FAQ
Here’s where we’re going to answer questions! Please either leave questions in the comments or email Gavin and Michael @ weightlessbooks@gmail.com.
Q. Do I need to sign up for an account before I can buy books?
A. No! Just add titles to your cart, then click Check Out. However, signing up for an account does get you access to some special features, such as My Library.
Q. Are these titles encrypted so that I can’t read them on anything but my one ebook reader and which will fill me with regret when I need to buy a new one?
A. No! We sell DRM-free non-encrypted ebooks in PDF, epub, mobi, and .lit formats because we believe those who buy ebooks here should be able to move them around between their devices at will. Please be kind to these independent publishers and don’t pirate these titles, thanks.
Q. Where’s my book?
A. Once you have bought your book(s), the site takes you to the Thank You page, which has encoded links you can click on to download the books. It also emails you the same links and adds them to your Library page. If you don’t receive the email, please check your spam folder in case it has been sent there. After that, please email us at the above address.
Q. I misplaced/lost/deleted my ebook by mistake! Can I get another copy?
A. Yes! Sign up for an account with Weightless Books using the email address where we sent your order confirmation, then go to My Library, where you will find live download links to all the books you’ve purchased. (Plus, maybe there will be free stuff at some point.)
Q. I bought my ebook in the wrong format by mistake/got a new ereader. Can I have a different format instead?
A. Yes! My Library now lets you change your preferred ebook format anytime (though the format options are limited to those made available to us by the publisher). Choose the format you want from the dropdown list, click Update Preferred Formats, then click the links to download the new version.
Q. I downloaded an epub (or mobi) file. How do I read it?
A. Some of our titles, such as Fantasy Magazine or Lightspeed Magazine, are only provided in EPUB and MOBI formats. You can download these programs so that you can read your books on your computer:
- Bookworm: http://bookworm.oreilly.com/
- Calibre: http://calibre-ebook.com/
- Stanza: http://www.lexcycle.com/desktop
- If you use Firefox as a browser, you can get this add on: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/epubreader/
- A good MOBI reader, but only for the PC: http://www.mobipocket.com/en/DownloadSoft/ProductDetailsReader.asp
Q. I bought a book in HTML format but all I got was a lousy ZIP that won’t expand on my Mac. What do I do?
A. Try using a different archive utility such as The Unarchiver (it’s free and open-source).
Q. Can you email my ebooks directly to my Kindle (or other device)?
A. We can! Sign up for an account and provide your Kindle’s (or other device’s) email address in the Ebook Delivery Options section at the bottom of your profile. Then whenever you buy a new book, or a new issue of a magazine you’re subscribed to is released (assuming it’s in a format compatible with your reader), the site will send your book files straight to your device. You may also need to add @weightlessbooks.com and weightlessbooks@gmail.com to your Kindle approved e-mail list.
Q. Can I order ebooks as a gift?
A. Yes! How nice of you. After you add some ebooks to your cart, you’ll see a checkbox labeled This is a gift order just above the Checkout button. Check the box, fill in your gift recipient’s name and email address, then proceed with your order as normal. They’ll get an email with the download links and the opportunity to sign up for My Library just as if they’d bought the books themselves.
15 Responses to “FAQ”
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Hello Weightless Books
I’m from Italy so before I dedcide to buy the books I’m looking I wanted an information. Some sites just need and american credit card and an american address is this the same for you?
I’m waiting an answer,
Thank you
Hi Andi, we use Paypal through which I believe you can use any credit card of yours. We have readers all over the world so I think it should work out ok for you. Please email me (weightless books at gmail dot com) if you have any problems.
Hello!
I have a question regarding the size of the font on the .pdf versions of your ebooks. How large is the font size?
Thank you.
Hi Raph, the fonts in ebooks are generally the same same size as the printed version. However, you can usually increase or decrease the size of the font on your ebook reader under something like preferences.
Hi, I have been trying to purchase a book using my Israeli credit card and billing address. However the Paypal interface refuses my details claiming that I haven’t entered a valid phone number. I entered the phone number in the correct format for Israeli numbers, and there is no explanation of what about it is invalid or what a valid phone number looks like.
Hi Abigail, I’ll email you in a moment. Sorry about this! We use Paypal because for the most part it’s the simplest of the credit card interfaces. Since they are US-based, you could try entering a phone number in this format ###-###-#### and see what it says. Otherwise I’ll contact Paypal and see what they say.
Best,
Gavin Grant
Hello again!
I have another question: If I buy an ebook, will I have access to only the format that I have chosen or will I be able to switch formats with no additional cost after purchase?
The reason I ask is because I have a Sony PRS and inasmuch as I love my ebook reader, I find that it sucks when it comes to changing font sizes on .pdf’s–the formatting goes all wonky and makes the ebook kind of hard to read (for me, at least). (And I know that your store sells books in .epub format, but I’m not too happy with that format in general. That’s why I’m asking about .pdf’s.)
Apologies for being a bother, and thanks for your patience!
Raph:
We’re working on new features for the My Library page that will let you have any format you like any time you want. For now, the format you first purchase is the one you’ll get and the one that will appear in your My Library–but you can always email us and request a change of format.
–edit–
It’s now possible to change formats whenever you like via your My Library page–see above, fourth question from the top!
Hello
I would like to know if it’s going to be possible to just use a card or are you going to just use paypal, i don’t like it so never use it.
thank you
Hi Edwige, I’m sorry, we don’t have any plans to move to another credit card service at the moment. The one thing in Paypal’s favor for those who don’t like it is that you can use your credit card through Paypal without actually joining. I hope that works for you and if not, I apologize. The site is growing fast and Paypal saves us from having to deal with credit card companies.
Cheers,
Gavin
Just made my first purchase after enabling delivery direct to my kindle, but it didn’t work. I added my kindle email address to my profile and I added one of your addresses to my kindle email list, but I just got the books as a download to my computer. Do I need to add BOTH Weightless addresses? I’m fine doing the drag & drop, just curious. Thanks.
Well I added the other address and the book showed up. Don’t know if it was the address or if I just needed to be more patient. Anyway….never mind.
I thought kindle could take prc files too, tho. No? Or will I need to convert with Calibre?
Thanks again!
I believe it just takes a bit more time to process – I definitely had that experience when setting up my kindle.
Yes, Kindle should be able to read PRC.
But PRC isn’t sent direct to the kindle? ‘Send to Device’ was not an option for the book I bought in that format.
Aha! There you are right: I did not have PRC listed as an allowed format. I have fixed it so Send to Device should now be available for titles in PRC format. Thanks very much for pointing this out!