shipping policy

This Shipping Policy applies to all physical product orders placed through theslowburnreader.com. It covers physical books, print-on-demand accessories and merchandise, and print-on-demand publications including journals and magazines. Digital products, including ebooks and downloadable content, are delivered electronically and are not subject to this policy.

Because The Slow Burn Reader operates as a curated marketplace with multiple fulfillment partners, shipping timelines, carriers, and conditions vary by product type. Please read this policy in full before placing your order.

If you have questions about a specific order, contact us at hello@theslowburnreader.com with your order number.

We currently ship to addresses within the United States only. This includes all 50 states and, depending on the product type and fulfillment partner, select U.S. territories and military addresses as detailed below. We do not ship internationally at this time.

2.1 Physical Books

Physical books ship to any USPS-compliant address in the United States, including:

• All 50 U.S. states
• APO (Army Post Office — U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force) military addresses
• FPO (Fleet Post Office — U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps) military addresses
• DPO (Diplomatic Post Office) addresses
• U.S. Territories, including American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Micronesia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Marshall Islands, Palau, and Minor Outlying Islands

Your shipping address must be compliant with USPS delivery standards. You can verify whether your address is USPS-compliant using the USPS ZIP Code lookup tool at tools.usps.com. Orders submitted with a non-USPS-compliant address may be delayed or undeliverable, and we are not responsible for fulfillment failures resulting from an invalid address.

2.2 Accessories and Merchandise

Accessories and merchandise ship to U.S. addresses. All shipping addresses must be written exclusively in Latin characters. Address Line 1 is limited to 35 characters and Address Line 2 is limited to 30 characters. It is your sole responsibility to provide a complete and accurate shipping address. 

2.3 Journals and Magazines

Journals, book-adjacent publications, and magazines ship to U.S. addresses, including military APO, FPO, and DPO addresses via USPS only. Express shipping is not available for military addresses.

If you are shipping to a P.O. Box address, your available shipping methods are limited to Mail and Priority Mail. Carriers such as FedEx and UPS cannot deliver to P.O. Box addresses, and selecting an incompatible shipping method for a P.O. Box address may result in non-delivery.

For orders shipping to Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico via standard Mail, please allow at least 14 additional days of transit time beyond the standard estimate.

The Slow Burn Reader uses multiple fulfillment partners depending on the type of product ordered. Each partner operates independently and has its own production and shipping timelines. Your order may ship from multiple fulfillment sources if it contains products of different types.

Processing time is the period between when your order is placed and when it is submitted to the fulfillment partner for production and shipment. Processing time is separate from and in addition to shipping transit time.

4.1 Physical Books

All physical book orders are held for 24 hours after placement before being automatically submitted for fulfillment. This window exists to allow for address corrections or order cancellations. Once an order passes the 24-hour hold and enters fulfillment, it cannot be cancelled or modified, regardless of shipping status.

Once submitted for fulfillment, most books ship within 3 business days. However, some titles are printed on demand, and printing and binding may add a minimum of 4 additional days before shipment. It is not always possible to determine in advance whether a specific title will be fulfilled from in-hand stock or printed on demand, as publishers may shift between fulfillment methods.

During peak periods or periods of adverse weather, shipment may take up to 12 business days from fulfillment submission. This is uncommon but should be anticipated when ordering during major holidays or periods of severe weather.

4.2 Accessories and Merchandise

Most accessory and merchandise orders enter production within 1 to 2 business days of placement and ship within 2 to 7 business days after production is complete.

Production time may vary based on product type, print provider, time of year, and order volume.

Tracking information becomes available once your order status changes to "Ready to Ship." Please allow up to 7 business days for production to complete before expecting tracking updates.

4.3 Journals and Magazines

All journals and magazines must be printed and bound before shipment. Production and shipping timelines vary based on product specifications, order size, and time of year. We recommend allowing additional time when ordering during peak periods.

5.1 Physical Books

All physical books are shipped via USPS Media Mail. In some cases, UPS, FedEx, or DHL may handle initial transportation, but the final mile of delivery is always completed by USPS. Because of this, your delivery address must be one that USPS services directly.

USPS Media Mail is an economy service and does not guarantee delivery within a specific number of days. Transit times are estimates only. Typical transit times for Media Mail range from 2 to 14 business days depending on origin, destination, and carrier volume.

5.2 Accessories and Merchandise

Shipping carrier and method for accessories and merchandise vary by print provider and product type. Estimated shipping times by product and provider are available on Printify's Shipping Rates page at printify.com/shipping-rates.

We will disclose this where possible at the product level, but we cannot guarantee tracking availability for all merchandise orders.

5.3 Journals and Magazines

Ships via multiple carriers depending on the shipping method selected at checkout. Express and Expedited delivery methods deliver Monday through Friday only. Shipping times are estimates and are not guaranteed.

Because The Slow Burn Reader is a multi-vendor marketplace, orders containing products from different Sellers or product categories will ship separately from their respective fulfillment sources. You will receive separate order confirmations and tracking information for each shipment. Shipping charges, where applicable, are calculated per shipment.

This means:

• An order containing a physical book from one Seller and a physical book from a second Seller will ship in two separate packages, each with its own tracking number.
• An order containing a physical book and a piece of merchandise will ship from two separate fulfillment partners, each with its own timeline and carrier.

We are not able to consolidate orders into a single shipment across different Sellers or product types.

Shipping costs are calculated at checkout based on the product type, fulfillment partner, shipping method selected, and delivery destination.

7.1 Free Shipping for Members

Active members of the membership program receive free standard shipping on all qualifying orders of $55.00 or more within a single transaction. Free shipping applies to eligible physical products shipped to U.S. addresses. It does not apply to expedited or express shipping methods, and does not extend to digital products. Orders that include products from multiple fulfillment partners will have free shipping applied where eligible.

7.2 Non-Member Orders

All non-member orders are subject to shipping charges as calculated at checkout. Shipping costs are not included in product prices and are non-refundable except in cases where an order is cancelled before fulfillment or where an error on our part resulted in incorrect shipping charges being applied.

8.1 Physical Books

Physical book orders may be cancelled or modified during the 24-hour hold period following placement. Once the 24-hour hold has elapsed and the order has been submitted for fulfillment, it cannot be cancelled, modified, or rerouted, regardless of shipment status. We strongly encourage you to verify your shipping address before completing your purchase.

8.2 Accessories, Merchandise, Journals, and Magazines

Orders for accessories, merchandise, journals, and magazines enter production quickly after placement. We cannot guarantee the ability to cancel or modify these orders once placed. If you need to request a cancellation or address change immediately after placing an order, contact us at hello@theslowburnreader.com as promptly as possible and we will make every reasonable effort to accommodate the request before production begins. We cannot guarantee cancellation will be possible.

9.1 Risk of Loss

Title and risk of loss for all physical products transfer to you upon delivery of the order to the applicable shipping carrier. Once a package has been handed off to the carrier and a tracking number has been issued, the shipment is the responsibility of the carrier, not The Slow Burn Reader.

9.2 Lost or Stolen Packages

We are not responsible for packages that are lost, stolen, or marked as delivered but not received after carrier handoff. If your tracking information shows a package as delivered but you have not received it, we recommend:

• Checking with neighbors, building management, or others who may have accepted the package on your behalf;
• Waiting 24 to 48 hours, as carriers occasionally mark packages as delivered prematurely;
• Filing a claim directly with the carrier using your tracking number.

We will provide reasonable assistance in documenting your claim upon request, but we are not able to issue refunds or replacements for packages confirmed as delivered by the carrier.

9.3 Delivery Failures Due to Address Errors

If a package is returned to the fulfillment partner due to an incorrect, incomplete, or undeliverable address provided by you, we will contact you to arrange reshipment. Additional shipping charges will apply. We are not responsible for delays, additional costs, or non-delivery resulting from address errors made at the time of order placement.

9.4 Correctional Facility Deliveries

If you are shipping to a correctional facility, it is your responsibility to verify the facility's specific delivery restrictions before placing your order, including restrictions on binding type, packaging, and carrier. Orders returned from a correctional facility are not eligible for a refund or reorder.

If your order arrives physically damaged due to carrier mishandling, please refer to our Refund Policy for the process and eligibility requirements. Damage claims must be submitted within 7 days of the confirmed delivery date and must include photographic evidence of the damage.

Damage resulting from normal wear during transit, minor cosmetic imperfections, or packaging wear that does not affect the product itself does not qualify for a damage claim.

Estimated processing and shipping timelines are provided in good faith but are not guarantees. Delays may occur due to factors outside our control, including but not limited to:

• Carrier volume and service disruptions
• Adverse or extreme weather conditions
• Peak holiday periods
• Print provider production backlogs
• Incorrect or unverifiable delivery addresses
• USPS Media Mail service variability

We are not liable for any loss, cost, or inconvenience resulting from shipping delays. If your order has not arrived within a reasonable window beyond the estimated timeframe, contact us at hello@theslowburnreader.com and we will assist you in investigating the status of your shipment.

For questions about your shipment or the contents of this policy, contact us at:

The Slow Burn Reader Email: hello@theslowburnreader.com

Please include your order number in all shipping-related inquiries.

This Shipping Policy was last updated on 6/8/2026.