So helpful to get this perspective, thank you! As a "solid midlist" (future memoir title) author, I find preorder campaigns frustrating just because they wear out my audience too early in the process. When there are events at the time of publication, it's the same people I'm calling on to attend them, and it compromises sales for bookseller partners.... just feels like it's become one more thing to ask of them.
This resonates with me as an author and a consumer: "Consumers don’t feel they are missing out on anything if they wait to purchase a book after its publication date." As a consumer and supporter of authors, I TRY to get excited about pre-ordering, but I prefer to order it when I can actually get it. As an author, I'm like "ugh, sorry to bother you, please preorder my book, it's oh so important." But WHY is it important when the average consumer doesn't understand it or want to do it? Seems like the tail wagging the dog.
I have to admit I'm not someone who usually preorders books, but this year I probably preordered more than ever, and the reason was because at least a couple of times this year Barnes & Noble was running preorder sales. So, there might be a lesson in there for publishers.
I liked the Barnes and noble pre order sale too, but I definitely only ordered stuff from mega successful authors who don’t have anything to prove to publishers . I wonder if it helped newer/not mega authors at all.
Two of my non-fic authors who have large platforms did their own value-added pre-order. One gave verified purchases an original drawing in the style of her book and a sticker she created. Then again, men are tattooing themselves with her image…
I enjoyed reading this perspective! Thank you! I also have seen many pre-order campaigns not deliver. It's just not the way people are buying books these days. I would love to hear more on your thoughts/ ideas on how book marketing could look like when "getting creative and framing a book’s publication like a “drop” is marketed. " ?
I've run pre-order campaigns when I've had a book that had a chance of hitting the NYT list. It helped to push them over the top (Misc & How To + Children's Picture Books) and has often resulted in NPD numbers that *should* have put it on the list.
That said, most books don't have that chance, and these titles had authors with fans & followers who we could reach with an attractive incentive.
This is really helpful . I wonder what your advice might be to a new author who’s being pressured to do a pre-order campaign? Is there anyway to direct money and energy elsewhere, or does the publisher dictate that? (To be clear, this is not my situation, I’m just wondering )
If it’s the publisher’s $, the author can’t really dictate where it is spent. If it’s your $, it wholly depends on the book, platform, publisher, distribution.
Yes, another really useful post! I've always wondered whether the work I've done to promote preorders is worth it. Just getting the word out about the book is the way to go, whether ahead or in the moment. Thanks!
Such a great post. As a debut author I’m struggling with “all the things” - question: To have the preorder effort actually make a difference, what quantity of preorders would an author need to hit? “Make a difference” = good placement in Amazon category, bestseller, a sign of good sales momentum. . . Thanks!
That's the problem: there isn't a set number that makes a difference. I will say, though, that you know your book is moving a significant number of copies when your ranking is 1000 or under.
This is so helpful, as all of your posts are. The paperback edition of my book comes out September 1 and I've been trying to push pre-orders. I will spend the rest of the month trying to direct people to Amazon.
The last paragraph of this post really resonated with me, too.
Kathleen, thanks very much for reading and sharing my pre-order series, and for publishing your incisive perspective and valuable insights. Also great to see the comments and experience-based feedback from your community — all really helpful in further shaping strategies around pre-orders and the overall books to readers experience.
It also puts the author’s major supporters in a bind if they will come to a launch in the sense that the preorder for the launch is a short lead. So if you have a strong launch campaign planned, the people waiting for that will not be preordering early.
So helpful to get this perspective, thank you! As a "solid midlist" (future memoir title) author, I find preorder campaigns frustrating just because they wear out my audience too early in the process. When there are events at the time of publication, it's the same people I'm calling on to attend them, and it compromises sales for bookseller partners.... just feels like it's become one more thing to ask of them.
Yes! This!
This resonates with me as an author and a consumer: "Consumers don’t feel they are missing out on anything if they wait to purchase a book after its publication date." As a consumer and supporter of authors, I TRY to get excited about pre-ordering, but I prefer to order it when I can actually get it. As an author, I'm like "ugh, sorry to bother you, please preorder my book, it's oh so important." But WHY is it important when the average consumer doesn't understand it or want to do it? Seems like the tail wagging the dog.
Yep it does. I preorder books when I don't want to forget about them--and then they show up and I am like, "I ordered this?"
I’m an instant gratification reader as well. I pre-ordered once because it was a gift for someone and I didn’t want to forget.
Exactly. I wish the publishing industry would find another way to promote new books than having authors beg a disinterested public for preorders.
I have to admit I'm not someone who usually preorders books, but this year I probably preordered more than ever, and the reason was because at least a couple of times this year Barnes & Noble was running preorder sales. So, there might be a lesson in there for publishers.
The discount for a limited time is key.
I liked the Barnes and noble pre order sale too, but I definitely only ordered stuff from mega successful authors who don’t have anything to prove to publishers . I wonder if it helped newer/not mega authors at all.
Two of my non-fic authors who have large platforms did their own value-added pre-order. One gave verified purchases an original drawing in the style of her book and a sticker she created. Then again, men are tattooing themselves with her image…
Yah. Not the norm!
I discount my book during pre-order to encourage people to buy early as a way to say thank you for their support.
This allows me to gather enough sales juice to almost always launch as an Amazon best seller in the Category.
I then run bookbub ads to try and maintain that spot for several weeks.
Has worked well for me
I enjoyed reading this perspective! Thank you! I also have seen many pre-order campaigns not deliver. It's just not the way people are buying books these days. I would love to hear more on your thoughts/ ideas on how book marketing could look like when "getting creative and framing a book’s publication like a “drop” is marketed. " ?
I've run pre-order campaigns when I've had a book that had a chance of hitting the NYT list. It helped to push them over the top (Misc & How To + Children's Picture Books) and has often resulted in NPD numbers that *should* have put it on the list.
That said, most books don't have that chance, and these titles had authors with fans & followers who we could reach with an attractive incentive.
This is really helpful . I wonder what your advice might be to a new author who’s being pressured to do a pre-order campaign? Is there anyway to direct money and energy elsewhere, or does the publisher dictate that? (To be clear, this is not my situation, I’m just wondering )
If it’s the publisher’s $, the author can’t really dictate where it is spent. If it’s your $, it wholly depends on the book, platform, publisher, distribution.
Yes, another really useful post! I've always wondered whether the work I've done to promote preorders is worth it. Just getting the word out about the book is the way to go, whether ahead or in the moment. Thanks!
Granular. Helpful. Speaking truth to at-sea writers. Thank you.
Fantastic post. Thank you, Kathleen.
Such a great post. As a debut author I’m struggling with “all the things” - question: To have the preorder effort actually make a difference, what quantity of preorders would an author need to hit? “Make a difference” = good placement in Amazon category, bestseller, a sign of good sales momentum. . . Thanks!
That's the problem: there isn't a set number that makes a difference. I will say, though, that you know your book is moving a significant number of copies when your ranking is 1000 or under.
This is so helpful, as all of your posts are. The paperback edition of my book comes out September 1 and I've been trying to push pre-orders. I will spend the rest of the month trying to direct people to Amazon.
The last paragraph of this post really resonated with me, too.
Kathleen, thanks very much for reading and sharing my pre-order series, and for publishing your incisive perspective and valuable insights. Also great to see the comments and experience-based feedback from your community — all really helpful in further shaping strategies around pre-orders and the overall books to readers experience.
Hello! Thanks for inspiring me to write this!
It also puts the author’s major supporters in a bind if they will come to a launch in the sense that the preorder for the launch is a short lead. So if you have a strong launch campaign planned, the people waiting for that will not be preordering early.
Bad Monkey! Wednesday nights are fun again! ... thanks for the informative post.