---
title: How to buy your book on Onceling
description: Facts about choosing digital or hardcover, when the PDF becomes available, the digital-to-print credit, cancellation rules, and how to share the finished book as a gift.
locale: en
canonical: https://www.onceling.com/guide/buy-a-book
---

# How to buy your book on Onceling

On Onceling you buy a [digital PDF](/guide/glossary#digital-pdf), a [printed hardcover](/guide/glossary#hardcover), or both from your project page. Payment starts full-book [generation](/guide/glossary#generation) if it hasn't finished; the PDF becomes downloadable once every page is illustrated, and a digital purchase is credited toward a later hardcover. Once the digital book is ready, you can create an unlisted [gift link](/guide/glossary#gift-link) so loved ones can read it online, or add a [dedication](/guide/glossary#dedication) or [colouring book](/guide/glossary#colouring-book).

## When can I download my PDF?

Once every page has finished illustrating, not immediately after payment. You'll get an email when it's ready, and it then appears as a download on your [orders page](/orders).

## What's the difference between digital and hardcover?

Digital is a downloadable PDF. [Hardcover](/guide/glossary#hardcover) is a premium printed copy shipped to your door. If you already own the [digital edition](/guide/glossary#digital-pdf), its price is credited toward the hardcover.

## Can I use a discount code?

Yes, at checkout. It's applied to the items it's valid for and the total updates before you confirm payment.

## Can I cancel an order?

A printed order can be cancelled up until printing starts. An order can't be cancelled once full-book [generation](/guide/glossary#generation) has begun.

## What happens after I order a hardcover?

That project's text and illustrations become final — you can no longer edit them. Start a new project for a different version.

## How long does delivery take?

Hardcovers are made to order; delivery is estimated at 14–21 days depending on destination, and you'll receive tracking once it ships.

## How does the gift link work?

From the book page, create a [gift link](/guide/glossary#gift-link) once your digital book is ready — an unlisted URL so loved ones can read it online without signing in. It isn't listed in the [story gallery](/books) or searchable on Onceling, so only people you share the link with can find it, and you can revoke it at any time to stop it working. It shares the [digital edition](/guide/glossary#digital-pdf), not a printed copy.

## What extras can I add after purchase?

You can add a [personal dedication](/guide/glossary#dedication) to the opening page, or a digital [colouring book](/guide/glossary#colouring-book) — a printed colouring edition is also available.