FAQ
What age group is this geared toward?
Elementary ages! I would say 5-11, but there are many subscribers who are younger and older than that, as well as some adults! If you love animals, this is for you!
Do the animals ever repeat?
No, they do not. You will always receive a new animal!
That being said, I have changed the letters greatly since I first started and made many improvements. In the early months, I featured many popular, beloved animals that people have continued to request but are now discontinued. I may eventually recreate those letters in the new style, and so they would be reintroduced as a monthly letter, essentially a repeat. Many customers have requested that I do this.
Is the artwork created with AI?
Never! All artwork is created by me, Nicole, the owner of WFTW. I use traditional paper and color pencil methods for creating the letters, with a mix of watercolor. The process takes several days, and a lot of work and detail are put into it.
What are the different subscription options?
All subscription options are auto-renewing unless they say "Gift" in the title. Those are non-renewing, which is also stated in the product description.
Monthly: Auto-renews every month on the 5th of the month. You will receive a new letter each month.
6-month and Yearly: Prepaid at the time of checkout, which includes all shipping charges. You will receive an order confirmation email each month with a cost of "$0.00" showing your order has been processed and is ready for fulfillment. You will receive a new letter each month. You will be charged again at the end of your 6-month or yearly term.
Basic Package:
- Double-sided letter featuring hand-drawn artwork, fun animal facts, animal tracks if applicable, and a hand-drawn distribution map.
- Double-sided collector's card color-coded by biome. One side features artwork of the animal, and the other side features fast facts, the biome, and the conservation status.
- Access to downloadable activity sheets.
Premium Package:
- Double-sided letter featuring hand-drawn artwork, fun animal facts, animal tracks if applicable, and a hand-drawn distribution map.
- Double-sided collector's card color-coded by biome. One side features artwork of the animal, and the other side features fast facts, the biome, and the conservation status.
- Access to downloadable activity sheets.
- A postcard featuring hand-drawn artwork of the animal
- A high-quality die-cut sticker
- A Sketchbook Files page that shows how to draw the animal and provides the scientific classification. Most of them also include a back side featuring additional sketches with extra wild facts.
SIBLING OPTIONS:
Basic: Each additional sibling option receives one additional collector's card and they will share the letter. For instance, if you choose the Basic option with 2 children, you will receive one letter and two collector's cards in the same envelope.
Premium: Each additional sibling option receives one additional item of each:
- collector's card
- postcard
- sticker
For example, if you choose the Premium option with 2 children, you will receive one letter, one Sketchbook Files page, two collector's cards, two postcards, and two stickers in the same envelope.
Alternatively, some families purchase separate subscriptions for each child so they do not have to share any items. Please be advised that they will receive the same featured animal.
How do I purchase a subscription as a gift for someone else?
You can purchase any of the subscriptions that are labeled "gift" if you do not wish for the subscription to automatically renew. During checkout, simply enter the recipient's shipping information. The child's name can be used in the Shipping Name section to make sure the envelope is addressed to them.
What about emails related to the subscription?
- You can simply use their email address when ordering. However, be advised that this means they will also receive any and all subscription update emails, including receipts and shipment details.
- You can use your own email address during checkout so you can receive an order confirmation receipt. After ordering, you can email us at info@writingsfromthewild.com to have the email updated to the recipient's email address so they can receive shipment details.
- ACTIVITY SHEETS: These will be emailed to the email address on file for the subscription.
The system will only allow ONE email address on file per account.
How do I update my address?
The easiest and best way is to send us an email at info@writingsfromthewild.com and we will update it for you.
You can change your shipping address directly in your account. You will be sent a code either through text message or the email address on file. Please note that this will not take effect until the next shipping cycle (the next month).
If you need to update your mailing address for the current mailing period, even if you have updated it in your account, please send us an email.
Once we receive an email informing us of the change in address, we can update it in our system.
If you have not yet received a shipping notification at the time you have emailed us, please be advised that when you do, that email may not reflect the updated address until the following month's shipping notification email.
When can I expect my subscription letter to ship??
SHIPMENTS: Your first letter will ship within a few business days if you purchased after the 15th. If you purchased before then, your first letter, will ship mid-month. All future recurring shipments will mail mid-month.
I am a small business and do not have a large team to help me ship these each month, so they ship in batches over a few days. You can typically expect to see your monthly letter ship between the 13th-17th each month.
Please allow the postal service 2-3 weeks to deliver within the U.S. If you live outside the U.S., this may take a little longer. *Please advise that if you subscribe after the 20th then there is a chance you may not receive your letter until after the 1st of the next month due to the nature of “snail mail”.
CHARGES: Everyone will be charged on the 5th of the month. If you subscribe anytime after the 5th of the month, your next charge date will be the 5th of that following month to ensure you do not miss a month. For example, if you subscribed July 3rd, your first charge is the day you subscribe and your next charge date will be August 5th. If you subscribe July 27th, your first charge is the day you subscribe and your next charge date will still be August 5th. This is in an effort to ensure everyone receives their letters earlier in the month, and that no one misses out on a letter.
My order is not a subscription order, when will it ship?
Those orders will ship within a few businesss days, typically same-day or the next day.
I ordered near the end of the month, and the next month's charge has posted, but I haven't received my first letter.
Ah, snail mail. If you order near the end of the month, your first letter probably hasn't had enough time to be delivered yet. All recurring payments will process on the 5th of each month, regardless of the day you initially signed up.
It is also best to double-check your mailing address, as incorrect addresses are usually the cause of a lost/returned letter. If you place your order and have your address saved to your payment method or Shop account, but you recently moved and haven't updated your information in those accounts, it will automatically use the last saved address, which could be incorrect.
What if I just want to try it out, but it is later in the month, and I fear this scenario happening?
No matter the time of the month, you can always try it out before committing!
The best ways to do this are:
Option 1: Purchase a past letter. They are a one-time purchase.
Option 2: Sign up for a monthly subscription and then cancel the renewal after you purchase.
It has been a few days and my letter has not arrived. Now what?
Letters mailed with postage stamps are named "snail-mail", and rightly so. In a fast-paced world where 2-day shipping has become the norm, there is something special in slowing down and bringing back the simple joy of anticipating a letter in the mailbox.
Typically, letters take about one week to arrive. Sometimes, they can take 2-3 weeks, especially during weather events or similar situations. For countries outside of the U.S., please allow 4-6 weeks. Australia can take up to 8 weeks for delivery.
That said, if the appropriate amount of time has passed and you fear your letter has been lost or delayed, please kindly send me an email at info@writingsfromthewild.com. I will always do my best to reship any letter that has not arrived, at no cost to you. If you do not reach out to me to communicate the issue, I have no way of knowing about it and trying to fix it for you.
Additionally, please make sure your address is correct at checkout. Incorrect addresses are the cause of 95% of lost/returned letters.
*It is your responsibility to make sure that your shipping address is correct at the time of ordering. If your shipping address is entered incorrectly, I cannot give a refund.
In order to receive a replacement, we must be contacted within 30 days of the shipping date.
Why does shipping take so long when using the USPS First-Class option?
Again, snail mail. I have noticed that it can take about a month (and in some cases, just over a month) from the time I ship a letter for it to travel around and then be returned to my PO Box. (Yes, it can take that long. There is a post on my social media referencing this with a photo of one occurrence showing the USPS timestamps.)
However, I always reship a letter if it has not shown up. Kindly reach out, because I can't help you if I am unaware of the issue.
Unfortunately, if I offered tracking numbers for subscription letters, the cost would be at least $5+ USD per shipment for shipping alone. The majority of customers do not want this and prefer the nostalgia of snail mail.
Is tracking available?
Subscription letters are mailed via USPS First Class mail using only a postage stamp. Due to that nature, tracking numbers are not available.
Past letters and other products are available for USPS Ground Advantage shipping, which includes tracking.
How can I expect these to be packaged when ordering multiple letters?
USPS First-Class Option: If you order more than 12 letters at a time, some envelopes may contain more than one letter to reduce your shipping costs. They are all shipped on the same day, but because they are in separate envelopes, they may sometimes be separated during transit and arrive on different days. If you receive your letters and are missing one or a few, do not panic. They will usually show up in the next day or two.
USPS Ground Advantage Option: These will be shipped altogether in either a rigid mailer or bubble mailer with a tracking number. (*This is NOT available for subscription orders.)
How do I access the activity sheet downloads?
On the website, click on Past Letters > Past Activity Sheets and then enter your access code.
This access code can be found in your order confirmation email. *This code is NOT the same as your account password.
Each month, typically around the 16th-20th, you will receive the activity sheets download link directly to the email address on file.
I live internationally; can I sign up?
Of course! If you live internationally, shipping costs an international postage stamp.
How do I access my account?
Click on the person icon at the top of the website and then enter the email address associated with the account. You will receive a one-time code to that email address. When prompted, enter the code and you should have access.
If you need assistance, please send us an email.
How do I cancel my subscription?
You can cancel a subscription at any time from within in your account by clicking on Manage Subscriptions, or you can send us an email at info@writingsfromthewild and we can cancel it for you.
Canceling your subscription will cancel any future charges. You will still receive any remaining shipments you have already paid for.
For example, if you canceled after your monthly payment has processed, you will still receive that shipment. If you cancel a 6-month or yearly sub before the shipments expire, you will still receive your remaining shipments.
*It is the customer's responsibility to cancel before the next charge is processed. Upcoming renewal reminder emails are sent to subscribers with 6-month or yearly subscriptions.
Can I receive a refund?
If your letter arrives damaged, please send an email to info@writingsfromthewild.com with a photo of the damage and we can refund or replace the item at our discretion.
Due to the nature of the items, we do not provide refunds after your letter has arrived if you decide it is just not a good fit for your family. If you are unsure if these letters will be a good fit for your child, you can subscribe to a basic monthly subscription for only $7 USD, or a premium monthly sub for $10 USD, to try it out. You can cancel at any time! **You are responsible for making sure to cancel any subscription you need before it renews. Once it renews, we cannot cancel the order or provide a refund.
Please note that we do send out an email reminding you of the upcoming charge for those with 6-month and yearly renewals.
In order to receive any replacements or refunds for missing or damaged letters, you must send contact us through email within 30 days of the shipping date. Refunds are not available for orders placed with the incorrect address.
If you'd like to know how many months are left in your sub, please send us an email through the Contact tab and we will be happy to assist you!