aaah..why do I always find out things like this too late?

Is this an industry standard? The two agents who requested my work are Ginger Clark and Laura Bradford, and I couldn't find anywhere where they specifically requested submissions not to be sent metered mail.

I've chewed three of my nails to shreds worrying about this, and while I'm petrified that I really messed up, it would be best if I knew.

Thanks guys

Tasmin21 · Mar 16, 2008

It's not an industry thing, it's a federal thing. Metered mail can't be mailed from a place other than where it was stamped. (if I understand things correctly) So, you need to put an actual stamp on it so the agent can mail it back to you.

Feathers · Mar 16, 2008

Geez. I've never heard of that. Now I'm worried - how do you know if you didn't send metered mail? All I've ever done is slap on some stamps and send it out.

*starts nibbling on her own stubby nails*

-Feathers

TheChuck · Mar 16, 2008

Metered mail must be mailed from the place it was metered and on the day it was metered. For a SASE for returns, use a stamp. The worst that will happen is return will be send back to the place that mailed it.

Mythica · Mar 16, 2008

Oooh...eep...not good. Well, I did give them alternate ways to get in touch with me, and the queries were emails first, so hopefully if they'd like more material they won't mind sending an email. If they can't send the stuff back to me, it's not a big problem. Thank you!

Feathers, I have to be honest: I have no idea lol. I just heard not to do it and I asked my mom if that's what we did and she said yes, sooo....ack. But we did it through her office, so I'm not sure if that makes a difference. I guess as long as you use stamps, you're okay.

Now that I recall, we actually added a 30 cent stamp to the one Ginger requested since it was heavier than the other. Does it make a difference if it's metered AND there's a stamp?

I have no idea how mail works. I have a postal phobia, so these were the first things I have ever sent through the mail.

Feathers · Mar 16, 2008

Crap. Now I'm going to have to go check out the postal service website to see what the difference is. Darn you, metered mail!

EDIT: Okay, it looks like to send metered mail, you need a machine that prints a type of stamp directly onto the envelope. Apparently it's something a buisness would have to help cut time. I quote this directly from the USPS website:

Postage Meters are postage printing machines or systems for your home or office. Meters print postage directly onto your mailpieces or onto an approved label, which you affix to your mailpiece. You can track postage costs easily

So, I'm guessing your mail got metered because your mom used her workplace mailing system to send it out.

-Feathers

IceCreamEmpress · Mar 16, 2008

You can send a manuscript to an agent by metered mail and that's no problem.

The potential problem is sending a SASE that's metered instead of stamped. The reason is that meter-owners aren't supposed to meter mail with an open date anymore, so if it took several weeks for the agents to read the manuscript and return it to you, the post office might not accept the meter in lieu of a stamp, because it would have been dated too long ago. Then the agents might get charged, and/or the mail might get bounced back to them. This would be a huge inconvenience to them.

So don't meter your SASE. Metering the manuscript is fine. You can also get an open-date return postage printout from the machines or from the service desk at the post office, if you don't want to figure out the regular postage stamps.

JeanneTGC · Mar 16, 2008

To add to what Ice said, it's illegal to send metered mail out on any date other than the one it's metered on (as in, if the meter says 3-17-08, you can't mail it on 3-20-08, or 3-15-08, for that matter). Ergo, if you metered your SASE, that's an envelope that's going into the trash. If you metered your submission and mailed it on the same date, no issues at all.

The Forever Stamps are a wonderful thing. Buy some, use them for your SASEs.

BTW, postal rates presumed to go up in May. Stock up on Forever's now, while they're only .41 each.

benbradley · Mar 16, 2008

Mythica said:
Oooh...eep...not good. Well, I did give them alternate ways to get in touch with me, and the queries were emails first, so hopefully if they'd like more material they won't mind sending an email. If they can't send the stuff back to me, it's not a big problem. Thank you!

Feathers, I have to be honest: I have no idea lol. I just heard not to do it and I asked my mom if that's what we did and she said yes, sooo....ack.

So is this on the envelope you SENT to the agents (which would apparently be okay with the USPS), or the SASE envelopes you included (which would not), or both?

I wonder if agents ask you to use stamps on letters and packages you send to them, because they might consider all metered mail to be bulk/"junk" mail and, uh, throw it all away. With the volume of mail they probably get, I would not be surprised if they did that as a first triage step.

Mythica said:
But we did it through her office, so I'm not sure if that makes a difference. I guess as long as you use stamps, you're okay.

Now that I recall, we actually added a 30 cent stamp to the one Ginger requested since it was heavier than the other. Does it make a difference if it's metered AND there's a stamp?

I have no idea how mail works. I have a postal phobia, so these were the first things I have ever sent through the mail.

Mail works just like Teh Interwebs, only mail uses older, slower pipes.

Just read up at http://usps.com and you'll be an eBay seller in no time!

Tasmin21 · Mar 17, 2008

This is just on the SASE, they don't care how your package got to them.

KTC · Mar 17, 2008

Tasmin21 said:
It's not an industry thing, it's a federal thing. Metered mail can't be mailed from a place other than where it was stamped. (if I understand things correctly) So, you need to put an actual stamp on it so the agent can mail it back to you.

Yep. One of my first submissions was done this way. The kind editor sent the acceptance in his own envelope because he couldn't use my metered envelope. He let me know the error of my ways. We live. We learn.

KTC · Mar 17, 2008

Tasmin21 said:
This is just on the SASE, they don't care how your package got to them.

Exactly. I still meter when sending.

Birol · Mar 17, 2008

benbradley said:
I wonder if agents ask you to use stamps on letters and packages you send to them, because they might consider all metered mail to be bulk/"junk" mail and, uh, throw it all away. With the volume of mail they probably get, I would not be surprised if they did that as a first triage step.

No. This has nothing to do with the agents or publishers at all. It only has to do with SASE's and is a result of postal regulations made after 9/11 and the anthrax scares. It's the same reason you must take any package that weighs 16 oz. or more to the counter at the post office instead of dropping it in a mailbox, even if it already has the correct postage on it.

I usually hedge my bets and take anything that weights 12 oz. or more to the counter. It adds time to getting things out, but I'm fortunate that I have someone who will occasionally run to the post office for me.

Gillhoughly · Mar 17, 2008

Sending mail OUT - metering is okay.

SASE --- Self-Addressed Stamped Envelopes- use STAMPS.

Stamped is in the name. An easy mnemonic.

Mythica · Mar 17, 2008

Thanks for the clarification everyone! I'll have to remember never to do that again lol

I did meter the mail and sent it on the same day, but since the SASE were metered, I don't expect to get the material back.

Oh well

Eventus stultorum magister, right?

blacbird · Mar 17, 2008

Birol said:
No. This has nothing to do with the agents or publishers at all. It only has to do with SASE's and is a result of postal regulations made after 9/11 and the anthrax scares.

Actually, the metered mail situation has existed long before 9/11. Meters are date stamped, and are only valid for that specific date. So you can't put a meter on an SASE to be returned. But, as others have said, it's no problem for the mail going to the agent.

That having been said, I never get my SASEs back anymore, anyway, so it probably doesn't matter.

caw

Metered Mail?

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Metered Mail?

Expert Gerbil Wrangler

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emerging from the writing cave

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Hapless Virago

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It's a doggy dog world

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