The price of stamps recently increased to 42 cents, as you know.
A somewhat less known fact, which I just found out about yesterday, is that large-sized envelopes now require more postage than regular-sized ones.
The cost used to be the same, as calculated by the ounce, so that mailing a 4"x9" envelope would cost you the same as mailing a 9"x12" one. As of May 12th, of this year, there's now a substantial difference in price.
A one ounce #10 letter-sized envelope costs 42 cents,
whereas a 9"x12" one of the same weight costs 82 cents,
and so on up the scale:
http://www.usps.com/prices/first-class-mail-prices.htm
For writers mailing out manuscripts on a regular basis the added expense really does add up. What gets me most about the increase is that it wasn't at all publicized. If I hadn't fished about the USPS website yesterday I would've mailed out a submission with too little postage, after weighing it on a scale of mine.
Besides airing a gripe, I thought I'd pass the info on rate increases along, to prevent anyone from making a similar miscalculation and getting their manuscript back postage due.
A somewhat less known fact, which I just found out about yesterday, is that large-sized envelopes now require more postage than regular-sized ones.
The cost used to be the same, as calculated by the ounce, so that mailing a 4"x9" envelope would cost you the same as mailing a 9"x12" one. As of May 12th, of this year, there's now a substantial difference in price.
A one ounce #10 letter-sized envelope costs 42 cents,
whereas a 9"x12" one of the same weight costs 82 cents,
and so on up the scale:
http://www.usps.com/prices/first-class-mail-prices.htm
For writers mailing out manuscripts on a regular basis the added expense really does add up. What gets me most about the increase is that it wasn't at all publicized. If I hadn't fished about the USPS website yesterday I would've mailed out a submission with too little postage, after weighing it on a scale of mine.
Besides airing a gripe, I thought I'd pass the info on rate increases along, to prevent anyone from making a similar miscalculation and getting their manuscript back postage due.