Shop/Order FAQs

Payments

What payment methods do you accept?

We can currently accept payments via Shopify payments, Paypal
or Afterpay. Both of these merchants allow for payment by credit or
debit card.

Do you offer payment plans for large purchases?

Afterpay is available, but we're happy to accommodate if you don't use
Afterpay or would like a different time frame/number of payments.
Contact us to have a chat about options.

Shipping

Can I pick up my order?

Unfortunately we do not have a physical store, so pickup is unavailable.

​Do you ship internationally?

Absolutely! We can ship to most countries.

Shipping costs are calculated at checkout and are determined by weight.

For most countries, we offer economy and courier options. The economy shipping includes limited tracking and can take up to 3-4 weeks. The courier option includes full tracking and should only take a week or so.

As of September 2024 we have a fulfillment centre based in the USA! Faster and cheaper US shipping is now available for items stocked in the US warehouse.

​How much is shipping?

Shipping is automatically calculated by size and weight at checkout.

How long does shipping take?

We aim to get orders out within 3-5 days.

For NZ, the courier usually takes 2-3 days (plus an extra day or two for rural addresses).

For US orders dispatched from the US fulfillment centre, shipping should take between 2-7 days depending on the shipping method you choose at checkout.

International shipping can take up to four weeks depending on shipping method and destination.

Audiobooks are delivered instantly by BookFunnel.

Unsigned paperback are printed on demand and shipped from the UK within 3-5 business days. Shipping can take up to 4 weeks dependent on destination.

​What happens if my order is lost in the post?

Once your order leaves the Nevermore Bookshop, it is in the hands of the postal service. If it fails to arrive, we can lodge an inquiry with the appropriate postal service.

My order is being held at customs, can you clear it?

Any customs or duties incurred when an order reaches it's destination country are the responsibility of the customer. Be sure to check the customs requirements for your country before purchasing so that you know what to expect.

Please note, we will not mark packages as $0 value or 'gift' to avoid customs fees. This is a liability for Nevermore Bookshop, and can backfire if your order is lost in transit and you require compensation.

Returns/Exchanges/Resales

Do you accept returns/exchanges?

Yes, of course. If we have accidentally sent you the wrong product, or the product is faulty/damaged then let us know and we will cover shipping costs for the return and replacement.

Because print runs are strictly limited in numbers, we sometimes won’t have copies available for replacing damaged books. In the event that we can’t send a replacement, we will refund your purchase.

 If you discover you've ordered the wrong item, then you can send it back. Once we receive the return and confirm that it is still in re-saleable condition we will issue a replacement or store credit. If required, cash refunds will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Please note that the shipping costs for wrong order returns fall to the customer. Contact us for the return address.

The book I wanted has sold out, but I’ve seen it on resale sites for thousands of dollars. Is there any way to stop people from buying up all the pretties to resell?

Love it or hate it, reselling is part of the industry. We have no control over what people choose to do with their signed books once they leave our facility. We have some order limits and other systems, but the best way to be the first to know about new stock is to join the mailing list.

I brought a book off a resale site and it’s damaged/didn’t arrive. Can you help me?

We’re so sorry this happened! Resellers are not affiliated with Nevermore Bookshop and you buy from them at your own risk. We hate to see our beloved readers being ripped off, so we can offer the following advice:

  1. Check the feedback for people you want to purchase from. If they have a history of messing up orders, beware!
  2. Ask for proof of the book’s condition (photos or videos) before you purchase.
  3. Make sure the site you’re purchasing from or your payment processor has a system for handling payment disputes – eg. paying with Paypal allows you
    to make a complaint.
  4. Check with us first because we may have new stock of the books you’re after coming soon. We’re always happy to answer questions.

Audiobooks

How do I get my audiobook?

After completing checkout, you will receive an email from BookFunnel with a link to your audiobook.

If you do not receive the email or have trouble accessing your audiobook, you can get in touch with the BookFunnel team here: https://bookfunnel.com/help/

How do I listen to my audiobook?

You can download the BookFunnel app for easy storage and listening, or you can stream and listen to your audiobook in any browser.

Wholesale

Do you offer wholesale pricing for bookstores?

We certainly do. At this time, we can offer the best pricing on our special edition hardcover books, and we supply wholesale to bookstores in NZ, AUS, the US, and the UK. Please contact us to discuss your needs and we’ll see what we can do.

Steffanie FAQs

About Steff's books

Where do you get your ideas?

Everywhere! The cool thing about being a writer is that everything is fodder. I love to go on adventures, travel, and see my friends. Many stories or characters spark from listening to true crime or spooky history podcasts. I always find the best ideas come to me when I'm not writing – usually in the shower, or just as I'm nodding off to sleep.

How come I can't find your book in my favourite store/library?

For most of my career, I've been an indie author. That means most of my books don't have a publisher, and I handle my own distribution. Because it costs a gazillion dollars to print 5000 copies of my books at a time to get them into bookstores, and I'd rather spend that money on acquiring more cats, I focus on ebooks. This means that no matter where you are in the world, you can get a copy of any of my books on your device to enjoy immediately.

Many of my books are available through Amazon's Kindle Unlimited (KU) program. KU is like "Spotify for books" – you pay a monthly subscription fee to read as many books as you like. If you're a voracious reader and you love ebooks, KU will be awesome for you. As an author, having my books in KU means I can get them in front of millions of voracious readers, but they're not allowed to be on sale in other stores. So that's why sometimes my books aren't on Apple or Kobo or other places. The paperbacks will always be available widely online, as well as most of my audiobooks. You can find links to where each book is available on its page here on my website.

Some of my books – like the Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven series, published by Atria – are traditionally published, which means that your bookstore may have them in stock, and if they don't, ask and I bet they'll order them in for you! Sometimes certain books, translations, or specific covers are available in some territories but not others.

For my indie paperbacks, bookstores and libraries may not be able to purchase them because of various boring reasons. Your best bet is to order them directly through my website. (It also doesn't hurt to suggest them to your librarian! If they know demand is there, they'll order in the books for you. Libraries are awesome like that).

If you want to read a book and you can't find it in your preferred format, contact my team and we may be able to help.

Can I join your ARC team?

I'm very picky about who is on my ARC team, but I'm happy to consider you. Email me and I'll send you a form to fill out.

I'm a book blogger/bookstagrammer. Can I get a review copy?

I'm definitely keen to work with more bloggers and bookstagrammers. What you do to support the book community is awesome! Email me with a link to your site/profile and I'll put you on my list.

About Steff's Wonky Eyes

What exactly is wrong with your eyes? Do you have the same eye condition as Mina?

I have a rare genetic condition called achromatopsia. A normal human has a few million rod cells (for night vision) and a few million cone cells (for daytime/colour vision/depth perception) in their eyes. I've got some rods, but no cones. This means I have poor depth perception, extreme light sensitivity, and I cannot see any colours. My world is literally 50 shades of grey :). 

I'm also severely short-sighted to the point I'm considered legally blind, and I have a condition called nystagmus, which means my eyes blink and wobble a lot. If I'm talking to you, I might appear to have my eyes closed or look off to the side.

My condition is stable – it won't get any worse, and right now there's no cure. (Although scientists in Israel have cured a flock of sheep with achromatopsia using gene therapy, and they're currently in early human trials, so that's amazing).

Mina in Nevermore Bookshop has retinitis pigmentosa (RP). This is another genetic condition where the cells in the retina degenerate over time – usually starting with rod cells, and moving onto cone cells. People with RP first notice a loss of periphery vision and trouble seeing at night. You'll usually notice symptoms as a child, and it rarely results in complete blindness. However, there are many different types of RP and ever patient is different – Mina has a specific type that has a later onset and results in severe and rapid vision loss. 

I chose RP for Mina because it's degenerative (you lose your sight over time, instead of a stable condition like mine) and also because it's a more well-known condition and easier to explain to sighted readers.

I definitely haven't ruled out writing a hero or heroine with achromatopsia in the future!

If you're blind, how do you do all the things?

Human beings are crazy adaptable, and I'm so lucky to live in an age where technology helps people like me to live independent lives. The truth is, it's not my eyesight that makes me disabled, but the fact that prejudices and set-up of society doesn't allow me to do certain things in a certain way. But I'm here, living my best wonky-eyed life, trying to change that.

I write on a computer with a GIANT screen that's positioned so close to my face my nose practically touches it. I also use a setting that inverts the colours on my screen – so a black background with white text. This helps cut down the glare that hurts my eyes. I also work in a dark office/library we've dubbed, "the batcave."

You might notice in my books that sometimes I forget to describe what people look like, but I always have lush descriptions of scent, and the way voices sound. That's because I love smells, but I often forget what people look like :)

Many things are more difficult for me than for someone with normal vision. For example, I love to hike, but because I can't perceive depth I have to go very slowly down steep slopes. I use hiking poles to help me plot my next move.

I'm also lucky to have wonderful friends, family, and a caring husband who will read out fast-food menus or movie subtitles when I can't see them. (My husband loves to invent his own dialogue and do silly voices).

Do you have a guide dog?

No. Not all blind people use guide dogs. Or white canes. I have enough vision that I don't need a dog to navigate the world. However, I'm a big supporter of guide dogs to help people like me have freedom and independence – a portion of the royalties from the Nevermore Bookshop Mysteries series go to support Guide Dogs New Zealand every month.

Sometimes I use a white cane as a signal to people around me that I'm blind.

Can you read braille?

Yes and no. I'm not a Braille-user. I'm able to read printed text (although I have to hold it pretty close to my face), and because my eye condition is stable, I never needed to learn Braille.

Learning to read braille by touch requires years of training – learning what the dots mean is the easy part. You have to train your fingers to be extra-sensitive and learn to use your brain in a different way.

However, one of my first jobs out of university was as a Braille transcriber. I made books, restaurant menus, conference programs, textbooks, and other documents into braille for blind and low vision New Zealanders. This job required me to learn the Braille code and be able to quickly read it by sight, although I still can't read it by feel. I still remember it today and get excited whenever I see or feel Braille when I'm out and about. 

Common Steffish questions

Is writing your full-time job?

Hell yes! I'm so lucky that I'm able to write novels and teach writing and self-publishing full time. It's a dream come true, and it's possible because of amazing readers like you. So cheers! If I ever meet you in real life, I will give you the biggest hug.

What do you do when you're not writing?

When am I ever not writing? :) 

My land and house keep me pretty busy. I also love to paint, to brew alcohol (I make mead and cider), and to bake delicious things. I lift weights on the regular, and a few times a year I go bush – I love to hike and immerse myself in nature for a few days. I always come back bursting with ideas and in desperate need of a shower.

What else? I read a lot – 2-4 books a week. And I'm obsessed with travel and heavy metal. My husband is a musician, and all my friends are crazy metalheads. We spend far too much time and money travelling, going to gigs and music festivals, and debating the age-old question – Iron Maiden or Black Sabbath?

Where do you live?

I live in beautiful New Zealand. I was born and grew up in Hawke's Bay, moved to Auckland for university, and never left. My husband and I own a small hobby farm (we call them lifestyle blocks in NZ, but I'm told that's not a common term overseas) that's off-the-grid. We collect our own rainwater, use solar panels for power, and have a worm treatment tank for our waste. We have some vegetable gardens I keep murdering, a small flock of sheep, some chickens, and four cats who rule over us all with iron paws.

Did you study writing at college?

In New Zealand, we call it "university." :) And no, I didn't. I studied archaeology/ancient history, with a smattering of ye olde English papers for good measure. Being an archaeologist was my dream career since I was very young, and I'm still passionate about old ruins and ancient mummies. As part of my degree, I learned to read Egyptian hieroglyphs, Akkadian, and Ancient Greek, and I got to spend a summer at a field school in Greece exploring ancient archaeological sites.

Unfortunately, finding a job in archaeology when you're legally-blind is tough as shit. I needed a new career, and I always loved writing so I thought I'd give it a go. My love of ancient stuff fuels much of my books (as you can probably tell), and whenever I travel I always visit as many castles and ruins and cemeteries as I can.

How many cats you do you have?

We have four of the little buggers, and they make life so interesting. There is Socrates – the crazy Tonkinese with a towel fetish who can play fetch like a dog. Eleanor – the slinky Abyssinian who loves to sleep in our bed with her head on the pillow like a person. Lord Nelson – a half-Birman rescue who has wonky eyes just like me and is afraid of his own shadow, and Queen Boudica – Nelson's sister and stripy ghost who isn't a big fan of people...unless they're holding a can of cat food, when they suddenly become her bestest friends.

FAQ for writers

Do you have any advice for beginning authors?

"Don't quit before the miracle." Writing is damn hard work, and finding an audience for your work is even harder. But as long as you keep going and keep writing and keep publishing, you will beat out all the other writers who decide to give up.

Every book is important, because you learn things. I wrote 33 books before book 34 became a big hit. But if I hadn't written those 33 books, I never could have written 34. 

Write things that you love and are excited about, because otherwise, what's the point? And be okay with writing a bunch of crap – it's more important to finish a book than it is to get the first chapter perfect. You fix all the crap in editing, but if you never get past chapter one, you'll be stuck forever.

For more advice and resources on writing and self-publishing, hop on over to my website for writers – Rage Against the Manuscript.

I've written a book. Will you read it?

I wish I could help, glitterkitten! Unfortunately, I'm not able to read or comment on the work of individual writers. But if you want some of my tips and resources for authors, head over to Rage Against the Manuscript.

Should I self-publish my books, or seek a traditional publishing contract?

I can't answer this question for you. And honestly, I'm probably biased because I've seen great success as an indie author. There are advantages and disadvantages to both paths.

I love being indie because I like being able to publish the stories that excite me, interact directly with my readers, publish super fast, and keep all the control and all the royalties. The main disadvantage is that I have to manage every aspect of my author business myself, and I have to be a bit of a noodle and be okay with waving my hands around and saying, "hey, look at me!"

With a traditional contract, you get to work with a big publisher and an editor with lots of experience, you don't have to find your own cover designer, and you will be able to get your books in bookstores and see reviews in important publications. You still have to do your own marketing, but your publisher will be able to get you into places where indies can't go.

Some genres do better in indie, others do better in trad. It's up to you to do the research and see where you're going to fit and what works for your personality.

Business/profesh stuff

I'd love to collaborate with you. Would you be interested?

Hell yes! I'm always excited to hear from writers, illustrators, event organisers, designers, publishers, and other creatives with innovative ideas.

I'm pretty full up with my own projects these days, but I'd love to hear from you and we'll see if we jive. Email me and let's talk.

What rights are available for your books?

Many of my books have translation, film/TV, and audiobook rights available. Contact me and we'll talk.

Can I interview you for my blog/podcast/publication?

Sure thing! I'm always happy to talk about writing, my books, self-publishing, and anything dark and gothic and spooky. Contact me and we'll jam.