Books and content

Q: I can’t find the book I’m looking for. What should I do?
A: If it’s not a recent release, the book you are looking for may no longer be available or may be out-of-print. To find out-of-print and second-hand books, we recommend using Biblio, a US-based company that offers a huge range of used, rare, and out-of-print books worldwide. Click here to search on Biblio.

If the book you are looking for is a new release, or if you believe it should be available to order online at Readings, please get in touch.

Q: The book I want is at another Readings shop. Can I pick it up from my local Readings?
A: Of course! Give the shop that has it in stock a call, and one of our booksellers will arrange to have it transferred to your local shop.

Q: I’m an author, and I believe the information listed on my book’s page is incorrect. What should I do?
A: Check in with your publisher or supplier. Most of the information on our product pages comes through data feeds, using data supplied by publishers. The best way to fix an error is to make sure the data being sent out to us is correct.

Q: Why is a particular book appearing on your website?
A: Our online shop has over 30 million entries which are automatically uploaded to the website via a number of local and International feeds. These include some self-published and print-on-demand titles. Due to the sheer volume of products we are unable to vet each one individually, and the appearance of a product on our website should not be considered indicative of books that we stock, have stocked in the past, or intend to stock in the future. If you’ve seen something you believe shouldn’t be there you are welcome to let us know and we will assess the item. Products can take up to 72 hours to be removed from the website.

Shipping and delivery

Q: How much is shipping when I order from Readings?
A: Readings charges a $9 flat rate on all online orders under $100 being sent within Australia. We offer free shipping on orders $100 and over being sent within Australia. To find our costing for international delivery options, please click here.

Q: How long will my book take to arrive?
A: At the moment, in-stock items are being dispatched in 4-5 business days. Delivery times will then vary depending on the location the package is being sent to. You can find more information about shopping online at Readings here.

Q: Do you have an express delivery option?
A: Yes. We offer Express Post. Rates are calculated at checkout.

Q: What kind of packaging does Readings use in their online service?
A: We are committed to limiting our carbon footprint. Where possible we use recyclable shredded paper and/or biodegradable cornstarch pellets for packing items to mail to our customers.

Q: What are the Christmas shipping deadlines? 

A: Our Christmas deadlines for in-stock items being shipped within Australia are the following:

NT and WA: Sunday 1 December.

The rest of Australia: Wednesday 11 December.

Please make sure you place your orders before midnight on the above dates to guarantee delivery in time for Christmas.

Payment

Q: When will my credit card be charged if I order online?
A: Your credit card will be charged at the time of order. If there are any price changes we will contact you. If an item is unavailable we will refund the credit card used for the transaction.

Q: Do you accept all credit cards for online orders?
A: We accept VISA and MasterCard. Unfortunately we don’t accept American Express (AMEX) or Diners Club online, although American Express cards are now accepted in stores.

Q: My order is being delivered overseas. Will my order include Australian tax (aka GST)?
A: No. GST is deducted from the total cost of your order upon shipping.

Q: My order is going to a different shipping address. Can I still get a tax invoice?
A: Yes, please email us with your order number and we will arrange a tax invoice to be sent out to you.

Q: I didn’t receive my tax invoice via email?
A: Please check in your spam or junk folder, because the tax invoice email may have landed there. If you still can’t find it, please email us.

Q. I got a refund but it was not the same amount I paid. Why?

A: This happens when you pay in your local currency instead of Australian dollars. The amount of your refund depends on the exchange rate. When we refund you, the amount you get back reflects the exchange rate on the day we issue the refund. Exchange rates change every day so the amount you get back won’t match what you paid. The Australian dollar value of your payment and your refund will always be the same.

Gift cards and vouchers

Q: Can I use my Readings Gift Card to buy online?
A: Yes. Simply enter the barcode on the back of your gift card or the barcode on your online voucher into the ‘Gift card code’ field in the checkout. You will still need to enter your credit card details, but we will only charge you if your order exceeds the value of money your gift voucher is worth or has remaining on it.

Q: Is there an expiry date on Readings Gift Cards?
A: Gift Cards bought at Readings are valid for three years from their date of issue.

Q: I bought an online gift voucher, and I had to enter my postal address in checkout. Does this mean the voucher is going to be sent to me?
A: No. Our online checkout requires a postal address for every order, but online gift vouchers are always sent via email.

Q: I purchased an online gift voucher but never received it via email?
A: Please check in your spam or junk folder, because the email containing the voucher may have landed there. If you still can’t find the voucher email, please email us.

Online membership

Q: I have forgotten my password to log in to the Readings website. How can I retrieve my password?
A: You can recover your password here. If you are still having problems, please email us. Please also note, you can also proceed through checkout as a guest, without signing in at all.

Q: I tried to sign up as an online member but was ‘email address has already been taken’. How can I sign in?
A: You have probably signed up previously. Try recovering your password.

Q: I’ve already signed up as an online member but now I can’t log in?
A: When you signed up as an online member you should have received an email from us with a verification link in it. You need to click this link in order to log into your online account. If you didn’t receive this email, check your SPAM or Junk folders. And if you still have problems please get in touch with us.

Website problems

Q: Pages or icons on the website aren’t appearing correctly?
A: Please make sure your browser is up-to-date. We recommend using Safari, Google Chrome or Firefox (not Internet Explorer). If you are still experiencing problems, please email us.

Events at Readings

Q: Can I hold an event at Readings?
A: You can contact our programming and events manager, Christine Gordon, at [email protected] with any questions, and see our current program of events here.

The Readings Monthly newsletter

Q: What is the Readings Monthly?
A: Readings Monthly is our free, independent monthly newsletter. Each issue features a range of new books, music, film and TV each month, as well as reviews, interviews and feature articles.

Q: How much does it cost to subscribe to the Readings Monthly?
A: Nothing! We’re pleased to offer the Readings Monthly as a free publication for our customers. You can subscribe, or you can also pick up a copy of the current issue from any of our seven shops.

Q: How can I receive the Readings Monthly in the mail?
A: You can subscribe to the Readings Monthly by visiting our ‘Newsletters and e-news’ page here. When you fill out your details, make sure you include your postal details to receive the Readings Monthly.

Q: How do I change my mailing address?
A: Unfortunately, we do not currently have a system to change your mailing address online. Please email Lucie Dess at [email protected] with ‘Readings Monthly address change’ in the subject line. In the email, please include your name, your old address and the new address you’d like to now receive the Readings Monthly to.

Q: How do I stop receiving the Readings Monthly?
A: Please email Lucie Dess at [email protected] with ‘Readings Monthly unsubscribe’, and include your name and postal address in the email.

Stocking self-published and small press books at Readings

Q: Does Readings stock self-published and small press titles?
A: At Readings, we consider supporting small publishers and self-published authors to be an important responsibility, and we offer the opportunity for titles to be left on a consignment basis at our shops.

Q: What does consignment mean?
A: Selling titles on a consignment basis means that authors leave books with us for an agreed period and we put the stock on our shelves to sell on their behalf. At the end of the agreed period, we pay the authors for any copies that we sell, and we return any unsold stock to them.

Q: What kind of books do Readings take on a consignment basis?
A: Staff at each of our shops curate a selection of books kept under the above terms, with attention to the specific customer base in each location. We also take into account subject matter, author profile, market trends, planned publicity, and book design. Read more here.

Q: Who do I contact at Readings about consignment stock?
A: You can find the correct contacts for each of our seven shops here.