How long does a personalized children’s book take to arrive?
Guides · By Inkling · Updated
Plan on about two weeks from order to doorstep in the US. Our printed books reached customers 9 to 13 days after they were ordered by Standard post, and 8 days by Expedited. Every one arrived before the latest date our printer estimated at checkout, between 2 and 10 days early.
Most of that time is printing, not the post. Each book is printed and bound to order, so a faster shipping speed shortens only the last few days.
Every delivered order, order to door
These are all of the Inkling print orders our printer has marked delivered, taken from the printer’s own records on November 4, 2026.
| Ordered | Book | Shipping | Sent to | Delivered | Order to door | Printer’s latest estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 5 | Hardcover | Standard | Massachusetts | June 18 | 13 days | June 24 (6 days later) |
| June 17 | Hardcover, 4 copies | Standard | Massachusetts | June 30 | 13 days | July 3 (3 days later) |
| July 26 | Hardcover | Standard | Virginia | August 4 | 9 days | August 14 (10 days later) |
| August 10 | Hardcover | Expedited | Missouri | August 18 | 8 days | August 20 (2 days later) |
One more order, a softcover booklet to California ordered July 30, left the printer on August 4, five days after ordering. Its carrier never reported a delivery date, so it is not in the table.
Where the days go
- Printing and binding: about 5 to 8 business days. This part is the same whatever shipping you choose.
- Standard post: about one to two weeks by the printer’s estimate. In our orders the whole trip, printing included, took 9 to 13 days.
- Expedited: 3 to 5 business days in transit. Our one Expedited order was at the door 8 days after it was placed.
- Express: 1 to 3 business days in transit, for when a date is close. What each speed costs.
Two orders to the same state, both by Standard post, both took 13 days, while one to Virginia took 9. So the same route can vary by several days; plan for the slower end.
Ordering for a date
Count back about two weeks for Standard post, and add a few days of margin in December, when carriers are at their busiest. Our holiday order-by dates give the last day to order for Christmas and Hanukkah at each speed. If you are short of time, the eBook arrives the moment the book is finished, and a free printable gift certificate can go in the card while the printed copy is on its way.
How we got these numbers
On November 4, 2026 we read back every Inkling print order from our printer, Lulu. For each one we took the order date, the date Lulu marked it delivered, and the arrival window Lulu estimated when it was placed. Days are calendar days, counting weekends. This is a small, summer sample: four delivered orders, all in the US, all hardcovers. December times will be longer, and we will add them here as those orders arrive. Outside the US, allow extra time.
Related: shipping and delivery · holiday order dates · what a personalized book costs · read an example book