Can coloring, puzzle and activity books go by Media Mail?
USPS's rules: Mostly no
Not if they lack reading matter: USPS rules that crossword puzzles, pattern books, poster books, iron-on transfer books and cut-out books that don't consist of reading matter can't go by Media Mail. Workbooks and fill-in self-help textbooks do qualify. USPS hasn't ruled on coloring books by name, so a coloring or activity book is judged by the book standard itself: at least eight printed pages of reading matter, with no ads. One that fails ships by Ground Advantage: $8.01 to $11.22 online for 1 lb.
Rates verified on
The rule, in USPS's words
Quoted from the official pages linked below each quote, checked Oct 19, 2026.
“Crossword puzzles, pattern books, poster books, iron-on transfer books, and cut-out books which do not consist of reading matter as well as publications containing advertising are not acceptable in the mails at the Media Mail rate of postage.”
“They are subject to the applicable First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, USPS Marketing Mail, USPS Retail Ground, or Bound Printed Matter prices when mailed.”
“workbooks, books containing sheets which are blank on one side, loose-leaf bound books”
“reading matter with incidental blank spaces for notations”
“any printed matter that is mailable as USPS Marketing Mail may be included loose with any qualifying material mailed at the Media Mail or Library Mail prices.”
What it costs to ship
Media Mail costs the same to every US address, with a 1 lb minimum ($4.39) and any fraction of a pound rounded up. Ground Advantage, USPS's ground package service with tracking included, is priced by weight and zone: online is USPS's commercial price for labels bought online, and the counter price is retail.
| Package | Media Mail (if it qualifies) | Ground Advantage online, Zones 1-9 | Ground Advantage at the counter, Zones 1-9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | $4.39 | $8.01 to $11.22 | $10.05 to $13.65 |
| 2 lb | $5.13 | $8.39 to $13.42 | $11.30 to $19.80 |
| 5 lb | $7.34 | $10.35 to $20.24 | $13.75 to $27.45 |
Worked examples
- A 1 lb crossword puzzle book on its own: Ground Advantage, $8.01 to $11.22 online or $10.05 to $13.65 at the counter, not $4.39.
- A children's workbook, 12 oz: Media Mail, $4.39.
- A 12 oz puzzle book packed loose with 3 lb of novels, on our reading of the rules: DMM 173.6.1 lets printed matter mailable as USPS Marketing Mail ride along, and USPS applied it to non-qualifying cards packed with a book, charging them Media Mail prices (PS-213). The novels outweigh it (PS-303), so the box, 3 lb 12 oz, would pay the 4 lb price, $6.60. USPS has no ruling on puzzle books packed this way.
Every weight from 1 to 70 lb: Media Mail rates · Ground Advantage rates
Edge cases
- PS-064 lists USPS Marketing Mail among the prices these books pay, which is why we read them as printed matter mailable as USPS Marketing Mail. DMM 243.2.1 caps USPS Marketing Mail at 20 oz for most pieces (DMM 243.2.1); PS-213, last updated in January 2017, put the line at under 16 oz.
- The DMM's mixed-class rule points the same way: USPS Marketing Mail inside a Package Services parcel pays its own postage "unless excepted by the prices and eligibility standards in 253, 263, and 273" (DMM 703.9.4.2), and 273.6.3 is the same loose-enclosure rule for commercial Media Mail (DMM 273.6.3). The open question is whether a book you sell can be an enclosure: 173.6.1 is headed Loose Enclosures, and USPS's PS-213 example was printed cards mailed with qualifying books.
- Poster books are out, but a single educational chart can qualify: see maps and charts.
- Sticker sheets, crayons or toys packed with the book aren't printed matter: see mixed box.
What to do
- Ship puzzle, pattern, poster, transfer and cut-out books on their own by Ground Advantage.
- When in doubt about a coloring book, ship it by Ground Advantage. Packing it loose with heavier qualifying books rests on our reading of DMM 173.6.1, not a USPS ruling.
Sources
Rates verified on from each official page below.
- USPS Customer Support Ruling PS-064: Media Mail, Books (updated January 2017)
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 173: Media Mail and Library Mail prices and eligibility
- USPS Customer Support Ruling PS-213: Books and Charts, Media Mail (updated January 2017)
- USPS Customer Support Ruling PS-303: Determining the Classification of Mail, Host Piece Test (updated July 2018)
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 243: USPS Marketing Mail content standards
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 703: military mail and mixed classes
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 273: commercial Media Mail and Library Mail prices and eligibility
- USPS Notice 123: price list (effective Oct 4, 2026), Media Mail and Ground Advantage prices
- USPS: temporary price change for 2026 holiday shipping (Aug 25, 2026)
Free 1-page Reseller Cheat Sheet: fees on 8 platforms, Media Mail and stamp prices
What each platform takes from a $10, $25 and $50 sale, Media Mail 1-10 lb, Ground Advantage to Zones 1, 5 and 8, and the Forever stamp, on one printable page. The link appears as soon as you sign up.