Expedited
Sea Shipping
Find the right balance between faster delivery and lower cost
Shipping Your Board Books: Choosing the Right Balance of Speed and Cost
Meet in the Middle with Expedited Sea Shipping
When you're offset printing board books, choosing the right shipping method can have a significant impact on your budget, launch timeline, and inventory planning.
The good news is that you have options depending on how fast you need your books. At Board Book Printing, we offer three shipping methods so you can choose the right balance of cost, speed, and convenience. For many self-published authors and mid-sized publishers, Expedited Sea Shipping is an attractive option.
Why Expedited Sea Shipping Is Popular
For board book orders of 300 to 1,000 copies, with delivery to major cities in North America and Europe, Expedited Sea Shipping can provide the ideal balance between affordability and delivery speed.
Typical timeline: Approximately 5 weeks from production completion.
Expedited Sea Shipping gets your books delivered faster than standard sea shipping while avoiding the significantly higher cost of air freight.
If you're working toward a launch date, need books for holiday sales, or restocking a successful title, shaving even one to three weeks off your transit time can make a meaningful difference. Expedited Sea Shipping helps you receive your books sooner without dramatically increasing your shipping costs.
Other Shipping Options
If you are printing more than 1000 copies or need your board books even faster, there are two other great options
Standard Sea Shipping
Typical timeline: Approximately 6-8 weeks from production completion. Standard Sea Shipping is the most economical shipping option and the method we typically quote unless another shipping preference is requested. It is also the option used in our online pricing calculator.
This is an excellent choice when keeping costs low is your highest priority and you've backward scheduled to allow for approximately 10-12 weeks from approval of your printed proof to delivery.
Air Freight
Typical timeline: Approximately 1-2 weeks from production completion.
Air Freight is the fastest shipping option available. If you're facing a tight deadline, attending an upcoming event, or need inventory immediately, air shipping may be the right solution.
Because of the significantly higher transportation costs, Air Freight is generally best reserved for split shipments of a partial order or urgent situations where delivery speed is the top priority.
Split Shipments
We can split orders between faster and slower shipping methods. For example, a portion of your books can be shipped by Air Freight for immediate availability, while the remainder travels by Standard or Expedited Sea Shipping to help reduce overall costs.
Need inventory delivered to more than one destination? Split shipments allow you to send your order to multiple destinations. Additional fees apply.
We can arrange split delivery to locations such as:
- Third-party warehouses
- Amazon fulfillment centers
- Publishers or distributors
- Retail locations
- Offices or home addresses
Split shipments can simplify distribution and reduce storage and handling of your books.
Compare Quotes Carefully
When comparing overseas printing quotes, it's important to understand exactly what is (and isn't) included.
Many overseas printers quote delivery only to the nearest port, leaving customers responsible for arranging customs clearance, and ground transportation to the final destination. These additional services can result in unexpected costs and delays.
At Board Book Printing, we ask for your delivery address when preparing quick quotes and custom quotes because our pricing includes DDP (direct duty paid) delivery to your door. No surprise charges.
All-Inclusive Pricing
No matter which shipping option you choose, your Board Book Printing print quote includes:
- One physical proof copy
- Shipping logistics and documentation
- Standard Sea Shipping, Expedited Sea Shipping, or Air Freight
- Customs clearance, duties, and related fees
- Ground delivery to one destination
Our goal is to provide straightforward, all-inclusive pricing so you can budget with confidence.
We're Here to Help
If you're unsure which shipping method is best for your board book order, our team can help you compare options and select the solution that makes the most sense for your publishing goals.
We can also recommend trusted third-party warehousing partners that can receive, store, inventory, and fulfill orders on your behalf if you don't have space to store books yourself.
Book a call with our team to discuss your board book print run. We'll help you find the most efficient and cost-effective way to get your books printed and ready for sales!
