New shipping charges, schedule changes, website updates...

Shipping costs go up every so often.  I don't suppose it is any secret that the shipping charges I set up in The Poet's Haven Boutique were less than what it actually costs to package and ship the books.  I based the rates on postal costs of two years ago, figuring it would help more books move.  Me then deciding to mark down books that we have larger quantities of on top of the too-low shipping charges... well, it wasn't my brightest idea.  So, unfortunately, I've now had to adjust the shipping costs in the online store.  HOWEVER, I've also implemented something to actually reduce your shipping charge on larger orders.  Read on...

For orders in the USA, the first item's shipping will be $2.00.  Each additional item will add another $1.00.  This will max out at $10.00.  I repeat, the MAXIMUM SHIPPING CHARGE will be $10.

For orders from Canada, the first item's shipping will be $2.50.  Each additional item will add another $1.25.  This will max out at $13.00.  Again, the MAXIMUM (CANADIAN) SHIPPING CHARGE is $13.00.  (That's US dollars, by the way.)

Larger orders may be shipped via UPS instead of via the post office.

That said, I am making an attempt to produce more titles in the "pocket size" format (such as the Lake Effect Poetry 2012 Team Anthology and Michael Bernstein's "8s").  The advantage of publishing a book this size is that it can be mailed with a normal postage stamp.  This means I will be able to make FREE SHIPPING offers on these books.  All upcoming Poet's Haven Digest anthologies will be published in this format.  Several upcoming Author Series chapbooks are also being produced pocket-sized.  (This might not apply to October's release of Jen Pezzo's "Imaginary Conversations," as the book will be 72 pages and may weigh more than a first-class stamp can cover.  I'll find out as soon as I have a completed proof copy in my hands.)

I have also reached a decision about next year's publishing schedule.  Actually, I'm largely scrapping HAVING a schedule all together.  I have decided to copy something my friend John Burroughs does at Crisis Chronicles Press.  Instead of having a release schedule, I am just going to keep a queue of upcoming titles.  This will allow me flexibility in releasing books, sometimes releasing several books in rapid succession, sometimes having a break between releases when a project requires more time to complete or I need to devote time to another Poet's Haven project (cough, podcasts, cough cough).  Release dates will be announced when a title is ready to be printed, announcements will be kept vague until that point.  I am hoping that this flexibility will allow me to release no less than 18 books next year.  (Poet's Haven will have released 8 titles this year, 6 Author Series chapbooks, the Lake Effect anthology, and the upcoming Vending Machine release.  A Digest release may also be added to this year's total.)

Earlier tonight, I caught up with the online submission queue, adding two new short stories and 25 new poems to the galleries.  :-)

I'm hoping you'll be seeing some changes to the gallery's programming in the very near future.  There's a number of issues I've been trying to get my brain around for a few years now that have proven to be beyond my meager programming skills, so I finally broke down and reached out for some professional programming help. Hopefully, this'll lead to getting PoetsHaven.com version 3.0 done once and for all.  The changes will be rolled out over time, though, with each new or improved function being rolled out when it is ready.  Also, hopefully, this will mean that the site never has to experience any down-time during the roll outs.  Stay tuned...