Overview
This page collects the most common technical issues readers run into with Chronicles of Wordcraft downloads—bonus packs, printable extras, and other digital files—and how to fix them step by step.
If you are looking for rules about how you may print, share, or reuse our puzzles and artwork, please see Permissions & Licensing, Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Cookies. For information about affiliate links and sponsorships, see Disclosures and our Affiliate & Partnerships page.
This page offers practical troubleshooting tips. It does not change or override any of our legal terms. If anything here seems to conflict with our core legal pages, the legal pages always win.
1. “I can’t find the email with my files.”
1.1 Check spam, promotions & filters
Most missing download emails turn out to be hiding in a filter. Please check:
- Spam or Junk folders.
- Promotions / Updates / Other tabs (especially in Gmail and Outlook, which like to file newsletters away).
- Existing filters that auto-label or archive messages. Searching your email for “Chronicles of Wordcraft” or “R. R. Thalore” will often surface them.
1.2 Confirm the address & wait a moment
Make sure you are checking the same email address you used on the form or checkout. Some inboxes also delay messages for a few minutes while scanning attachments.
1.3 Still missing? Contact us.
If you still cannot find the email after checking filters, please write to [email protected] and include:
- The email address you signed up with.
- Rough date and time of signup or purchase.
- Which bonus pack or download you were expecting.
For your security, we will never ask for your email password or payment card number. We may verify details against our records to confirm we are resending files to the correct person, consistent with our Privacy Policy.
2. Download link doesn’t work or looks “expired”
2.1 Try the basics first
Before anything else, please try:
- Opening the link in a modern browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox).
- Copying and pasting the full link, making sure it did not wrap or cut off.
- Temporarily disabling aggressive ad blockers or “privacy filters” for that page.
2.2 “Expired” or “too many downloads”
Some of our download providers limit how long a link stays active or how often a file can be pulled down, to help prevent abuse.
If you see a message that your link has expired, or that it has been used too many times, please contact us at [email protected]. We will usually be able to refresh the link or provide an alternate route as long as the request is consistent with our Permissions & Licensing and Terms of Use.
2.3 Shared or posted links
Download links are meant for you and your household or classroom, not for public posting. If we detect a link has been posted widely on the internet, we may disable it or rotate the file to protect our work and other readers, in line with our permissions and anti-piracy policies.
3. ZIP files: opening and extracting
3.1 Why we use ZIP files
Larger packs—especially bonus bundles with multiple PDFs or artwork variants—are often delivered as a single .zip file. This keeps everything together, shrinks the overall size, and helps email providers accept the attachment.
3.2 Opening ZIP files on a computer
Most computers can open ZIP files without extra software:
- Windows: Right-click the ZIP file and choose “Extract All…”.
- macOS: Double-click the ZIP file. The system will create a folder with the same name.
3.3 Opening ZIP files on phones & tablets
Some mobile devices need a dedicated app to unpack ZIP files. If tapping the ZIP does nothing or shows an error, try one of the following:
- Install a reputable “files” or “unzip” app from your app store.
- Save the ZIP to a desktop or laptop first, extract it there, then transfer individual PDFs back to your device.
3.4 Corrupt or incomplete ZIP downloads
If your ZIP refuses to open or says it is “corrupted,” it may have been interrupted while downloading. Try these steps:
- Delete the partial ZIP file.
- Download it again over a stable connection (home Wi-Fi rather than cellular, if possible).
- Make sure you have enough free storage space for the full archive.
You are welcome to back up unzipped files to your own private storage. Uploading our ZIP packages or their contents to public drives, resource hubs, or resale marketplaces is not permitted without written permission from us. See Permissions & Licensing for details.
4. PDFs won’t open, look blank, or print oddly
4.1 Use a modern PDF viewer
Our puzzles are standard PDF files. If a page looks blank or distorted, first confirm you are opening the file in a modern PDF viewer such as:
- Adobe Acrobat Reader (current version).
- Preview (macOS).
- A current desktop browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox).
4.2 “Damaged” or “unsupported format” messages
These often mean the download did not finish properly. Try:
- Downloading the file again.
- Saving it to your device first, then opening it from your Downloads folder.
- Opening the same file on a different device to see whether the error follows the file or the viewer.
4.3 Printing problems
If the PDF looks fine on screen but prints too small, cut off, or washed out, please see our Printing Guide for recommended paper sizes, margins, and grayscale settings.
We design our pages to work on common home and office printers, but we cannot guarantee compatibility with every printer model or driver. If you still have trouble after following the Printing Guide, you are welcome to contact us with details and we will help where we reasonably can.
5. Wrong file, missing pages, or bonus pack mismatch
5.1 File does not match the description
If a file appears to be the wrong deity/sign, the wrong bonus pack, or is clearly missing pages (for example, puzzles without solutions), please email [email protected] with:
- The file name you received.
- Where you obtained it (landing page, email link, store checkout, etc.).
- What you expected instead.
We will investigate and, if we made an error, we will fix the file or send a corrected version.
5.2 Unique bonus packs
Many of our bonus packs are unique to a specific title (for example, a particular deity in the Olympian Series). We do not swap packs between titles, but we will always ensure you receive the correct pack for the offer you redeemed.
6. Email preferences, unsubscribes & re-joining
6.1 “I unsubscribed and now I want back in.”
If you previously unsubscribed from our emails, most providers require that you re-join yourself. In other words, we usually cannot override an unsubscribe for you.
You can re-join by:
- Filling out one of our current forms on the site (for example, the waitlist form on the Join page).
- Using any “update preferences” or “resubscribe” link in older messages that still work.
6.2 Marking messages as “not spam”
To help future downloads arrive correctly, please mark our messages as “Not spam” or “Important” in your email provider, or add the From address to your address book. This reduces the chances that download links or receipts will be filtered in the future.
6.3 Data and tracking
Our email systems track delivery and opens at a basic level so we can troubleshoot problems (for example, to see whether a message bounced or was never sent). For details on how we handle analytics and marketing preferences, please see our Privacy Policy, Cookies, and Disclosures pages.
7. Orders through Amazon and other partners
Sometimes we link to retailers or print-on-demand services (for example, Amazon, Book Bolt partners, or other bookstores) using affiliate links, as explained on our Disclosures and Affiliate & Partnerships pages.
If your issue relates to shipping, payment processing, or damaged physical books, you will usually need to contact the retailer directly and follow their policies. They control the transaction and your order details.
If your issue relates to bonus downloads promised alongside those books (for example, a QR code or URL in the front of the book), we are happy to help from our side once you reach out to [email protected].
8. Press kit downloads & intellectual property issues
Our press kit and branding assets are provided so journalists, reviewers, and partners can accurately represent Chronicles of Wordcraft. If you have trouble opening press kit ZIP files or artwork:
- Follow the same ZIP and PDF steps on this page.
- If needed, contact us at [email protected] for fresh links.
Press kit assets remain our intellectual property. They may not be reused as generic clip-art, logos, or design elements in your own products, websites, or merchandise. See our Terms of Use and Permissions & Licensing for full details, and our DMCA page for how to report suspected misuse.
9. When to contact us (and what to include)
If you have worked through the relevant sections above and are still stuck, we are happy to take a closer look. Email [email protected] and include:
- Which file, bonus pack, or book you are trying to use.
- Your device and operating system (for example: “Windows 11 laptop” or “iPadOS 18 tablet”).
- Your PDF viewer or app, and any exact error messages you see.
- A screenshot of the error or your print dialog, if possible.
We can help with reasonable troubleshooting related to our files, but we are not a full IT support service. We may refer you to your device manufacturer, email provider, or printer vendor for issues outside our control.