FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I buy books in the eBookstore?
To buy books on the eBookstore, click the Buy button on any book’s page, and we will walk you through the process of creating an account and verifying your email. After verifying your email, you can continue through the cart process and pay via PayFast, which offers you a variety of payment methods, including Instant EFT, credit card or QR Code. When your purchase is complete, you will be presented with a download page. You have five days to download the product, and you will be able to download it a maximum of three times.
What formats are the eBookstore’s eBooks?
Books on the eBookstore are mostly available in both the ePub and PDF formats and are sold without DRM. To read the ePubs on your mobile device or tablet, you’ll need to download an ePub reader app. We recommend the Kotobee Reader (click on the logo to download).
NewIss it safe to use my credit card online?
When you purchase through the eBookstore, we create a secure communications connection between your web browser and our payment processing providers, Stripe (for New Zealand and other international payments) and PayFast (South African). For your security, the eBookstore does not store your credit card information after your purchase. Click on the PayFast logo if you want to know more about this service provider, used by thousands of merchants in South Africa, and on the Stripe logo for more information about the internationally-recognised payment service provider.
How do I get the eBooks onto my devices?
To read these ebooks on your ebook reader or smart device, you’ll need to transfer the file onto your reader. How you get your ePub onto your device will vary by device. For most devices, you will typically need to use a cable to connect your reader to your computer and add files to the external drive that appears when connected.
Do I have to pay to read the book sample.
No, samples are free. Simply click on the tab “Read Sample eBook” at the bottom of the eBook page, and the sample will appear.
Can I Return an eBook if I don’t like it?
No. All sales are final. This is why most authors allow you to sample some of their eBook for free so you can try before you buy.
How do I review an eBook?
You can review an eBook by clicking back to the ebook page. Click on the “Review” tab at the bottom of the eBook page and enter your review. Reviews can only be left by logged-in customers who have purchased the book. Remember to select a star rating as well.
Can I use excerpts of the eBook on my blog?
Bloggers can excerpt a small portion of an author’s ebook for review purposes. For further information on excerpts and re-distribution, see the Smashwords Terms of Service.
Can I share my eBook with my friends?
No. The eBookstore eBooks are licensed for your personal reading enjoyment only, so you are not legally allowed to copy, share, or email the eBook to others, and you are not allowed to resell or distribute the eBook to others. The eBookstore authors trust you to honour their copyright and hard work, so please do not breach their trust in you. However, most authors offer generous samples of their eBooks, so if you want to share a legal sample of the ebook, simply email your friends the hyperlink to the eBook page or use one of the social networking links to share a link of the eBook with friends on Facebook, Twitter and other sites.
I have a published book – can you convert it to an eBook? And can I sell it in your eBookStore?
If your published book is available in PDF format, we can convert it for a fee (subject to quotation). And yes, you are welcome to sell it on the eBookStore – listing is free. Click HERE for more.