KDP pre-order is here

[Darren]

I received an email from Amazon today stating that KDP books can now have a pre-order page set up 90 days in advance of the release date.

Not sure I'll be able to use that since I always like to buy the book live from Amazon as the final formatting check.

What do you think?

[Patti (baconater)]

Can't hurt.

[Kath]

I think it might help with visibility? Chart positions and all that.

[Simon (Highwayman)]

I don't see the point. If it was a real book it puts you in the queue, avoiding out of stock. Ebooks don't have a stock limit so it's click and collect every single time.

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

Maybe its in case people forget what the release date is...

[Simon (Highwayman)]

Gingerlily - Elephant Philosopher wrote: "Maybe its in case people forget what the release date is..."

I suppose but I buy books when I am ready to read them, not as soon as they are released. Except of course" odd thomas". I read them as soon as they are completed by hacking the authors pc.

[Will]

Is this so that we will pay for something as soon as possible, so that the money is just sitting in Amazon's bank account for as long as possible?

Or am I just being cynical?

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

Well I suppose the logic is that the more books that they sell on the release date the higher the book will go on the rankings, and that will get it notices and generate more sales. So it makes sense for the author and for Amazon.

And a lot of people do pre-order books. I have a couple of authors I would do that for.

[Tim]

Simon (Highwayman) wrote: "I don't see the point. If it was a real book it puts you in the queue, avoiding out of stock. Ebooks don't have a stock limit so it's click and collect every single time."

1. Order and forget. You don't need to remember to log on and buy it on the day of release - it's automatically delivered to your chosen device or app.

2. Customers demand it. People LIKE preorders. See 1. They do it with DVDs, Blu-Rays and (in their eyes) "proper" books in all formats.

3. For series books, it helps with sales of other volumes. Some people won't buy part 1 if they don't know part 2 is coming. Pre-orders fulfil that function.

4. Author & book visibility and ranking. Yay!

[Tim]

Will wrote: "Is this so that we will pay for something as soon as possible, so that the money is just sitting in Amazon's bank account for as long as possible?

Or am I just being cynical?"

You are being cynical. Amazon have been doing pre-orders for years. You are not charged until the day of delivery. It has always been so.

[Dayo]

I think the pre-order feature is great. It's good to have the option of doing it.

[Lynda]

Gingerlily - Elephant Philosopher wrote: "Well I suppose the logic is that the more books that they sell on the release date the higher the book will go on the rankings, and that will get it notices and generate more sales. So it makes sen..."

Sadly, I don't think it works like that. Your book gets a ranking every time someone pre-orders. Any sales you get on release day only add/subtract to/from that ranking.

Let's suppose you have 100 pre-orders every day for the seven days prior to launch, and 50 sales on launch day. Your ranking will reflect only those 50 sales, NOT 750.

Here's an example of a book available for pre-order, but not due to be published until September 1st. Look at its ranking.
http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Broken-Hal...

I think pre-orders work well if you already have a large fan base and thousands of avid readers waiting for your next book. For unknown little indie prawns like me, pre-orders will only cannibalise my rankings and make launch day a bigger flop than it already is. :(

[Kath]

Throw another prawn on the barbie, Lynda! Can;t see it benefiting me, either.

[Simon (Highwayman)]

Just out of curiosity how do these Pre release books get reviews? The one GL put up had some 5 stars but it isn't out.

[Will]

You don't mean ... aren't all the five star reviews genuine? Written by folks what have actually read the books and loved it more than their first born childwen.

No! Tell me it ain't so...

[Simon (Highwayman)]

I have lived a sheltered life. I am shocked. Are you telling me that not everything on the Internet is true?

[Patti (baconater)]

People are still reading book reviews on the 'zoo?

Erm...

[David]

Simon (Highwayman) wrote: "Just out of curiosity how do these Pre release books get reviews? The one GL put up had some 5 stars but it isn't out."

Could be beta readers. Could be advanced review copies. OR neither of the aforementioned

[Tim]

If it's ready to pre-order, it's probably ready to send out review copies. Trad books have review copies -- "ARC editions" -- available usually a couple of months before release. They're normally either page or galley proofs.

[Tim]

Ok, now I know I'd never manage to guarantee the readiness of a book more than a few weeks in advance, but I just noticed that the 2016 Didcworld Diary is already available to preorder, and it doesn't come out for over a year... (even the 2015 diary is still in preorder!)

[David]

No good for me. I don't usually settle on a title until the week before publishing.

[Tim]

I guess you pretty much know what a diary's gonna be called!

[Jim]

Lynda wrote: "Here's an example of a book available for pre-order, but not due to be published until September 1st. Look at its ranking.
http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Broken-Hal......"

I'm more impressed by the sheer numbers, 293 reviews!

[Tim]

That's more reviews than I've had sales!!!

[Jim]

Assuming it's all legit, and the bad reviews seem suitably legit, it strikes me that this is one serious marketing operation prior to the launch!

[Kath]

But so many people can't have read it if it's not even on sale yet - unless they all got free copies?

[David]

Kath wrote: "But so many people can't have read it if it's not even on sale yet - unless they all got free copies?"

I'm on an author mailing list - Jason Gurley. He sent out a download link on his list for people to download his latest book for free months before it was released in the hope that enough of them would leave Amazon reviews in time for its actual official release.

Maybe this was some variation on that strategy.

Presumably that is why so many people have been asking Amazon for this pre-order option to build up momentum before the actual release date.

[Tim]

The danger there is that my entire readership (both of them) pre-order the book, and then there's no one left to buy it on release day, so it flops.

[David]

Tim wrote: "The danger there is that my entire readership (both of them) pre-order the book, and then there's no one left to buy it on release day, so it flops."

Yep.

That is of course assuming you are popular enough to have two whole readers.

[Tim]

I was including myself.

[David]

Ooh, that means that with my terrible memory I can count myself as several readers.

[M.A.]

The jury is still out for me on this one. Keen to see how it works out for other authors though. :-)

[Jim]

Tim wrote: "The danger there is that my entire readership (both of them) pre-order the book, and then there's no one left to buy it on release day, so it flops."

I like working with optimists! Two readers! No need to get cocky lad
Stop stealing readers, most of us have to be happy with one ;-)

[David]

Jim wrote: "I like working with optimists! Two readers! No need to get cocky lad
Stop stealing readers, most of us have to be happy with one ;-) "

One Reader!
You were lucky. We used to dream of having one reader.

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

Oh no! Its going all Monty Python....

[Tim]

When I said two readers, I included myself (as mentioned), and my editor, who was paid a fortune to read it.

[David]

Gingerlily - Elephant Philosopher wrote: "Oh no! Its going all Monty Python...."

Month Python?
You were lucky. We used to dream of Monty Python.

[Kath]

Tim wrote: "When I said two readers, I included myself (as mentioned), and my editor, who was paid a fortune to read it."

Oi! I've read it too. And you ain't paid me nowt! (yet! Fnar, fnar!)

[Tim]

Okay, I'll admit I didn't read it - just my editor and beta reader.