marginsbox is a subscription box featuring Black, Indigenous, and person of color (BIPOC) young adult authors alongside handcrafted items from marginalized creators curated to coincide with book themes.
Due to logistical concerns we’re unable to accommodate requests for specific books.
The price for one box is $34.95 USD plus shipping. Shipping costs are based on the destination of your box and are calculated at checkout.
The books featured in the box are written for young adult readers, which means ages 14 and up. But for those gifting the box to a younger reader, just make sure you know if the reader can handle young adult topics!
We spend a lot of time reading books we want to consider featuring. Then, we narrow it down to what we feel are the best-told stories that would easily translate to a box theme. From there, we spend our time making notes about what would be cool to put into the boxes, and then reaching out to creators that we feel have products or art styles that fit the books' themes best.
Each month, we'll update our Hints page for information about the upcoming box. You can choose to look and try and guess, or you can skip it and be completely surprised! However, if you’re the type that HAS to know exactly, feel free to message us and ask. We’ll give you the book title, but the goodies will remain a surprise!
Currently, marginsbox focuses on books by BIPOC authors from a wide variety of genres. You may receive fantasy one month, contemporary the next, and romance in a third month. We do our best to not lean too heavily in one genre so that subscribers can get the best of everything. We understand some readers prefer certain genres exclusively – perhaps sometime in the future we can have genre-specific boxes!
We’re unable to do book swaps. But if you receive the same book elsewhere, pass one copy on to a friend!
It’s unlikely that this will be the case – we source books that are brand-new releases, within 45 days of the previous box’s shipping. For example, a November box will feature a book published no earlier than early October. However, if you do find yourself with a book you already own, we're unable to make exchanges or refunds. Share the spare copy with a friend, library, or shelter!
We don’t sell box goodies individually. However, if there’s something you missed from a previous box, you can always check and see if there are past boxes for sale! You can also check out the individual vendors – we always include contact and shop information for each vendor.
We process payments via Stripe. Stripe accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover.
This depends on your desires and your budget! If you know you’ll eagerly await a box from us again and again—and you have the money available—purchasing a few months at a time is best because you save some money compared to month-to-month payments. But don’t strain your budget!
Single box purchases are available on the shop page. If you want to send that single box to someone else, make sure to check the box stating that it’s a gift! Then simply input the recipient’s address into the shipping address.
Shipping within the United States costs $9. Shipping to Canada costs $13. Everywhere else, shipping is $26. We know—shipping costs are a bummer. Unfortunately, that’s out of our control.
We use USPS via Pirate Ship.
Boxes typically ship beginning the 21st of each month. Sometimes, we'll ship later in the month due to the release date of a book. For instance, if a book's release date is the 30th of the month, we'll have to ship no earlier than the 29th because supplying readers with books before the official release date is a big no-no.
If we find we'll be shipping later than usual for a given month, we make sure to let our subscribers know via social media and email!
We do! However, we can only ship to certain countries.
International orders may incur additional customs fees, depending upon your country of origin. This is NOT a fee from marginsbox and thus is beyond our control. In some cases, you may also incur a fee from your bank because of international purchasing. Talk to your bank to see if this might happen.
This depends upon USPS. Shipping should take between 3-5 days domestically. If you live in the US and haven’t received your order after 10 days, please contact us and let us know! For international shipping, add about a week to the shipping timeline.
You should receive a tracking number via Pirate Ship once your order has shipped.
If your item arrives damaged, please take pictures of the damage and reach out to us right away.
We do not accept returns. Refunds are handled on an individual basis.
This depends upon which subscription choice you’ve selected. For single-purchase or gift purchase, you will only be charged once—there is no recurring fee. For month-to-month subscriptions, your credit or debit card will be billed on the 28th of every month. For 3-month prepay, your credit or debit card will be billed every 3 months on the 28th of the month. For 6-month prepay, your credit or debit card will be billed every 6 months on the 28th of the month.
Renewals occur on the 28th of the month.
Single-pay/gift: You will not receive renewal. To subscribe, you must sign up for month-to-month, 3-month prepay, or 6-month prepay.
Month-to-month: Each month, your subscription will renew on the 28th and you will be charged the cost of the box and shipping.
3-month prepay: Your subscription is active for 3 months at a time and will renew every three months on the 28th. Example 1: If you subscribed on June 8th, you will receive the June, July, and August boxes. Then, your subscription will renew on August 28th for another 3-month period. Example 2: If you subscribed on June 20th, you will receive the July, August, and September boxes. Then, your subscription will renew on September 28th for another 3-month period.
6-month prepay: Your subscription is active for 6 months at a time and will renew every three months on the 28th. Example 1: If you subscribed on June 8th, you will receive the June through November boxes. Then, your subscription will renew on November 28th for another 6-month period. Example 2: If you subscribed on June 20th, you will receive the July-October boxes. Then, your subscription will renew on October 28th for another 6-month period.
If your renewal failed, it’s likely due to your payment information having an issue. Please check your payment information and make sure your card hasn’t expired. Renewal may also fail if you don’t have enough in your bank account/on your credit line to cover the subscription cost. Make sure the funds are available prior to the 28th of the month.
If you are paying month-to-month, you are able to skip a month. To skip a month, log into your account, head to your marginsbox subscription page, click “Edit,” then click “Skip Next Shipment.”
If you have the 3-month or 6-month prepaid subscription, email us to arrange skipping your next shipment. If you try to skip via the above method, this will skip your next 3- or 6-month period, NOT the next month!
If you wish to cancel your subscription, please log into your account and click “cancel” beside your subscription information. The status of your subscription will change to “Pending Cancellation,” which means your subscription will not renew on the 28th of the month.
If you cancel a subscription but you have the 3- or 6-month prepaid subscription, the cancellation will become effective at the next 3- or 6-month renewal marker.
Cancellations during certain times of the month mean that you may still receive a box. For example, if you cancelled your account on the 29th of a month, that means you will still receive a box because accounts are charged on the 28th.
To log into your account, click “Sign In” in the navigation bar.
Yes you can! Please keep in mind that changing your shipping address will affect the next shipment—for instance, if you change your shipping address on the 19th, shipments already made on the 18th will go to your old address. Make sure to change your address ASAP to avoid lost packages!
Log in to your account and update your credit or debit card information from there!
If you’re a vendor who is from a marginalized background and you want to work with us, please email cara at submissions@marginsbox.com with links to your products and she’ll be in touch!
If you’re an artist who is from a marginalized background and you want to work with us, please email cara at submissions@marginsbox.com with links to your portfolio and she’ll be in touch!
Email us at media@marginsbox.com with links to your reviews (Youtube channel(s), blog(s), etc.) and we’ll set up a discount for you!
Absolutely! Please reach out to us at media@marginsbox.com and we’ll set something up!