Really helpful Beverley - thank you!
Why pre-orders with Amazon isn't for everyone
I was very excited when Amazon offered to put my historical up for pre-order. I snapped up that offer like nobody's business, thinking it can only mean good things for my book and sales. I. WAS. WRONG. Oh how wrong I was. And here's why.
While all your pre-order sales do go against your first day sales, it's not the same for your ranking. In my case, I had 478 pre-order sales that hit my account the day the book went live. I went on to sell an additional 130 that day. My ranking only took into account the 130, so while it did increase by several thousands, it didn't give me the same ranking I would have gotten had the entire 608.
And even if say only 500 of my fans had bought the book the first day, I would have still received a better ranking than the 130 got me. A far better ranking. iTunes doesn't do it this way, your ranking is based on the total number of sales including the pre-orders. I honestly thought Amazon did it this way too.
So in the end you can possibly miss that nice spike at the beginning and the visibility a higher ranking would give your book. Suffice it enough to say, I won't be doing pre-orders with Amazon anymore. Lesson learned.
I know this is a feature many authors -- included myself -- prayed Amazon would give self-published authors. But unless you sell REALLY well and don't really need the extra boost that first day of your release, pre-orders with Amazon definitely works against you. If you're an author who may make one of the list, pre-orders work to help you get there.
While all your pre-order sales do go against your first day sales, it's not the same for your ranking. In my case, I had 478 pre-order sales that hit my account the day the book went live. I went on to sell an additional 130 that day. My ranking only took into account the 130, so while it did increase by several thousands, it didn't give me the same ranking I would have gotten had the entire 608.
And even if say only 500 of my fans had bought the book the first day, I would have still received a better ranking than the 130 got me. A far better ranking. iTunes doesn't do it this way, your ranking is based on the total number of sales including the pre-orders. I honestly thought Amazon did it this way too.
So in the end you can possibly miss that nice spike at the beginning and the visibility a higher ranking would give your book. Suffice it enough to say, I won't be doing pre-orders with Amazon anymore. Lesson learned.
I know this is a feature many authors -- included myself -- prayed Amazon would give self-published authors. But unless you sell REALLY well and don't really need the extra boost that first day of your release, pre-orders with Amazon definitely works against you. If you're an author who may make one of the list, pre-orders work to help you get there.
1 - 15 of 15 Posts
there's a thread about this somewhere -- a lot of people had the same experience. i went ahead and tried pre-orders this time around for a book i knew wouldn't sell that well anyway so i figured i had nothing to lose. not sure what a person gains from pre-orders other than getting info up there early.
This was my exact experience, too. The general consensus seems to be pre-orders are only helpful if you have them up for a LONG time (6months+) in order to get enough accumulated sales to hit the NYT or USA Today list. It doesn't help your launch at all.
Wow. Thanks. I just got offered this and have been planning to do it for my new book, combined with a low-priced preorder promo. I think I'll still do it, because as we all know, YMMV, but if it bombs, it'll be so helpful to know I'm not the only one!
I had great luck last time with a promo on Book 1 a few weeks later, once Book 2 had reviews, so will hold that one in the back pocket ready to go, not put all my eggs, even hopefulness-wise, in this basket.
Thanks for sharing.
I had great luck last time with a promo on Book 1 a few weeks later, once Book 2 had reviews, so will hold that one in the back pocket ready to go, not put all my eggs, even hopefulness-wise, in this basket.
Thanks for sharing.
On the bright side, that's a lot of copies to sell in one day and at least you got paid for all of them! 
Yeah, this is my conclusion too. I've been offered preorders, but I won't be using them right now. I think they have their uses if you're:
a) A really big name
and
b) Have a series
Because if you're big enough, you'll hit the top 100 anyway, and having a preorder allows you to capture a lot of those peripheral readers who might read book one then forget the series before the second is out.
a) A really big name
and
b) Have a series
Because if you're big enough, you'll hit the top 100 anyway, and having a preorder allows you to capture a lot of those peripheral readers who might read book one then forget the series before the second is out.
Thanks very much for posting this. I'd wondered how the pre-orders affected ranking, and will think twice now before using that option for my next release.
I think I'd still do preorders, if offered. My mileage varies. Might as well get all five of those sales up front, right away, LOL.
Might as well get all five of those sales up front, right away, LOL.Another benefit to preorders that no one has mentioned is the smooth release, meaning the book is actually available when you say it's going to be and there's no waiting for it to go live on your release day. That may not matter to some, but it does make things less chaotic on release day if you've got readers anticipating your new release.
I want to echo what someone else said--preorders do make a difference for making the NYT and USA Today lists. Three of my self-published new releases hit the NYT ebook list in the top 10 this year, and they are the only three in which I've had preorders at Amazon. So it's not a coincidence that they were the ones that hit the lists.
I want to echo what someone else said--preorders do make a difference for making the NYT and USA Today lists. Three of my self-published new releases hit the NYT ebook list in the top 10 this year, and they are the only three in which I've had preorders at Amazon. So it's not a coincidence that they were the ones that hit the lists.
How many months in advance did you set up pre-order Marie? I see trade pub up at least 9 months prior and I'm wondering if Amazon allows big Indies that option as well.MarieForce said:Another benefit to preorders that no one has mentioned is the smooth release, meaning the book is actually available when you say it's going to be and there's no waiting for it to go live on your release day. That may not matter to some, but it does make things less chaotic on release day if you've got readers anticipating your new release.
I want to echo what someone else said--preorders do make a difference for making the NYT and USA Today lists. Three of my self-published new releases hit the NYT ebook list in the top 10 this year, and they are the only three in which I've had preorders at Amazon. So it's not a coincidence that they were the ones that hit the lists.
I could've done it any time I wanted to, but I did it about six weeks in advance. As soon as I hit the 3/4 mark in the book. I've learned to not add to my stress level by doing preorders too soon. Why should I give myself the same stress with my indie books that I have with my traditional books/deadlines?
MarieForce said:I could've done it any time I wanted to, but I did it about six weeks in advance. As soon as I hit the 3/4 mark in the book. I've learned to not add to my stress level by doing preorders too soon. Why should I give myself the same stress with my indie books that I have with my traditional books/deadlines?
good point, thanks!1 - 15 of 15 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Kindle Forum
A forum community dedicated to Amazon Kindle owners, authors, and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about publishing, audio, troubleshooting, models, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Recommended Communities
