Guilford.com e-Books Now DRM-Free!

Plus, All Available e-Book Formats Included with Your Purchase

Frequently Asked Questions about e-Books

  1. How do I buy an e-book from the Guilford Press website?
  2. How do I buy a Guilford Press e-book from another vendor?
  3. Can I buy both the print and the e-book for a discount?
  4. How do I download my e-book?
  5. What if I accidentally lose the page that contains the link to my e-book, before downloading?
  6. I downloaded my e-book but I can't find it now.
  7. What e-book formats does Guilford offer?
  8. Does Guilford sell accessible e-books?
  9. Can I read e-books purchased directly from Guilford on a Kindle, Kindle Touch, or Kindle Fire?
  10. Can I read e-books purchased directly from Guilford on an iPad or iPhone?
  11. How do I know if I can read e-books purchased from the Guilford website on my device?
  12. To read an e-book on multiple devices (such as my laptop and my smartphone), do I need to purchase multiple copies?
  13. Are all Guilford titles available as e-books?
  14. Can I make copies of my e-book for colleagues or students, or add it to a library collection?
  15. Can I print out my e-book? To how many readers/computers can I download my e-book?
  16. As a professor, can I download an e-book for possible course adoption?
  17. Do I have to pay sales tax on e-books?
  18. Can I order e-books by phone or mail?
  19. Can I pay for an e-book with a check?
  20. Can I purchase an e-book as a gift?
  21. How long does it take to download an e-book?
  22. I'm having trouble with my e-reader device.
  23. What is the return policy for e-books?
  24. Can I buy e-books from Guilford outside the US?
  25. I'm still having problems and would like to contact somebody.


1.  How do I buy an e-book from the Guilford Press website?

Most users can order Guilford e-books right here on our website. Just add the e-book to your shopping cart and proceed with the ordering process. After you place your order, you will be taken to a confirmation page with links to download all available formats of your e-book.

Note: If you've pre-ordered an e-book, we will notify you by email as soon as it becomes available.

For more information, read our step-by-step guide.


2.  How do I buy a Guilford Press e-book from another vendor?

In addition to being able to purchase Guilford e-books right here on our website, you can also purchase Guilford e-books from many online booksellers, including Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Kobo, and eBooks.com.


3.  Can I buy both the print and the e-book for a discount?

Yes! Buy any available e-book and get the print format for only 20% more. That's a savings of 40% off the list price for both formats, if bought separately. Just click on the "Print + e-Book" option on the product page or any category or search results page.

Please note: This special offer cannot be combined with any other discount offers.


4.  How do I download my e-book?

Please follow our step-by-step guide.

Note: Some older devices may not support every e-book format in every browser. For example, if you have a very old iOS device, you may need to download your ePub in the Safari browser instead of the Chrome browser. Please contact us at ebooks@guilford.com if you have any trouble downloading your e-book on your device.


5.  What if I accidentally lose the page that contains the link to my e-book, before downloading?

Your confirmation email includes a link to your e-book download. If you cannot find your confirmation email, please check your spam folder. You can also log on to Your Orders to access your e-books or contact ebooks@guilford.com if you are still having trouble.


6.  I downloaded my e-book but I can't find it now.

If your e-book doesn't automatically open, you should be able to locate the file in the default download directory on your computer. If you have downloaded an ePub file, you can search for recently added files with the file extension “.epub.” PDF files have the extension “.pdf.”


7.  What e-book formats does Guilford use?

The e-book formats available for a given title are clearly listed in the "E-BOOK" tab on the product page. Most of our e-books are offered in ePub format, a widely supported, reflowable format that allows you to change the font size for easy reading. Some titles, for which the preservation of the exact look of the print book is important, are offered only in PDF format. Many Guilford e-books are available in both formats, so that you may download either or both with a single purchase.

Professors, please see our professor page for information about downloading free for adoption consideration PDF e-books.


8.  Does Guilford sell accessible e-books?

We are pleased to announce that Guilford's workflow for accessible ePub e-books has been accredited as Global Certified Accessible by Benetech. We currently offer several several certified accessible ePubs meeting WCAG 2.0 AA standards. Going forward, we are transitioning toward designing all of our e-books (including ePubs, ePDFs, and Kindle formats) with accessibility elements.


9.  Can I read e-books purchased directly from Guilford on a Kindle, Kindle Touch, or Kindle Fire?

Hundreds of Guilford titles are available in the Kindle format through Amazon. If the title you are looking for isn't available from Amazon, you can purchase the e-book from Guilford and read it on your computer or other device. You can also purchase an ePub from Guilford and convert it to read it on your Kindle.


10.  Can I read e-books purchased directly from Guilford on an iPad or iPhone?

Yes, iPad and iPhone users can order directly from the Guilford site. You can either purchase and download your e-book on your computer and then transfer it to your iPad/iPhone, or you can purchase and download your e-book directly on your iPad/iPhone.

If you are having trouble downloading or reading your e-book with your iOS device, please try using the Safari browser to download your e-book, and Apple iBooks to read it.


11.  How do I know if I can read e-books purchased from the Guilford website on my device?

Guilford e-books can be read on any device that supports the e-book format you purchase (some titles are available only as ePub and some only as PDF, but many are available in both; the available formats are clearly indicated on the product page). You can purchase and download your e-book directly to the device if it includes a web browser, or you may transfer the e-book to a supported device from your computer.

Note: In order to open and read your downloaded e-book on your device, you will need a program that supports the file format. For example, Adobe Reader or most internet browsers for PDFs, or iBooks or Google Play Books for ePubs.

  • Laptop or desktop: Read the ePub with a program such as Calibre, Sumatra, or Freda. Read the PDF with a program such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, Javelin PDF Reader, or Foxit PDF Reader.
  • iPad, iPhone, iPod touch: Read the ePub or PDF in iBooks or the reader of your choice.
  • Kindle: Users can order our e-books through Amazon. Hundreds of Guilford titles are available in the Kindle format through Amazon. If the title you're looking for isn't available from Amazon, you can purchase the e-book from Guilford and either read it on your computer or other device or convert the ePub to read on your Kindle.
  • Android: Read the ePub or PDF.
  • Sony: Read the ePub or PDF.
  • Nook: Read the ePub or PDF.
  • Kobo: Read the ePub or PDF.
  • Chromebook: Read the ePub or PDF.

12.  To read an e-book on multiple devices (such as my laptop and my smartphone), do I need to purchase multiple copies?

No. It is only necessary to purchase one copy of an e-book at a time, as each e-book that you download can be used on all of your devices, and you may download each format of an e-book 4 times.


13.  Are all Guilford titles available as e-books?

Almost all new Guilford titles are released in both print and e-book formats. We also offer an expanding list of backlist titles as e-books. See our e-books page to find a particular e-book title. If there is a Guilford book you would like to see as an e-book that isn’t currently in that format, please contact us at ebooks@guilford.com and let us know.

Note: If you pre-order an e-book, we will notify you as soon as it becomes available for download.


14.  Can I make copies of my e-book for colleagues or students, or add it to a library collection?

No. All e-books sold on our site are for individual personal use and are not to be shared with others. If you wish to purchase copies of e-books for multiple users, contact orders@guilford.com. Librarians, please see our information for libraries, which includes links to vendors carrying hundreds of Guilford e-books, or contact library.sales@guilford.com. Professors, for coursepacks, see our permissions page.


15.  Can I print out my e-book? To how many readers/computers can I download my e-book?

Guilford e-books can be read on all of your devices and there are no print or copy restrictions, as long as they are for personal use (please contact permissions@guilford.com for duplication, course packs, or other uses).

Professors: Different usage rights apply for Free for Adoption Consideration (FFAC) copies. Visit our professor page for details.


16.  As a professor, can I download an e-book for possible course adoption?

Professors, please see our professor page for information about downloading free for adoption consideration PDF e-books.


17.  Do I have to pay sales tax on e-books?

Guilford charges sales tax on all e-book orders from the states of Pennsylvania, California, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and New Jersey, Indiana, as well as from Canada.


18.  Can I order e-books by phone or mail?

Currently, Guilford e-books can only be ordered online.


19.  Can I pay for an e-book with a check?

No; e-books can only be purchased with a credit or debit card at this time.


20.  Can I purchase an e-book as a gift?

At this time, e-books cannot be sent as gifts.


21.  How long does it take to download an e-book?

The download time depends on the size of the e-book you order and the speed of your internet connection. Download times generally vary between 2 seconds and 2 minutes.


22.  I'm having trouble with my e-reader device.

Please contact the maker of your device.


23.  What is the return policy for e-books?

We are unable to accept returns or offer refunds on completed e-book purchases. Before completing your e-book transaction, please take care to ensure you are purchasing the desired title.


24.  Can I buy e-books from Guilford outside the US?

Yes; Guilford e-books are available to purchase directly from our website for customers worldwide.


25.  I'm still having problems and would like to contact somebody.

If the above FAQ and our step-by-step guide do not answer your questions, contact ebooks@guilford.com.

Please provide as much detail as possible in your message, such as:

  • Steps to reproduce the problem (in as much detail as possible).
  • Exact text of any error message (screen shots are helpful).
  • URL(s) of any error page(s) you encounter.
  • Date of sale.
  • The email address that you used to create your account.
  • Title(s) of problem download(s).
  • If applicable, your device type and operating system.