Pre-order pages for kindle ebooks - Saw Hugh has one - is this a new feature?

[Michael_J_Sullivan]

Sorry if this has already been covered...but is it now possible to get a pre-order pages for an upcoming kindle release?  Does anyone know how to do this?  I would LOVE to get a preorder up for Hollow World that is coming out in January - and I know how to do it for a paperback book - but have no clue on how to do it for a kindle - anyone know anything about this?

Here's the Page to Hugh Howe's Dust.

[KBoards.com]

[MegHarris]

My understanding is that Amazon will only do it if you've consistently been a really, really big seller.

[Kay Bratt]

This is true.

However, there have been some other indies who have garnered a pre-order page who aren't near as big as Hugh, but have done well enough to be given this option. So you don't have to shoot for Howey Stardom, but impressive numbers are still needed.

[LilianaHart]

They'll contact you and get it set up once your numbers warrant it. Pre-orders have been a huge help for me as far as lists go.

[Hugh Howey]

I'm not sure that I'm a fan of the pre-order pages, to be honest. I did it once before, and have since declined the offers to set one up. It puts you in one of two situations, neither of which are fun for me:

1. The book is done and ready to go, and you are just arbitrarily keeping it from readers. Which isn't as enjoyable as hitting "publish" and watching it go live 8 hours later.

2. The book is rushed to completion, and you force it out the door before it's done because of an agreed-upon date.

The third possibility, where you just happen to finish the book the night before the due date and it all goes perfectly, seems unlikely to me. And imagine the stress if you were cutting it that close!

There's the argument that you have a chance at bestseller lists with pre-order pages. Not sure if that's worth the strain. The reason I did this one is because I agreed to hold off publishing for two weeks in order to time it with the UK release date. In the past, I've annoyed overseas readers with a delay. I'm experimenting with annoying domestic readers this time.

[Michael_J_Sullivan]

I'm not sure that I'm a fan of the pre-order pages, to be honest. I did it once before, and have since declined the offers to set one up. It puts you in one of two situations, neither of which are fun for me:

1. The book is done and ready to go, and you are just arbitrarily keeping it from readers. Which isn't as enjoyable as hitting "publish" and watching it go live 8 hours later.

2. The book is rushed to completion, and you force it out the door before it's done because of an agreed-upon date.

The third possibility, where you just happen to finish the book the night before the due date and it all goes perfectly, seems unlikely to me. And imagine the stress if you were cutting it that close!

There's the argument that you have a chance at bestseller lists with pre-order pages. Not sure if that's worth the strain. The reason I did this one is because I agreed to hold off publishing for two weeks in order to time it with the UK release date. In the past, I've annoyed overseas readers with a delay. I'm experimenting with annoying domestic readers this time.

In most cases I would agree with that but I'm in kind of a unique situation.

Non-compete clause in my Orbit contract prevents me from releasing it before 01/17/2014. But the book will be ready in July as it will be given to thos people who did the Kickstarter. So in my case

a) The book will be done
b) It can't go up early

My past sales have been good, and I have strong traditionally published sales but since it's been awhile since I've been self-published.  If anyone has an email address of someone at Amazon who has set this up for them - please shoot it to me at [email protected] - I'd love to get the pre-order up when people start getting the Kickstarter version.

[EB Mazza]

I've wondered a lot about this and am a little disappointed to find out that these pages are limited to only best sellers. I have four books I plan on self-publishing within the next year and expected there would be a way for reviewers of the ARCs to post their reviews before the books are released. I guess not. It's a shame. I doubt there's anything better for your launch than already having a few good, sturdy reviews up to entice future readers. Too bad.

[LilianaHart]

I'm not sure that I'm a fan of the pre-order pages, to be honest. I did it once before, and have since declined the offers to set one up. It puts you in one of two situations, neither of which are fun for me:

1. The book is done and ready to go, and you are just arbitrarily keeping it from readers. Which isn't as enjoyable as hitting "publish" and watching it go live 8 hours later.

2. The book is rushed to completion, and you force it out the door before it's done because of an agreed-upon date.

The third possibility, where you just happen to finish the book the night before the due date and it all goes perfectly, seems unlikely to me. And imagine the stress if you were cutting it that close!

There's the argument that you have a chance at bestseller lists with pre-order pages. Not sure if that's worth the strain. The reason I did this one is because I agreed to hold off publishing for two weeks in order to time it with the UK release date. In the past, I've annoyed overseas readers with a delay. I'm experimenting with annoying domestic readers this time.

I'm the complete opposite. I need those deadlines, and if everything is in black and white like that the I can go ahead and book my copyeditor as well. I'm more productive on a deadline. As long as the final version is uploaded a week before it's all good. And my readers seem to like the pre-order option. I think with my case, I have so many titles out in a year that the pre-orders benefit me. I notice a lot of readers will go through my author page and pre-order everything at the same time so they don't have to keep up with it all.

[Janet Michelson]

I've wondered a lot about this and am a little disappointed to find out that these pages are limited to only best sellers. I have four books I plan on self-publishing within the next year and expected there would be a way for reviewers of the ARCs to post their reviews before the books are released. I guess not. It's a shame. I doubt there's anything better for your launch than already having a few good, sturdy reviews up to entice future readers. Too bad.

If you send out the ARC copies a week or two before the release date you should have some reviews right away. how many ARC copies are you planning to send out? You can do giveaways on Library Thing and hope the readers post reviews on Amazon.

BTW, I wouldn't send out the ARC copies until the thing is edited. Not all readers will follow the protocol of ignoring typos and grammar mistakes in their reviews. A friend of mine learned this the hard way.

[54706]

It's not limited to only authors with best sellers.  It's limited to authors who consistently sell books and catch the eye of the powers that be at KDP.  I was told one of the reasons it's limited to this group is because it's a totally manual process to set the book up this way by the KDP folks, so offering it to everyone would be very labor intensive.

[EB Mazza]

If you send out the ARC copies a week or two before the release date you should have some reviews right away. how many ARC copies are you planning to send out? You can do giveaways on Library Thing and hope the readers post reviews on Amazon.

BTW, I wouldn't send out the ARC copies until the thing is edited. Not all readers will follow the protocol of ignoring typos and grammar mistakes in their reviews. A friend of mine learned this the hard way.

Not sure yet about the number, and I will definitely have the books edited by then. In fact, I'll probably sit on the final products for a month or two before I hit publish just so I can make sure that everything is where I want it to be for the launch.

[Vera Nazarian]

In most cases I would agree with that but I'm in kind of a unique situation.

Non-compete clause in my Orbit contract prevents me from releasing it before 01/17/2014. But the book will be ready in July as it will be given to thos people who did the Kickstarter. So in my case

a) The book will be done
b) It can't go up early

My past sales have been good, and I have strong traditionally published sales but since it's been awhile since I've been self-published.  If anyone has an email address of someone at Amazon who has set this up for them - please shoot it to me at [email protected] - I'd love to get the pre-order up when people start getting the Kickstarter version.

Me too please... PM me if you have the Amazon contact info for this arrangement.

I really, really would like a pre-order page for Cobweb Bride in all its editions -- hardcover, trade paperback, and Kindle.

http://www.norilana.com/cobweb.htm

The book releases on July 15, and that's when my Kickstarter supporters will start getting it.

Meanwhile, i would like a landing page on Amazon so that NetGalley and other reviewers (who have been so far posting their reviews on GoodReads, etc), can just post the reviews directly on Amazon.

Oh, and yes, actual pre-orders would be nice!

[H.M. Ward]

It is manual. I was freaked out on the fall preorder I posted b/c the process was different than the 1st preorder. I'm trying it on 2 novels. I am concerned that it's going screw with release day rankings and keep lower on the amazon list for these titles, but you never know unless you give it a try, right? Amazon didn't notice me until I hit #1 and held. I was selling plenty prior to that, but no one ever called me.

[54706]

It's not a situation where you can contact Amazon and request it.  They contact you and offer it as part of their special services for certain authors. 

[KBoards.com]