How can I be assured of privacy?
Reluctant Press^tm is a crossdresser & transsexual owned company, and has been in business for over eleven years. Since we are experienced in this field, we are also very sensitive to the needs of our readers. We realize, for instance, that the vast majority of our readers are married and have jobs that they do not wish to jeopardize. We understand! Before we began selling books on the Internet, we sent them through the mail to thousands of satisfied customers. Print books are sent in plain wrappers with the return address of Friendly Applications, Inc. -- pretty innocuous. In the case of online stories, we send your password via e-mail to the address you specify. The subject line simply says "Thank you." Furthermore, the files themselves are password protected, so even if someone finds a file on your computer with a name like "99338.pdf," they won't be able to open it to see what it is without your personal password!
We also want you to know that we never sell or give away our mailing list, nor do we share your personal information with anyone ever. All information is kept to ourselves, and we never send you regular mail unless you ask to be placed on our mailing list. back

Why do I have to give my real name (and/or address) when I order from you?
The reason we ask for your name and billing address information is to verify that you are indeed the holder of the credit card you are using. This is designed to help prevent credit card fraud. Verification is done by computer and is completely anonymous. Nobody will be sharing your address with anyone, nor will any of this information be kept on file. back

I'm not sure I trust online ordering, isn't there another way?
Yes, absolutely! We appreciate your concerns in this regard, and while we've never had a problem we understand your feelings. Other ways are:

1. Absolutely! You may order through our partner Mags, Inc. by calling (800) 359-2116 or you may FAX your order to (818) 784-9563. Just be sure to include all the information that is marked with a red star on the order form.
2. Use the printable order form at order.htm which can be either faxed or mailed to us.
3. Send e-mail to sales@reluctantpress.com - be sure to include all the pertinent information. back

The newer Amazon Kindle readers can handle PDF files natively without requiring any conversion, as well as all the common Microsoft Office formats. If by some chance you happen to have an old Kindle, you can still get an update that covers password protected pdfs: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=pe_81240_16401580_hp_navbox_krec_su?nodeId=200324680
- To transfer a PDF a from your computer to your Kindle reader, you can connect the Kindle to your computer using the USB cable that came with it (HINT: This cable doubles as the charger cable).
After a moment or two, the Kindle will appear as a separate drive in My Computer or Windows Explorer. You can drag and drop files from your computer desktop to the Kindle drive and they’ll be copied to the Kindle's memory, but it will make the files easier to find if you double-click the icon for the Kindle, and navigate to the folder called "Documents" - copy your files there.
- Or, if you can't find your USB cable (even though you use it for charging) or you don't want to use it for some reason, you can transfer documents from the computer to your Kindle wirelessly: All Kindle users have a person email address that looks something like this - name@free.kindle.com or myname@kindle.com (check Amazon for your correct address). Any files that you send to this email as an attachment will auto-download to your Kindle while you are connected to a Wi-Fi network

How long will it take before I receive my order of printed books?
If the book(s) you ordered in stock, we will ship your order by the end of the next business day. We ship Priority Mail within the USA, in order to keep shipping times to a minimum. We're located in the the Los Angeles are of California, so figure shipping time accordingly. back

How long will it take for me to receive my password(s) for online stories?
Reluctant Press is a small TG-Family business, so we still lovingly process each order by hand. That means that someone actually has to be here to do it. Therefore, plan on receiving your password by e-mail by the end of the business day following the day you ordered. A "Business Day" is normally defined as Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays in the USA. Sometimes Ms. Chrissie works late and sends out passwords sooner than you think, but we'd like you to plan on receiving it within about a business day. Important: Occasionally, people send us an order with a bad email address. If you didn't get your order when you were supposed to, it is probably because you mistyped your e-mail address and we're sitting on "pins&needles" waiting to hear from you. So write! back

Why don't you just give away your books like some people seem to?
First of all, it is important to realize that nobody gives away transgender story books. A few Internet sites have text files written by amateurs, but these small "stories" tend to be repetitive and difficult to read because of their poor use of English. In addition to the lack of professional editing, these stories universally lack professional illustrations. Oh yes, one site illegally uses copyrighted images of people who have nothing whatever to do with the story, but the difference is both obvious and painful!
There's a reason why you can get quality illustrated transgender fiction only here at RP: To produce a book, a publishing company such as ours spends thousands of dollars for professional editing, illustrations, layout and design... this is in addition to the hundreds of hours the author lovingly put into his/her story. "Free" story sites will not and cannot do this. Remember the old saying, "You get what you pay for." By choosing to patronize professional transgender fiction, you are helping other sisters who share your interests and dreams. back

What is Adobe Acrobat Reader and why do I need it?
Adobe Acrobat Reader has revolutionized the electronic publishing industry by providing a document format that looks exactly like a print book and is readable on almost all computers and all operating systems. Adobe Acrobat creates a file in Portable Document Format (.pdf) which can be opened and read by any computer which has the free Acrobat Reader program. This program is available without charge for download from www.adobe.com. Without Adobe Acrobat, you couldn't have a real book to read (complete with pictures) ..you'd just end up with a text file, so it's well worth it. Also, many government documents and other professional literature are now on the web in Acrobat Reader format, so sooner or later you'll need this program even if you never read a Reluctant Press book. back

How can I tell if I have Acrobat already?
Many computers today ship with the free Acrobat Reader. It is also included in the full download of Internet Explorer 5 and some other packages. To test whether or not you have acrobat, try double clicking on this link for test.pdf. In many browsers today, the file will begin to open inside the browser. If this is the case for you, you'll probably do better with our stories if you right-click the links and select "Save Target As...", which will allow you to save the target file to your hard drive instead of having to view it online. (MAC users: click and hold link until the options menu appears, then select "Save Target As..", as above).
Alternatively, when you double click the link, your browser may open a window asking you whether or not you want to OPEN the file or SAVE it to disk. If you get the option, always choose "Save to Disk". (Just remember where you put the file!) Once the file is downloaded, go to the directory where you put it and double-click it. If the computer asks you what program to use to open it, look to see if Adobe Acrobat Reader is listed as an option. If so, select it. If not, then you need to go to www.adobe.com and get a free reader for your computer. back

Can I get stories another way?
Basically we provide stories in two formats: Print books (saddle-stitch and perfect-bound), and online stories in Acrobat format. As far as we've been able to tell, there's no other practical method by which we can provide our readers with a quality book which includes illustrations and professional layout. If you have a special need, you can always write to us and we'll try to see if there is a way we can help you. back

Why do I just get a blank page when I try to download a book?
Some browsers are set up to begin opening a book inside the browser program as soon as the download starts. If your browser is set to open Acrobat files inside the browser, we STRONGLY recommend that you RIGHT-CLICK the link (Mac users, click and HOLD until the options menu pops up), and select "Save target as..." (Explorer) or "Save Link As.." (Netscape) Choose the default-indicated name (the name of the pdf file.) ...be sure to remember WHERE you saved it on your computer! If you double click the link and the Acrobat file gets opened inside your browser, you can still save it to your local disk by selecting the "Save" icon in the Acrobat Reader window, or by selecting File/Save As.. You can also change the way your browser is configured so you don't have to use right-click. (Reminder: These files are *big*, with full versions ranging from 280 K to over 4 megs, so be sure to allow enough time to download them).back

I tried to download a story but nothing happened.
The stories are probably a bit bigger than you realize. If your browser is set to open Acrobat Acrobat^tm inside the browser instead of downloading them, use the right-click method described above. But remember it takes a little time: Since these are fully formatted books with illustrations, they range in size from 280 K to over 4 megabytes. If the modem lights stop blinking for a long time, you may have a frozen connection to the web site. This happens even to the best of systems. Just click Cancel or Stop and try again. Be patient, though! back

I might be one of the 2 percent or so who can't use Acrobat, what then?
Unless you are web surfing on a Commodore 64 you can probably use Acrobat (web TV users excepted). Sometimes, though, you may feel that you don't have enough disk space to download the reader and the stories. In that case, about the only alternative is to order print books. One thing people often forget is that you can get a post office box very easily. There are even private companies like Mailboxes Etc that will provide you with a post office box. This is just about as secure as receiving a story online (as long as you don't leave your books sitting around on your coffee table!) back

I think I got the wrong book!
Please double check everything about your order before you send it. It is very important that you give us the right information so that we can properly serve you. But if we make a mistake, we will make it right. Customer service is very important to us! back

I'm having trouble with a file.
If your problem is with Adobe Acrobat, there is some pretty good help available at www.adobe.com. If your problem is with our site, write to the webmaster@reluctantpress.com and we'll try to help. back

Why do I have to enter a password every time I read my story?
The password feature serves two important functions, and while it can be slightly annoying it can also be a life-saver.

1. First of all, it allows us to distribute stories online after having spent thousands of dollars developing and illustrating them. The password is also a copyright-protected item, which helps us ensure that the author, artist and editor will be protected.
2. The password also protects you. Even if someone finds a file on your computer with a name like "99338.pdf," they won't be able to open it to see what it is without your password. This protects everyone to the greatest possible degree. back

What if I decide I don't like a story after I order it?
We're not a monolithic corporation -- we're a small family business that really believes in serving the transgender community. If you have a problem with a particular story, let us know and we'll try to work it out with you.