The Cookout is the name of our exclusive membership within Literally Black, where the book club, automatic book boxes, and more reside.

Literally Black is the name of both the brand and the book club (Literally Black Book Club). The Cookout is our paid membership that offers a unique and vibrant community experience. It includes regular book discussions, exclusive author sessions, and curated book boxes, all designed to bring our members closer together.

The membership comes with a fee because of the perks it offers and the planning and moving parts required to run a well-organized and enriching book club experience. Even the Meetings Only tier has a low monthly cost, reflecting the value of the community and the effort that goes into creating meaningful connections and discussions.

You can join the new membership by visiting our website and selecting either the Full Membership or the Meeting Only Membership. Follow the sign-up instructions and complete the payment process.

The Full Membership includes six bi-monthly book boxes, six individual books on off months, weekly exclusive emails, access to private Zoom meetings, a year-long discount on all products, and enhanced community engagement features.

Yes, non-members can still purchase individual book boxes from our website at $55 plus shipping.

No, there is no backdating for previous book boxes or books. Here’s how it works:

• When you join The Cookout, your membership benefits start from the current month onward. If a book box or book was released on the 15th of the previous month and shipped on the 1st, and you join after that date, you will only receive the book box or book that is scheduled for release after your sign-up date.
• This means if you sign up on August 3rd, you will receive the book or book box that drops on August 15th, not the one from July 15th.
• After the 1st of the month, any unclaimed boxes or books are added to the site for the general public to purchase, so if you missed out, you may still have a chance to grab one there!

Upgrading to the Full Membership provides additional benefits such as bi-monthly book boxes, individual books on off months, weekly exclusive emails, year-long discounts, and enhanced community engagement.

The Zoom meetings will be more exclusive, with smaller groups and additional special events such as guest speakers and author Q&A sessions.

Yes, you can get a refund under the following conditions:

Full Refund:
- Available for both yearly and monthly members if the request is made within 14 days of purchase. You will receive a full refund of the membership fee.

Partial Refund (Yearly Members Only):
- If you request a refund after 14 days but within six months of purchase, you are eligible for a prorated refund based on the number of months remaining in your membership. An administrative fee of $25 will be deducted from the refund amount.

No Refund:
- Yearly Members: No refunds will be issued after six months of the membership period.
- Monthly Members: No refunds will be issued after 14 days. However, you will continue to have access to the membership benefits until the end of your current billing cycle.

For more detailed information or to request a refund, please refer to our Membership Policy. You can also email us at naomidl@literallyblack.co. Refunds will be processed within 14 days of receiving your request and will be issued to the original payment method used for the purchase.

The refund amount is calculated based on the number of months remaining in your membership. For example, if you request a refund after 4 months, you will be refunded for the remaining 8 months at $49.92 per month, minus a $25 administrative fee.

Example Calculation:

• Yearly Membership Fee: $599
• Monthly Cost: $599 / 12 = $49.92
• Used Months: 4
• Remaining Months: 8
• Refundable Amount: 8 x $49.92 = $399.36
• Administrative Fee: $25
• Total Refund Amount: $399.36 - $25 = $374.36

You do not have to be Black to join the conversations or to shop with us. We do however encourage that you join with the understanding of who we are and what we do. We will not entertain trolls or anyone coming in to disrupt and cause issues. We amplify Black voices, let that be the understanding.

I’m always excited to discover new books and share them with our community! I choose our monthly book club reads based on a variety of factors, including subject matter, cost, accessibility, and more. While I can only select one book per month for the club to read together, I’m still open to promoting other books on my social media channels.

If your book isn’t selected as a club read, there’s still a chance I might post about it to share with my audience. Unfortunately, with the number of submissions I receive and the fact that our club reads only one book a month, it’s impossible to feature every book in our lineup.

To submit your book for consideration, whether for the book club or a potential social media feature, please email me at naomidl@literallyblack.co. I look forward to checking out your work!