Can a book with ads in it go by Media Mail?
USPS's rules: Only ads for books
Only if the ads are incidental announcements of books: USPS's book standard allows no other advertising, and it counts the publisher's own ads as advertising, whether display, classified or editorial. The books announced don't have to qualify for Media Mail themselves, but they must be books, so ads for catalogs, calendars, checkbooks or other printed goods rule the book out. Brand and product names that a manual needs, such as parts references in an auto repair manual, aren't advertising, USPS says.
Rates verified on
The rule, in USPS's words
Quoted from the official pages linked below each quote, checked Oct 19, 2026.
“Advertising includes paid advertising and the publishers' own advertising in display, classified, or editorial style.”
“There may not be advertising for catalogs, calendars, checkbooks, or other miscellaneous printed materials in the books being mailed at Media Mail prices.”
“These announcements must be incidental and exclusively devoted to books, without extraneous advertising of book-related or other materials or services.”
“The product and brand names are not disqualifying for this price, nor is the fact that they may be produced by the manufacturer of the product.”
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 paperback with three pages of ads for the publisher's other novels, 12 oz: Media Mail, $4.39.
- A brand's cookbook with full-page ads for its food products, 2 lb: Ground Advantage, $8.39 to $13.42 online.
- A repair manual from the vehicle's maker, 3 lb: Media Mail, $5.86; the brand and part names in it aren't ads (PS-045).
Every weight from 1 to 70 lb: Media Mail rates · Ground Advantage rates
Edge cases
- Bound-in order forms are allowed: one envelope or addressed postcard and one order form, and up to three book announcements may each carry a single order form (DMM 173.4.2).
- Directories count as books when nobody paid to be listed and the publisher has no interest in the services or products listed (PS-064).
- A flyer or coupon tucked in loose is a separate question: see packing slips and flyers.
What to do
- Check the back pages: announcements of other books are fine, anything else isn't.
- Ship a book that fails by Ground Advantage, or as a First-Class Mail large envelope if it's flexible and up to 13 oz.
Sources
Rates verified on from each official page below.
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 173: Media Mail and Library Mail prices and eligibility
- USPS Customer Support Ruling PS-072: Book Advertisements (updated June 2014)
- USPS Customer Support Ruling PS-045: Manuals, Media Mail (updated June 2014)
- USPS Customer Support Ruling PS-064: Media Mail, Books (updated January 2017)
- 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.