Frequently Asked Questions

About Bellflowerbooks.com

What are "Bellflower Books?"

A Bellflower Book is a professionally printed, hardcover book full of letters and photos from a group of people. They are a great way to show love, support and appreciation for any occasion.

What is the minimum and maximum number of pages in a Bellflower Book?

A Bellflower Book can contain up to 60 single-sided pages (30 double-sided sheets of paper). Every book is required to have a minimum of 20 single-sided pages (10 double-sided sheets of paper) in order for proper binding.

What size is the book?

Currently the only size we offer is 12 x12 inches.

What type of paper is it printed on?

We use 100 lb. matte text paper for the inner pages. The hardcover is made of a durable laminate to protect your keepsake books.

How do I report a problem I am having with the site?

Either click on "Contact Us" (located at the bottom right hand corner of our website) and complete the online form or send an email to info@bellflowerbooks.com. We appreciate your feedback!

Can I participate in a "Bellflower Book" without creating an account?

No- all users need to register in order for your content to be linked to the correct book. Registration is easy - we only require your email address and a password of your choice.

How do I cancel my "Bellflower Books" account?

Please send a written request to info@bellflowerbooks.com and we'll delete your account.

How do I change my password?

Log in to your account and click "My Account" at the upper right corner of the webpage. Update and confirm your new password. Then, click "Save."

Why can't I sign in?

If you are having trouble signing in you might be using an incorrect username and/or password. Your username is the email address you provided when you created your account. If you forgot your password just click "forgot password" and we'll email you a new password. There is also a chance that our site was experiencing a technical issue when you tried to sign in. If you are certain that your username and password were correct, please wait a few minutes and try logging on again.

Does Bellflower Books protect my personal information?

We value your privacy and we welcome you to read our Privacy Policy which is available throughout our site to assist you in understanding the handling of information in the course of using this site. You will find our Privacy Policy at the bottom right hand corner of our website.

Cost

How much does a Bellflower Book cost?

The base price for a Bellflower Book is $75.00. This includes 20 single-sided pages (10 double-sided sheets). For books with more than 20 pages, each additional single-sided page costs $2.00 ($4.00 per double-sided sheet of paper). Every book includes a complimentary dedication page (i.e. it is not included in the page count when calculating the cost).

What should I do if I want to share the cost of the book with the contributors?

The easiest way to do this is to customize the text in your invitation email. For example, you could add the following request: "Anyone who would like to contribute to the cost of this book is welcome to send me a donation of your choice. Please make the check out to Heather Smith and mail it to me at ___."

Will the people who contribute to a Bellflower Book have the opportunity to purchase a copy for himself or herself?

The book's Author will determine whether or not it is appropriate for contributors to purchase copies of the Bellflower Book she organized. The Author needs to check the box that says "offer purchase to all contributors" at the end of the checkout screen, which will automatically send an email to all contributors in that book giving them an opportunity to make a purchase.

Can I order more than one copy of my book at a time?

Our website can only accept one mailing address per order. Our standard checkout procedure will work properly if you order multiple books and want them all sent to one mailing address. If you would like to order multiple copies and have them sent to more than one mailing address, please send an email to info@bellflowerbooks.com with the subject line "Multiple Addresses" and we'll contact you with further instructions.

If I have created multiple Bellflower Books, can I order them at the same time?

No, you must place separate orders when ordering copies of different books.

What are your payment options?

Our website accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express.

Do you offer volume discounts?

As a general rule, we can't offer volume discounts since our books are manufactured with a highly manual process.  However, please contact us at bellflowerbooks.com if you would like to inquire about volume discounts and we will consider your request!

Inviting Contributors and Creating Pages

Where do I enter the email addresses for the people I want to contribute a page to my Bellflower Book?

After logging in, you'll see a page containing "Your Projects." Select the project to which you'd like to invite contributors by clicking on the project name. Click on the "Contributors" tab and then click the "Add Contributors" button. This will take you to the invitation email, where you simply enter the email addresses of the people you would like to invite.

I sent out my invitation to participate but now I want to invite more people.  How do I do this? 

You may continue to invite contributors throughout your project until you click the "Close to further submissions" button. Please follow the same process outlined above to invite additional contributors.

What if I want to customize the text in my invitation email?

Feel free to delete the default text in the invitation email and replace it with your own personal message. Keep in mind that some of the people you invite will not be familiar with Bellflower Books. Therefore, we recommend that you include our description of the product/services we provide.

Do the people I invite to participate in my "Bellflower Book" have to be a member of your site in order to receive my invitation to participate?

You can invite anybody - the invitation to participate will contain a link which will direct him or her to create an account which will allow them to access your book.

My book has less than 20 pages so it won't let me place my order. What should I do now?

You may choose to fill the remaining pages with content such as favorite poems, memories or quotes (you can either complete these pages yourself or invite contributors to create an additional page). Alternatively, you might choose to intentionally leave a few blank pages at the end of your book for handwritten messages (guest book-type signatures/messages) or "scrapbook style" memories. To do this you'll need to create a page title such as "Please Sign Here." You can also type a single period (".") in the text box and leave the rest of the page blank.

What is the minimum and maximum number of pages in a Bellflower Book?

A Bellflower Book can contain up to 60 single-sided pages, which is equivalent to 30 double-sided sheets of paper. Every book will have a minimum of 20 pages which equals 10 double-sided sheets of paper.

How much text will fit in the body of each page?

Approximately 1,600 characters will fit in the body of each page including spaces and line-brakes.  Our website contains a character counter to keep track of how many characters have been used and it will display an error message if you exceed the limit.

Does Bellflowerbooks.com offer a spell check tool?

No, we do not. Please proofread each page in your book for any spelling and grammar errors by clicking "View" on the "Page" tab. 

How are changes saved?

Each time new information is added, it is automatically saved.

As the Author, how can I view the pages that others have contributed?

If you want to read and edit the content, please click "View" next to the relevant page on the "Page" tab. If you'd like to see an electronic preview of your book to confirm the page layout and the size of your photos, click the "Request Preview" tab in the tool bar under your project name. Within a few minutes, our system will send you an email containing a link to your book preview.

How do I turn the pages in my electronic book preview?

Click on the bottom right hand corner of your book preview. When you see the page/corner start to lift, click the left mouse and the page will turn.

If I am not the Author, how can I view the pages that others have contributed to my project?

Each contributor will decide whether or not to share her page(s). If a page is marked as "public" by whomever it was created, it will show up on your "Pages" tab.  Then, simply click "View."

Who has access to my Bellflower Books project?

Access to your project is limited to only those whom you invited to participate.

Will the people who contribute to a Bellflower Book have the opportunity to purchase a copy for himself or herself?

The book's Author will determine whether or not it is appropriate for contributors to purchase copies of the Bellflower Book he or she organized. The Author needs to check the box that says "offer purchase to all contributors" at the end of the checkout screen, which will automatically send an email to all contributors in that book giving them an opportunity to make a purchase.

Making Changes

Is the Author able to edit or delete pages from other contributors?

Yes- the Author has full control to edit and/or delete pages as he or she sees fit.

As the Author, can I switch the graphic design after I have started building my book?

Absolutely! Go to the "Pages" tab and click on "Project Options" to select a new graphic design.

How can I change the title of my book?

Go to the "Pages" tab and then click the "Edit" button for the "Front Cover."

How can I change the text on the dedication page?

Go to the "Pages" tab and then click the "Edit" button for the "Dedication Page."

Can I change the font style in my book?

No- we know your time is precious so we asked our artist to pre-select coordinating fonts for each book style.

How do I delete a page?

Go to the "Pages" tab and then click the "remove" button for any page you want to delete.

How do I insert a page?

Go to the "Pages" tab and click on the "Add a Page" button.

How do I change the order of the pages in my book?

Pages will be printed in the order in which they are listed on your Pages tab. If you want to change the order, click on the cross in the "Sort" column and drag the page to the desired new position.

Adding Photographs

Can I edit or crop the photos I upload for my book using your website?

Our website does not contain any photo-editing tools. Therefore, you will need to edit photos before uploading to our site. You can edit your images using one of many free websites that will automatically resize your images for you. (search Google here)

What are the guidelines for uploading images?

You should upload images suitable for high-resolution printing. We recommend that you use photos that are 3MB-5MB in size (FILES LARGER THAN 5 MB CANNOT BE UPLOADED). If your file is smaller than 3MB, the Page Preview function will confirm how large/small your photo will print.  

Here is an easy way to verify the maximum print size for your digital photo files:  

1) Locate your digital photo files on your computer

2) Go to the menu at the top of the screen and select "View" and then select "Details"

3) Look at the "Dimensions" column

4) Divide each number by 300 to determine the maximum print size in inches.  For example, if the dimensions are 1500 x 900, divide each number by 300 which tells you the largest print dimensions are 5" x 3". 

If you find that your maximum print size is too small (i.e. you probably don't want a tiny photo printed on your 12 x 12" page) we recommend selecting an alternate photo.  You can also edit your images using one of many free websites that will automatically resize your images for you. (search Google here)

What if I want to submit a photo but do not have any digital photos?

If you have a scanner at home, simply scan the physical photograph and upload it onto our site (make sure you check the file size first!). If you don't have a scanner, many stores with photo departments offer scanning services. They typically copy your scanned photo(s) to a CD, from which you can then upload the digital photos to our website. If all else fails, ask other book participants if they have any digital photos they can email to you for use on your Bellflower Book page.

Can I import photos from photo services like Kodak Gallery or Shutterfly?

Unfortunately, no. The photos saved on those sites will be too small for our page layouts.  It is best to upload them directly from your personal files or digital camera.

Shipping

How much is shipping?

We charge a flat rate of $10.00 per book for books shipped to the U.S. including Hawaii and Alaska. We regret that we cannot ship to P.O. Boxes or AFBO addresses.

Do you ship to P.O. Boxes or Military (APO/FPO) addresses?

We regret that we cannot ship to P.O. Boxes or APO/FPO  addresses. Please email us at info@bellflowerbooks.com and we'll do our best to accommodate your special request.

Do you ship outside of the U.S.?

We currently only ship to addresses in the U.S. Please email us at info@bellflowerbooks.com and we'll do our best to accommodate your special request.

After I place my order, how long will it take for my Bellflower Book to arrive?

Your Bellflower Book will arrive 8-14 business days after placing your order.

Can I order more than one copy of my book at a time?

Our website can only accept one mailing address per order. Our standard checkout procedure will work properly if you order multiple books and want them all sent to one mailing address. If you would like to order multiple copies and have them sent to more than one mailing address, please send an email to info@bellflowerbooks.com with the subject line "Multiple Addresses" and we'll contact you with further instructions.

If I have created multiple Bellflower Books, can I order them at the same time?

No, you must place separate orders when ordering different books.

Return Policy

What is the return policy at Bellflower Books?

Bellflower Books guarantees your satisfaction with the workmanship of your book. In the rare circumstance that your book arrives damaged or with a manufacturing defect, contact us at info@bellflowerbooks.com with the subject heading "RETURN" within 14 days of receiving the book. We'll address your concerns promptly. Please understand that Bellflower Books does not provide refunds or cancel orders, and except for the cases expressly described in this return policy (i.e., your book arrives damaged, with a manufacturing defect or a defect in workmanship, such as missing or torn pages), Bellflower Books cannot otherwise accept returns due to the highly customized nature of our books.

Please note that each book ordered from us is individually made by one of our professional book-printing partners. There may be minor differences across different prints of the same books, including, but not limited to, slight variances in color fidelity and binding type. While we work very hard to keep our product as consistent as possible, this variation is a normal occurrence and is not considered a manufacturing defect or a defect in workmanship and does not qualify for a reprint.

After placing your order Bellflower Books does not proof, edit, or change your content in any way. This means that you are responsible for reviewing your book before you publish it. We recommend that you review your book for:

• Typos, grammar, unfinished text, or other text errors
• Low-resolution images that may appear unclear or dark when printed
• Design issues, including book format, organization, style, color, and page layout
• Any other creative choices you made in putting the book together through the use