Frequently Asked Questions

An eBook (short for ‘electronic book’) is a digital version of a printed book, optimised for on-screen reading.

Macmillan eBooks are available in two formats: ePub 2 and web PDF

ePub (short for ‘electronic publication format’) is an open-source eBook format compatible with portible devices such as android tablets, iPads, smartphones and eReaders.

The content in an ePub eBook is reflowable, enabling you to resize the text or alter the size of the display, and the text will rewrap itself to fit the available viewing area.

PDF is short for Portable Document Format.  This is a fixed format that opens with Adobe Digital Editions and is ideal for reading an eBook on a PC/Mac.

‘DRM’ stands for ‘Digital Rights Management’.  The purpose of DRM and digital watermarking for eBooks is to prevent them being illegally shared, copied or printed. All the Macmillan eBooks are protected with DRM so that our author’s content is protected and eBooks can only be accessed by authorised users.

Our audio downloads come in protected MP3 format. To play the files you must download the application FluxPlayer and use this to play the audio file.

eBooks can be read on a range of reading devices such as PCs, laptops, smartphones, iPads, eReaders and Android tablets.

You can have your eBook simultaneously on several reading devices. Each device needs to be registered to your Adobe ID in order to be allowed to have a DRM-protected eBook on it. You obtain this ID by registering at www.adobe.com. If you don't have an Adobe ID you will be prompted by Adobe Digital Editions/BlueFire reader to create an ID automatically

Click on the title you want, then click ‘Add to Basket’ and then go through the usual payment procedures via the ‘Checkout’. You can put multiple eBook titles in your basket.

Our eBook store accepts payment via most major credit and debit cards. 

You can buy eBooks from Macmillan from most countries excluding the USA.

You will be charged in Euro, GBP or US Dollars depending on your location.

No, but you will be sent a confirmation email after purchase.

All eBook titles bought from Macmillan are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged or returned.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties buying or downloading your eBook, please contact help@macmillan.com

Unless certain exceptions apply, you have the right to cancel your order without giving any reason within 14 days after the day of confirmation of the order (ie the date on which we email you to confirm our acceptance of your order), which is when the contract between us is formed. Under one such exception, however, the right of cancellation does not apply to the supply of digital content (including apps, digital software, eBooks, MP3, etc) which is not supplied on a tangible medium (e.g. on a CD or DVD) if you accepted when you placed your order that we could start to supply it immediately, and that you could not cancel it once supply had started. By accepting the Terms of Use and Sale when placing an order or request to redeem a code, you agree that you wish for the supply of the products to begin immediately. You further agree and acknowledge that you lose your right to cancel the contract once the supply of the product has begun.

This is not possible as your eBook will be linked to your Adobe ID.

Please see below our video showing you how to redeem your eBook token on the Macmillan Education eBook store. For a step by step guide, please click here.

For DRM ePub eBooks you will need to download Adobe Digital Editions (if this software is not already on your computer). When you download this software, you will be asked to create an Adobe User ID. This is Adobe’s way of identifying you each time you download a new eBook or add a new device to your account

You can install Adobe Digital Editions on your system in several ways. The simplest is to visit the installer page on the Adobe Digital Editions site, from which you can install the software.

To install Adobe Digital Editions go to http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions/ and click on “Download Now” then select the correct download for you, depending on whether you are using a Windows or Mac machine.

After installation, you’ll be asked to activate Adobe Digital Editions. During activation, you’ll have the option to create an Adobe User ID.  An Adobe ID enables you to transfer DRM-protected eBooks between multiple reading devices and restore them after a data loss or system reinstallation.  If you don’t create an Adobe ID, the software will still download but you will not be able to download any eBooks until the User ID is created.

Once you have bought an eBook from Macmillan, the eBook will be ready to download. It will be held in your ‘My Account’ section, which will open automatically for you at the end of the ‘Checkout’ process.

Go to the ‘Account Dashboard’ section within the ‘My Account’ area.

Make sure you have an eReader downloaded – You can do this by clicking on ‘eReader Download’ this will take you to the appropriate eReader for the device you are using.

In the ‘Account Dashboard’ section within the ‘My Account’ area, you will see all the eBook titles you’ve downloaded from Macmillan with the most recent listed at the top. You will also see a ‘Download’ button, which you use to download each eBook you’ve bought.

If you have any problems downloading an eBook that you’ve bought from Macmillan, please contact us – help@macmillan.com

This depends on your computer's Internet connection. With a typical broadband speed of about 7 Mbps, it should take just a few seconds. You can check your download speed by contacting your broadband supplier.

You can read your eBooks on your computer or you can transfer them to other reading devices. To transfer DRM eBooks from your computer to your eReader, smartphone and/or tablet, in most cases you need to follow this procedure:

• Open Adobe Digital Editions
• Go to ‘Library’ and click ‘Library > Add item to library’
• Select the eBook on your computer and click ‘Add’ or ‘Open’
• Close Adobe Digital Editions
• Connect your reading device to your computer using a USB cable (which is supplied with the device)
• Open Adobe Digital Editions
• In ‘Library’, under ‘Bookshelves’, an icon representing your reading device will appear
• Click on the eBook and drag it to the reading device icon
• Disconnect the reading device from your computer

If you have any queries about transferring your eBooks to reading devices, we recommend that you contact the relevant device manufacturer

An eLibrary is where the eBooks and audio downloads purchased on this site are stored. It is therefore also a back-up for all books on your other reading devices.

With Macmillan, every time you buy and download an eBook, it is automatically stored in your eLibrary, which is in your ‘My Account’ section.

The eBook remains on your computer unless you manually delete it. You can re-download your eBook through your ‘My Account’ section. All eBooks you’ve bought from Macmillan are displayed in this section, and you can also view your entire eLibrary of titles bought from Macmillan.

You can access all eBooks you’ve bought from Macmillan at any time by logging into your ‘My Account’ area.

Most of our eBooks cannot be printed however, any that are marked as “Photocopiable” can be printed.

You can have your eBook simultaneously on up to five devices.  Each device needs to be registered on your Adobe ID in order to be allowed to have a DRM-protected eBook on it (see ‘What is DRM?’).

Macmillan will allow you to download the same eBook title 10 times, at no additional cost. For example, you might want to download a copy onto your eReader, your smartphone and your tablet

Yes, to buy eBooks from Macmillan you do need to create an account with us. 

The ‘My Account’ area is divided into:

• Account Dashboard: for viewing and managing your eBook purchases.
• Account Information:  for checking and amending your details.
• Address book: for viewing your saved addresses.
• My Orders: for viewing your orders.
• My Wishlist: here you can save a list of eBooks you would like to purchase which you can come back to and review.

About our eBooks and audio files: this takes you to more information on our eBooks and audio files

You can either submit a question or send us an email at help@macmillan.com

You can also call us on +44 (0)207 014 6767 (Monday – Friday 8am – 5:30pm UK time)