Brink Store FAQs

A: Our parent nonprofit, Brink, is a 501(c)(3) registered charitable organization. At Brink, we believe in the power of storytelling to change the world. It's literally (and literarily) at the core of everything we do! Through our educational programming, we work with justice-impacted youth and adults to help them gain literacy and transformative storytelling skills to improve their lives, prevent recidivism, and advocate for their communities. If you're hankering to learn more, visit our website: www.brinklit.org

A: F(r)iction is carefully curated to evaluate an important cultural topic from vastly different perspectives, so that each issue inspires us to think differently. We value storytelling that pushes us to consider our worldviews and long-held beliefs. Sometimes being introduced to new, unexpected ideas (through fiction) causes a feeling of friction within us as we read (there's that parenthesized “r”!).

A: We publish triannually, and our usual release dates are March 15, July 15, and November 15. Of course, we don't control the entire process and due to printing timelines, international shipping timelines, customs, and unexpected events, these dates may shift.

A: We love that! We encourage you to submit your work so our editors can consider it. We accept submissions of short stories, poetry, flash fiction, and creative nonfiction year round. You can find information about What We Look For, our Upcoming Themes, and Submission Routes at frictionlit.org.

If you're an artist, please contact us. Provide a link to your online portfolio featuring the beautiful work you feel meets our aesthetic most, and we will reply to you as soon as we are able.

A: New subscriptions begin with our most recently published issue. If you have questions or concerns, please contact us.

A: Getting to the good stuff couldn't be easier! Visit your “My Account” page, and once you are logged in you can click the “Access F(r)iction” button to browse the archive.

A: Your friend is very lucky! During checkout, enter your friend's name and address in the shipping address fields. If possible, please provide their phone number so the shipper can contact them if necessary.

A: F(r)iction subscriptions auto-renew after the final issue for that subscription is sent. To turn off auto-renew:

1. Go to your “My Account” page and find the “My Subscriptions” area at the top of the page.
2. Find the subscription you want to deactivate and click the toggle button to turn auto-renew off (a grayed-out toggle means it is deactivated). You will still receive any remaining issues left in your subscription. To cancel your subscription entirely, please contact us and we will be happy to help... Even if we'll be sorry to see you go.

A: That's no good! We'd be happy to investigate why you haven't yet received any books yet. Please contact us and we will sort it out to make sure you get each issue that you're due.

A: There are a few things you can start with, such as checking your internet connection, using a different web browser, and confirming that your billing information is correct. If you're still running into trouble, please contact us and provide as many details about the issue as you can. If you receive an error message, please take a screenshot of the error to provide to our customer service agent when they reply to your query. The more information you can share with us, the more help we can provide!

A: Absolutely. If your order has not yet shipped and you wish to change or cancel it, please contact us with your order number and we will be happy to help.

A: The print runs for each F(r)iction issue are limited, and we often sell out. (It's a good problem to have!) We then continue to sell the digital PDF version of the issue. The “Digital-Only” label applies when there are no more print copies available.

A: All digital issues of F(r)iction are formatted as reading-resolution PDFs. And they are gorgeous to boot!

A: We would love to hear from you! To make a wholesale inquiry, please contact us and provide your business name and website. We will follow up with additional questions to help.

A: All our prices are listed in U.S. Dollars. (Also known as “bucks,” “greenbacks,” and sometimes “smackers.”)

A: We accept all major credit cards, and bank or debit cards with the Visa or Mastercard insignia.

A: See our handy table below for general shipping times. These are not exact, as numerous factors can delay delivery, including carrier capacities and schedules, customs holds, weather, and international events. Please be sure to provide your phone number with your shipping address so that carriers and customs can easily contact you.

Shipping within the United States	5 - 7 business days, with tracking
Shipping within the United Kingdom	3 - 4 business days
Shipping to Canada, the EU, and elsewhere	7 - 10 business (sometimes longer depending on local carriers and customs)

A: Fear not, we're here to help! Please contact us and we'll reply as soon as we are able to sort out problems with your order.

A: Who hasn't done this at least once? If you've already placed your order, please contact us and we will be happy to help. To ensure the correct mailing address is reflected in future orders, you can update your mailing information on your “My Account” page after logging in.

A: As a nonprofit, we ship our international orders manually using the UK Royal Mail's International Standard service via Parcelforce. While it doesn't provide tracking, this service generally delivers to Europe, SE Asia, Asia, Canada, South America, and Africa in roughly 7–14 mail days. If you have questions, don't hesitate to contact us. We'll reply to assist you lickety-split.

A: In the event an order arrives incorrect or with missing items. Please contact us providing your order number and we will set it right. If your order was damaged in transit or the items are defective, please take photos of the original shipping box/packaging and any damage or defect in the items ordered. Contact us and our customer service agent will reply requesting photos and additional information. If applicable, we will issue a damage claim with the shipping service and make arrangements to replace your order.

A: In compliance with each state's local tax laws, we assess taxes using the most current rates based on your ZIP or postal code.

A: We charge VAT in compliance with local tax laws in your area. This will be reflected on your order total during checkout.

A: Customers are responsible for any import tax they may be charged to receive their order. Please be sure to provide the correct phone number with your shipping address so that customs can contact you regarding import tax. If you have questions about this, don't hesitate to contact us!

A: All sales are final. If your order arrives damaged in shipping, or has a printing error, please contact us within 15 days of your purchase, and we will be happy to help.

A: Security is key! Visit the “My Account” page and select 'Edit Account' from the left-hand sidebar to update your password. If you have questions, please contact us.

A: Find the “My Account” icon in the upper right header (the stick-person icon) and click. You will be presented with a login screen. Beneath it you'll find a text link to “Create New Account.” Click and follow the prompts to create your account. If you run into any trouble, please contact us.

A: Ooh, it could be anything! What an exciting possibility! Please contact us and ask away. We'd be happy to help.