Your questions, answered
Everything you might want to know about the subscription, the books, and the small human rituals we've built around them.
Getting Started
What exactly is Wenovelists? +
Wenovelists is a monthly literary subscription. Each month we hand-select a single novel — works we believe are worth your evening hours — and send it to you with the small companion pieces that make reading feel like a ritual: a printed letter from our curators, a themed bookmark, and a short wellness note.
We are not a book club in the traditional sense. You read on your own schedule, and we simply keep the literature arriving.
How does the subscription work? +
Choose a plan, pick this month's novel (or let us surprise you), and we take it from there. A parcel ships once a month with the selected book and its companion materials. You can pause, skip, or cancel from your account at any time.
Do I need a Wenovelists account? +
Yes — your account is where you manage the subscription, update your address, swap a title, or pause a cycle. It also stores your reading history, so you'll never receive the same book twice by accident.
When will I receive my first book? +
Orders placed before the 20th of the month typically ship in that month's cycle. Orders placed later join the following month's shipment. You'll receive a dispatch confirmation with tracking the moment your parcel leaves our studio.
Books & Curation
Who chooses the books? +
Our founders Kelli and Esteban lead curation, with input from a small circle of readers and translators across Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila, and Kuala Lumpur. We read everything we send. If a novel doesn't move us in some quiet, important way, it doesn't make the month.
What kind of books do you send? +
Literary fiction, largely — translated works, quiet contemporary novels, and the occasional recovered classic. We favor stories with a strong sense of place, interior lives rendered with care, and prose that stays with you.
We avoid obvious bestsellers unless the book is genuinely extraordinary.
Can I choose the book, or is it a surprise? +
Both options exist. On the subscribe page you can select one of the three curated titles for the current month, or leave the choice to us — some subscribers prefer the serendipity of not knowing.
Are the books new or used? +
All books are new, sourced directly from publishers or their regional distributors. We do not send galleys, ARCs, or remainders.
Can I request a book in a specific language? +
Our primary editions are English. Where a notable translation exists in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, or Spanish, we'll note it on the title page. If you have a specific language preference, reach out before your first shipment and we'll do our best.
Shipping
Where do you ship? +
We currently ship to Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaysia (including Peninsular Malaysia, Penang, and East Malaysia). Additional markets are added periodically — see our Shipping Info page for the full and current list.
How much does shipping cost? +
Shipping is calculated at checkout based on destination, parcel weight, and the carrier available in your region. The rate you see before confirming payment is the rate you pay for that cycle.
Wenovelists reserves the right to adjust shipping charges at any time to reflect carrier rates, fuel levies, or operational realities. Changes will be visible before you confirm each order and, where relevant, before your next renewal.
How long does delivery take? +
Typical transit times once dispatched:
- Hong Kong: 1–3 business days
- Singapore: 2–4 business days
- Malaysia: 3–6 business days
- Philippines: 4–8 business days
Customs clearance, public holidays, and weather events can extend these windows.
Can I change my shipping address? +
Yes — from your account settings, up until the cycle's dispatch date (around the 25th of the month). Once a parcel has been handed to the carrier, the address is fixed.
What if my parcel is lost or damaged? +
Tell us within 14 days of the dispatch date and we'll work with the carrier to locate or replace it. Photos of any visible damage to the outer parcel help the claim move faster.
Billing & Plans
What plans are available? +
Monthly (rolling, cancel anytime), Quarterly (three-cycle commitment with a modest saving), and Annual (twelve cycles at our best rate, plus a small welcome gift). Full pricing is shown on the subscribe page.
When will I be charged? +
Your first payment is taken at checkout. Renewals occur on the same date each cycle. You'll receive an email reminder three days before any recurring charge.
What payment methods do you accept? +
Major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), Apple Pay, Google Pay, and — in select markets — PayPal. All payments are processed through our PCI-DSS compliant checkout.
Can I pause or skip a month? +
Yes. From your account you can pause for up to three months or skip an individual cycle. Plans remain active; they simply don't ship.
How do I cancel? +
From your account, open Manage subscription and select cancel. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current paid cycle — no partial refunds for unused time on a billing period.
Gifts
Can I gift a subscription? +
Yes — visit the gift page. Gift subscriptions are prepaid for a fixed number of cycles and don't auto-renew. The recipient receives a printed welcome card on the first shipment.
Can I schedule the gift to start on a specific date? +
You can choose the first shipment month at checkout. For shipments tied to a birthday or holiday, we recommend ordering at least three weeks in advance.
Can I include a personal note? +
Absolutely. At checkout there's a short message field; anything you write there is printed on a card slipped into the first parcel.
Returns
Can I return a book I've already read? +
Books are not returnable once opened, for hygiene and condition reasons. If you received a damaged copy or the wrong title, we'll replace it at no cost — see below.
My book arrived damaged. What should I do? +
Email esteban.espeleta@wenovelists.com within 14 days of the dispatch date with a photo of the damage. We'll send a replacement at our cost.
Do you offer refunds? +
Refunds are issued for undelivered shipments, demonstrably defective merchandise, or duplicate charges. We don't refund based on taste — if a novel wasn't to your liking, we'd rather know so we can curate better next month.
Account & Privacy
How do you use my personal data? +
Only to fulfill your subscription and, if you've opted in, send you occasional editorial mail. We do not sell or rent your data. The full details are in our Privacy Policy, which follows GDPR, Singapore PDPA, and Hong Kong PDPO standards.
Can I request a copy of my data, or delete my account? +
Yes. Email esteban.espeleta@wenovelists.com and we'll respond within 30 days (or sooner where required by your local law).
Do you share my reading history? +
Never with third parties. Internally, we use it only to prevent sending you the same book twice and to inform future curation.
Still have a question?
We read every email, usually on the same day. Write to us — it's the fastest way to get a thoughtful answer.
Contact us