Direct Mailing List Guidelines Self Publishers Company Owners Should Know

First of all, generally, you rent, not buy mailing lists. They remain in the ownership of the mailing list company and are usually not for sale.

Bookstore lists, new age bookstores lists, organization lists, specialty lists, MLM lists and business mailing lists may have a high rate of return. To avoid a lot of returns, rent the selected lists just prior to making your mailing.

Be careful about renting any mailing list that goes to individuals: consumer mailing lists, seniors mailing lists, residential mailing lists, homeowners mailing lists and opportunity seekers mailing lists, for example.

Mailing list management and upkeep is expensive. You order peel and stick labels if they're going to be affixed to your mailing piece by hand. The mailing lists will always be for one-time use only even if they're on a CD or disk. And some mailing list companies offer instant downloads of lists.

If you can't answer their technical questions, have your mailing house call your mailing list rental company to work out the final details.

Consider the cost to mail out your mailing piece. If you mail Third Class (bulk mail), you won't get returns.

The business of mailing list rentals is based on the honor system to a degree, but this honor system also has a built-in alarm: owners protect their data by planting decoy names (seeds) in the mailing lists they rent. Also, many mailing list companies employ companies that specialize in tracking or monitoring mailings to detect any misuse.

Mailing lists are protected by copyright and trade secret law. List rental is a multibillion-dollar business.

If all else fails, you can enlist the help of a mail list broker. Brokers usually collect their fees from the mailing list company.