Our printed books are printed to order for you. Some titles are printed in the US by Bookvault US; others are printed and shipped from the UK. Printing takes a few working days. After dispatch, delivery normally takes 1–5 working days in the UK and 3–7 working days to Ireland and the rest of Europe; times to the US and elsewhere vary with the service you choose. Please allow 10–15 working days in total from order to delivery outside the UK. These are estimates, not guarantees, and can be longer at busy times such as Christmas. Readers in the US can also buy our paperbacks and hardbacks on Amazon.
How much is postage?
Postage is added at checkout, and you'll see the exact cost and the delivery options for your address before you pay. Free postage in Ireland is for books only, on orders from €53.98. Clothing and other merchandise always have postage added. There is no free postage outside Ireland. We ship worldwide. Postage depends on where the item is made:
Books (Bookvault): the postage and services available for your address (for example Royal Mail, FedEx, UPS or USPS) are shown at checkout.
Bottles, mugs and lunchboxes (Spreadconnect): postage from the EU is shown at checkout.
T-shirts, long sleeves and hoodies (Creat4You, Portugal, sent by CTT):
Portugal: €3.99 for 1 item, €4.99 for 2–3 items
Spain: €6.99 for 1 item, €8.99 for 2–3 items
Ireland and EU zone 2 (e.g. DE, FR, NL, IT, BE, AT): €17.99 for 1 item, €19.99 for 2–3 items
EU zone 3 (e.g. DK, PL, SE, FI, EE, LV, MT): €18.99 for 1 item, €20.99 for 2–3 items
UK: €34.99 for 1 item, €37.99 for 2–3 items
USA and Canada: €55.99 for 1 item, €60.99 for 2–3 items
Clothing is posted from Portugal by CTT. CTT adds an energy surcharge that changes every month, so these rates may be updated from time to time. You can see the current rate on CTT's energy surcharge page.
Our items are made in different places, so an order with several items may arrive in separate parcels.
Can I track my order?
Yes, where tracking is available. You'll get an email when your order is dispatched, with the tracking link if your service includes one.
Is Activity Book One available as a hardback?
No. Activity Book One is paperback only.
Ebooks & audiobooks
How do I get my ebook or audiobook?
Ebooks and audiobooks are delivered digitally by email through BookFunnel, usually within minutes. If your link hasn't arrived within 20 minutes, please check your spam or promotions folder, then email us.
What is Breathe and Walk?
Breathe and Walk is a downloadable PDF, sent by email.
Merchandise
Where does the merchandise come from?
Bottles, mugs and lunchboxes are made by Spreadconnect and printed in the EU (Germany, the Czech Republic or Poland); about 95% of these orders ship within 48 hours. T-shirts, long sleeves and hoodies are made by Creat4You in Portugal and sent by CTT.
Prices, VAT & customs
Do you charge VAT?
We are not registered for VAT, so no VAT is added to our prices.
Will I have to pay customs or import charges?
In the EU: no. There are no customs charges inside the EU, so your order arrives just as you paid for it.
Outside the EU (including the UK, the USA and Canada): your parcel may have import duties, taxes such as VAT, GST or sales tax, and a courier handling fee to pay on delivery. These are paid by you. Your own country sets these charges, not us; they aren't included in our prices or postage, so we can't pay them for you. Books printed in your own country (for example in the UK) are posted within that country, so they normally have no import charges. Clothing and merchandise posted from the EU are more likely to be charged than books. The USA, for example, no longer lets small parcels in duty-free.
Thank you for understanding, and for bringing a little of the Beehive into your home, wherever you are.
Thanksgiving, Christmas & the Honeycomb Harvest Sale
What is the Honeycomb Harvest Sale?
We're holding our Honeycomb Harvest Sale instead of Black Friday, so gifts can arrive in good time for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It opens to newsletter subscribers on Thursday 29 October and to everyone on Monday 2 November, and runs until Tuesday 1 December 2026.
When should I order printed books for Thanksgiving (US)?
By Monday 2 November.
What are the last order dates for printed books for Christmas?
US and rest of world: Friday 20 November
Ireland and EU: Monday 30 November
UK: Tuesday 1 December
Ebooks and audiobooks arrive instantly, so they're perfect last-minute gifts.
Returns & damaged items
Can I return something?
Our books and merchandise are printed or made to order for you, so we can't accept returns for change of mind. If something arrives damaged, misprinted or isn't what you ordered, we'll replace it or refund you. See our Refund policy.
My item arrived damaged. What should I do?
We're sorry! Please email info@lightshadowandink.com within 30 days of delivery with your order number and a photo, and we'll put it right.
