I did my homework like a good little ghoul. I took different quantities of books to the post office and got quotes for the cost of shipping to various destinations so I could accurately calculate the price of shipping for customers.

All the books were put into the same type of envelope. All the shipping methods were the same.

You would think this would be a foolproof way to get accurate prices. It's a logical deduction.

But almost every time I go to the post office, I get a different price.

I thought once I had found a printer for my book, that would be the end of it. The rest would be smooth sailing.

Being new to the self-publishing game, I didn't realize how wrong I was. Or how naive.

Let me tell you my story for finding a place to print and bind my book. Hopefully you can learn from my experiences.