Preorder Your Book: Why I don't recommend it!

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  • čas přidán 9. 07. 2020
  • A question I get asked a lot is does preordering affect my book sales? With many authors authors setting up preorder for their books the big question is is it right for you.
    In this video I go through exactly what preordering is. How one can benefit from doing preorders. And what exactly will hurt you if you set up preordering for your book.
    So, check it out!
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Komentáře • 223

  • @michalstawicki1673
    @michalstawicki1673 Před 4 lety +7

    On spot! You have a gift on dumbing down complicated processes for us. And those graphic elementd are awesome!

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety

      Thanks man. A little help from my daughter :)

  • @plantbasedwell-being3309
    @plantbasedwell-being3309 Před rokem +11

    I’ve been on KDP since 28th Sept of this year. I write fiction ‘adult’ stand-alone short stories in series of 4 books at a time. As a new indie author I used pre-order to showcase the coming titles in my series. Maybe it was sheer luck. My first 2 books hit the top ten spots within my genre. I did zero marketing. I write, I work & I’m a mum. I literally have no time. I’ve been writing on my iPhone (Apple Pages)on the school run, break at work, in bed & probably some other places I won’t mention! Volume is key to my plan! Novellas are 100-120 pages long I aimed it at women who don’t have time to read through 400-600 pages of ‘romance’. Pre-orders work in my series or readership (I have another 4 series coming for 2023) which I won’t set up till closer the time. The pre-orders also help me push on to my deadline.
    If you care enough about the end product the customer will receive it helps (content, cover, editing & meeting the pre-order deadline). It’s only 5 days in November and I’m on £110.
    I would recommend anyone to do it. If I can, anyone can 😆
    Your videos & website have been invaluable to my journey, so thank you. 🙏🏼
    Good Luck Everyone ☘️💚☘️
    P.S within the series pre-orders are no more than max 6 weeks ahead. I personally wouldn’t want to order something I’m not getting soon-ish.

    • @chooseyou2499
      @chooseyou2499 Před rokem +2

      Congratulations on the sucess! So exciting.
      I'm a new author set to release in June.
      We even have similar thoughts on shorter books and time.
      Thanks for sharing your experience and the detail you provided!

  • @aditisaxenapublishing

    Thanks for the insights. As a new author your videos helped me a lot. Looking forward to get more info and insights.

  • @ginabradley570
    @ginabradley570 Před 4 lety

    Wow! Thanks for the insight. Making me rethink preorders as a tool for books 2 and beyond. Thanks Dave!

  • @TheLawOfAttractionLady

    Excellent. Thank you for these great tips!

  • @WordsPictures997
    @WordsPictures997 Před 4 lety +2

    This makes a lot of sense. Thank you so much for this Dave.

  • @KeithWheelerBooks
    @KeithWheelerBooks Před 4 lety +19

    Wow Dave. I'd never thought of it this way. Very interesting rationale. I'd always looked at pre-orders as a great way to get more visibility via the New Release categories. While I also suggest running ads to the book while on pre-order, you bring up solid points.
    Thanks for always making me think.

  • @JanetButlerMaleWriter
    @JanetButlerMaleWriter Před 4 lety +5

    Intuitively I've never liked the idea of a prelaunch, have never done one, and I'm glad you've confirmed my vibe. BTW, Rocket is fab -- love the new 'Release the Categories' feature. Thanks for all your help with Indieworld, Dave.

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +3

      Glad to have helped! As for Rocket, that's great and glad you like it. I have a couple of other new features that will be coming out very soon that I think you'll love. And of course, they will be free upgrades ;)

  • @user-sw2lv3zp6o
    @user-sw2lv3zp6o Před 2 lety

    Fascinating. Excellent video and channel.

  • @yogeshchandra7069
    @yogeshchandra7069 Před 2 lety

    Thank you so much Dave. I almost put my upcoming book on preorder.

  • @DaleLRoberts
    @DaleLRoberts Před 4 lety +10

    Excellent insights as always.
    I don’t recommend presales unless an author has a clear cut strategy and solid marketing plan.
    Fame is a plus. A following is definitely great. But blindly publishing whether presales or not is a recipe for disaster.
    Love the new background! 😎🔥💪

  • @dixiecarlton7977
    @dixiecarlton7977 Před 4 lety

    Great advice Dave ... I never buy books too far out - it goes against my need for instant gratification. Maybe a few days on pre-order, but that's only if a good push is scheduled to happen around that. Amazon continually changing is a whole other matter and it's all worth keeping on top of. The thing I know for sure - for readers, the Amazon rankings matter, so working on that for the first push of a new title is well worth doing.

  • @scottallanindustries
    @scottallanindustries Před 4 lety

    Great information as always, Dave!

  • @herbalsutraslifesutras-byl3171

    Thank God ! I was planning to put my book on preorder next week!! Thanks

  • @JimLewis_pdx
    @JimLewis_pdx Před 4 lety +3

    I had no idea when I purchased (now) "Publisher Rocket" that I was going to get continued hand-holding like this. Great, Dave!

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +1

      Rock on and super glad to have helped! Enjoy!

  • @susanring7634
    @susanring7634 Před 3 lety +1

    Makes sense to me. Thank you Dave!

  • @bronwynleroux5915
    @bronwynleroux5915 Před 4 lety

    Excellent summation - thank you!

  • @HeartWorkOrganizing
    @HeartWorkOrganizing Před 4 lety +3

    Thanks, Dave. I've had some of these same concerns, even as other "book gurus" out there are screaming that you must do presales for a successful book launch. Given the way Amazon counts presales orders now (and of course, things can and will change in the future), it's good to know that presales are not all that AND a bag of chips.

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety

      It can be...but if you have the resources to be able to benefit from it. Otherwise, it can really hinder you and stunt your launch.

  • @studentoftheword6115
    @studentoftheword6115 Před 2 lety

    Excellent Information

  • @LianaBuzea
    @LianaBuzea Před 2 lety

    I agree. At my current level (small community) I wouldn't do a pre-sale campaign on Amazon. I'd do it in my community and, once the book is done, I'd upload it for official sales through KDP. ✌️

  • @donaldwheeler5989
    @donaldwheeler5989 Před 4 lety +1

    Very interesting take - have literally never heard this before. Thank you

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety

      My pleasure!

    • @emokidsparade8126
      @emokidsparade8126 Před 4 lety

      glad i saw this cause that’s what i wanted to do from the start. then other videos hyped up the preorder. now i’m back to the original plan. nice.

  • @SamyBarnat
    @SamyBarnat Před 4 lety +1

    Very good Dave as always

  • @milabernadeth
    @milabernadeth Před 4 lety

    Thank you so much!!! It helped me decide on my current pre-order!

  • @bobnolin9155
    @bobnolin9155 Před 2 lety

    This was VERY helpful, says this about-to-be first-time author. Keep in mind that, once you go live (not pre-sale), if you are in KU, you can't send reviewers ARC ebooks.

  • @lauralai9694
    @lauralai9694 Před 2 lety +3

    Many authors think and recommend the pre-order. Therefore, I've never thought of it as a possibility to 'hurt your algorithm' on AMZ but your reasoning makes sense and is very clear. To be honest, I personally prefer the give away -I hope to be abe to buy and to offer. And, hopefully, most of those who will receive it will also have the kindness to leave a review.

  • @bradborkan4527
    @bradborkan4527 Před 3 lety

    Dave, Great video. What's your opinion on doing a pre-order for a very short period (e.g. 1 month or just a few weeks before launch)?

  • @stephaniesterner1271
    @stephaniesterner1271 Před 4 lety

    Thank you so much for this!

  • @CarlavanRaay
    @CarlavanRaay Před 4 lety

    Ha! How clear is that! I won't be pre-launching - put that thought away. Thanks, Dave.

  • @DianneGreenlay
    @DianneGreenlay Před 4 lety +3

    Great relief to hear this. I intuitively was wondering if that would happen but didn’t have enough experience. Your video confirms it. Great advice as always. Thanks Dave!

  • @oceanfan55
    @oceanfan55 Před 4 lety +1

    Since I'm not any of the three types mentioned, marketing consistently over several months makes a lot of sense. I never heard this strategy before from any other guru's about preorder strategies. Thanks, Dave, helpful idea.

  • @tubemapper
    @tubemapper Před 4 lety

    Yes this is a concern. I've just started my preorder campaign. I do have a small following though so hopefully that will help push me through

  • @LaMoniqueMac
    @LaMoniqueMac Před 3 lety +4

    Dave I usually use preorders as a way to keep myself in check with a firm KDP deadline . Now that you’ve given me this information I’m thinking preorders might be better done on my website or Facebook store.

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 3 lety +1

      So long as your preorder is long or drawn out, you should be fine. It's those that set it up for a long period of time that hurt themselves.

  • @AnneJanzer
    @AnneJanzer Před 4 lety

    Terrific guidance, Dave. I'm a fan of a short preorder period, supported by marketing.

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +1

      100%. I really should have talked about that as a side recommendation. If you do do one, and don't fully meet those three things, then make it a quick preorder.

  • @anthonys5655
    @anthonys5655 Před 4 lety +1

    I always thought that pre-order is always good thing and Amazon was considering the “sales” after the launch - not during it’s pre-ordering period. It is good to know!! :)

  • @texancounselor2101
    @texancounselor2101 Před 4 lety +5

    Thanks! I never really liked the idea of pre-orders. I would prefer to launch my book when it is ready and then blast it out to my readers.

  • @matthewspeak4794
    @matthewspeak4794 Před rokem

    Love this advice. The only issue I see is the fact that you kind of have to do some amount of pre-order in order to make sure your book comes out when you say it's coming out. Would you say a week ahead of time is too much time?

  • @drdhruvagulur
    @drdhruvagulur Před 4 měsíci

    Thanks for your videos! Do you recommend wide publishing or KDP?

  • @thesarahstjohn
    @thesarahstjohn Před 4 lety

    Thanks so much for doing this video. I've always wondered about this. I already set my next book up for pre-order about a week ago. I wonder if there is a way to take it off pre-order if there aren't currently any sales on it?

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +4

      Glad to have helped. However, you're best leaving it now.

  • @KammiLutz
    @KammiLutz Před 4 lety +1

    Great advice! These are secrets that most authors don't know. Thank you for sharing quality videos!

  • @pearlsandmanna
    @pearlsandmanna Před 2 měsíci

    I plan to do a pre-order campaign for the first 500 copies of my book, which will be printed locally in Altona, Manitoba (Canada). I will be overseeing the first print run of my book in the facility -what an experience that will be! Those first copies will be a special first release that will come before I ever release the book on Amazon or through Ingram Spark/Google/etc. I will definitely advertise the release date for Amazon, without taking pre-orders on that platform for the reasons stated in this video.

  • @patriciadanna7433
    @patriciadanna7433 Před 4 lety +1

    Great advice for a new, unknown author. Thanks.

  • @LauraAGrace
    @LauraAGrace Před 4 lety

    This is a great video, Dave, and I deeply appreciate you sharing! I guess hearing this, the only concern that comes up is what do you do to share your book at release time? I’ve been told by numerous indie authors to have a preorder link readily available with a cover reveal because people will forget about your book and not order (though marketing helps for sure). So I guess more of my question is, what do you in replacement of not having a link readily without a preorder?

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +1

      If you've got a plan on how to market when it is in pre-order, then that can help. Also, keeping the time period between preorder and release short is a good idea too in this case.

    • @LauraAGrace
      @LauraAGrace Před 4 lety

      @@Kindlepreneur that's a great idea! I didn't consider either one of those! Thanks so much for answering my question, Dave! I super appreciate it! :D

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety

      @@LauraAGrace Glad to help!

  • @EffrosyniMoschoudi
    @EffrosyniMoschoudi Před 4 lety +1

    Interesting view, Dave. I normally do preorders but I always look for new ways to try things. What I'd really like to know is, if someone is to follow this strategy, do you recommend launching at FREE, 99c or at full price? Thanks for your input!

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +1

      I like the idea of starting at .99 for a period of time so as to potentially get your ARC and Street Team to purcahse it and turn their review into a verified review, and then officially launching it at 2.99.

  • @eileenomosa5406
    @eileenomosa5406 Před 4 lety +1

    How did you know I was about to post pre-orders for my next two books? I've the covers ready, thought I should put the books on pre-order for Sept and Dec. Thanks for the timely info.

  • @ivesguy7568
    @ivesguy7568 Před 4 lety

    Yes. I found this out the hard way with my latest book. I wanted reviews, but can't get them when book in 'pre-order' mode. So, I decided to hit the publish button and drop the 'pre-order' status.

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +1

      Yeah, that's another thing I should have brought up - no reviews allowed yet.

  • @AlinkaRutkowskaAuthor
    @AlinkaRutkowskaAuthor Před 4 lety

    Well said, Dave!

  • @reena9027
    @reena9027 Před 3 lety

    Well explained Dave!
    It is important to know that you are not to sacrifice your exposure just for the sake of a stupid feeling that preorders would increase your sales standing with the available book

  • @livmilesparanormalromanceb6891

    Thank you so much for this video, Dave! I have a paranormal romance trilogy coming out on September 1st, and I was seriously considering whether or not to put these books up for preorder. While I think I am still going to have a link in the back of book 1 and 2 to purchase the next title in the series, your video has persuaded me not to put the first book in this trilogy up for a preorder. Thank you! :)

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +2

      Yeah, if you don't have a following yet, that's what I'd recommend. No preorder on the first book, but a preorder on book 2, and 3 for sure since those books will have a following (aka those who read book 1)

  • @susanbuckminster282
    @susanbuckminster282 Před 4 lety

    Thank you!

  • @SDHuston
    @SDHuston Před 2 lety

    I wish I had known this information before doing my preorder....Any suggestions on how to recover? My book is on preorder now with a few sales. Comes out 1 November 2021.

  • @kristofheim7824
    @kristofheim7824 Před 2 lety

    @Kindlepreneur Can I cancel published preorders or does it make it worse?

  • @kathystrobos9451
    @kathystrobos9451 Před 3 lety

    Do you put your book on pre-order, though, when you are giving out ARC copies? Thank you.

  • @vinseunath9578
    @vinseunath9578 Před 2 lety

    Great info... I put my book on pre-order... I understand it's not a good thing for me.... how can I fix this? Do I just take it off pre-order? Obviously I should have done this research BEFORE I clicked pre-order 🙃

  • @alchemical.academy
    @alchemical.academy Před 2 lety

    But with pre-orders you can launch as a “bestselling” book by getting the most sales for the day in your category (at launch day).

  • @Gmes85
    @Gmes85 Před 4 lety +1

    Useful as usual

  • @willconq
    @willconq Před 2 lety

    Should i place a book on goodreads before publishing it on Amazon? Thanks

  • @anitaayres6911
    @anitaayres6911 Před 4 měsíci

    So, I wish I had seen this video a couple of weeks ago. If I already have something set for pre-order will it hurt me to withdraw it from the pre-order status? Would it be best to release it early or unpublish it?

  • @andreakurth2722
    @andreakurth2722 Před 3 lety +1

    This is interesting because I recently heard the opposite. I was told that your presales will be included with your launch day sales so it gives a boost and shows Amazon it’s popular so they show it more?

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 3 lety +2

      The sales will show upon release. But the overall anticipation of how well your book will do is judged upon the beginning of your preorder launch. Therefore, you'll hurt your book's popularity effect in amazon's eyes if you launch a preorder and do no marketing during that period. My caution is that authors should not submit a preorder thinking "oh, well any sale during that time period will help, so let's do a preorder months ahead of launch."

  • @authorericar.stinson4849

    I did the pre-order my last book and only got three. Then it was two. Book launched a month later to crickets and has really had no sales since😪. I will likely not do any more pre-orders as it adds stress(my book wasn't even finished when I set up the pre-order)and I am(unfortunately)nowhere near famous. Lesson learned!

  • @andreasmith1813
    @andreasmith1813 Před 4 lety +19

    I learned this the hard way with one of my novellas. I'll never make that mistake again!

  • @junegillam1358
    @junegillam1358 Před 4 lety +4

    PreOrder was a mess when I tried it last year!!!! Listen to him.

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety

      They can definitely hurt. Sorry you ran into that.

  • @jesushijas
    @jesushijas Před 4 lety

    Cool stuff Dave, many thanks. I would add as a con for preorders the fact that you as an author publishing a preorder book are blind on sales until de launch date kicks in

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +1

      Very true

    • @thefarrers
      @thefarrers Před 4 lety

      Not true. You can track pre-orders from your Amazon dashboard.

    • @jesushijas
      @jesushijas Před 4 lety

      @@thefarrers I can't. At least in my market, amazon.es

  • @johnparnham5945
    @johnparnham5945 Před 2 lety

    Thanks for the advice. As I'm soon to publish my first book 📖 I won't pre-order

  • @rolanddenzel-authorcoach

    Dave, how do you feel about using a pre-order in the back of your previous book, so they can order book 2 as soon as they finish book 1?
    I'm torn between getting them to click a link to my email list or getting book 2 locked and loaded.

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety

      That's a good idea. That way you're using the following of the first book to make future sales. As for which one...do both. Let them decide what they prefer - buy the book or sign up. In this case, I don't believe in there being too many options...normally I would. But each reader has different preferences.

  • @taylormadedaydreams6914

    but shorter preorders periods even if you only have a small fan base would probably be fine (two weeks to a month) but yes I personally agree with the rest that for many long preorders probably hurt more than they help.

  • @niobserver1073
    @niobserver1073 Před 4 lety +1

    hey dave.
    What do you think of a very short window preorder. like a week or a few days ???

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +1

      I'm good with those. I think that's fine because you are using that time to do things and get things prepared. This is more of a cautionary tale for those that just post a preorder for a while and do nothing.

  • @suetidwell3397
    @suetidwell3397 Před 2 lety

    OH MY GOSH! Thank heavens I stumbled upon this video. It seems that SOOO many sights and people push the preorder thing. I was a nervous wreck trying to figure out how to do the Ingram print book prelaunch and then switch it to KDP when it went Live (watched a video on this). Just putting it for sale sounds so much easier and less stressful, especially if it will just hurt me in the long run. THANK YOU!!!

  • @elanem6212
    @elanem6212 Před rokem +1

    I prepaid for some books a few years ago but still have not received the books and I have reached out to the author several times but get several different excuses from the book is on the way or Uses Amazon for an excuse. I am fed up with this scam just to get money but the book is not out I just going to wait until I see the physical book before I buy

  • @tomdellaringa2325
    @tomdellaringa2325 Před 10 měsíci

    @Kindlepreneur is this still your stance?

  • @DAVIDKNIGHTWHU
    @DAVIDKNIGHTWHU Před 4 lety

    Hi Dave, hope you're well. I put my next book up for preorder a few weeks ago ( has a 1st Oct 2020 launch date). For all the reasons you mentioned, would you recommend I still take it off the pre-order now, and just release it on schedule? Thanks for any advice in advance!

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +1

      I'm not sure. I think there are consequences for pulling a book out of pre-order early.

    • @DAVIDKNIGHTWHU
      @DAVIDKNIGHTWHU Před 4 lety

      @@Kindlepreneur Thanks Dave, appreciaten the prompt feedback! Might have to leave it as is then, and not do it next time! Cheers bud, Dave.

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety

      @@DAVIDKNIGHTWHU Glad to help!

  • @SamaireP
    @SamaireP Před 4 lety +1

    Makes sense.

  • @AmyRachelS
    @AmyRachelS Před 2 lety

    Can you fully optimize and set up your Amazon sales page, including A+ content, in draft mode if you don’t do pre-orders? Or do you have to wait to load all of that in until after you’ve gone live?

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 2 lety +1

      You can start to set up your book in KDP - and not finish and it will be there waiting for you as a draft until you hit publish.

  • @roxie66
    @roxie66 Před 2 lety

    What do you consider a "large" following? Appreciate your input!

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 2 lety

      Enough of a following to maintain enough momentum, based on the number of days you have selected for pre-order.

  • @CorpoMax
    @CorpoMax Před 4 lety

    As usual, your videos are great. But I have one comment here. According to a conversation I recently had with a KDP representative, it is not possible to set up my Amazon author central page if my book is not available for sale, or at least in preorder status. Therefore, it can make sense to put our book in preorder status (even for a fes days only) to allow us to set up our Amazon author page. Do you agree?

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +1

      That is true, but the process to set one up is less than 1 hour. You could pre-order it a couple of days before your launch and set those things up. But I'd definitely recommend making some kind of push to market a bit during that time period.

  • @reneegauthier940
    @reneegauthier940 Před 4 lety

    Guess it depends on whether you sell a lot on release day. I don't, so any sales I can get leading up helps. If when I'm a name that sells, I may change my opinion on this subject. The biggest reason I do a preorder is I need the link to put in the back of another book, or other marketing reasons..

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +2

      A way around that link thing is to make your link a Bit.ly or Pretty Link. Then you can change where the bit.ly link points to inside of bitly. That way you can always control where your links point to without ever having to update your book.

  • @KillianWolf
    @KillianWolf Před 4 lety +1

    Would it be worth unpublishing the book after it publishes (not during the pre-order stage as Amazon doesn't like that) and then republishing after a few days? Would it release as new, or will Amazon pick up on that and set it back to where it was before?

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +1

      It could, but that can get really messy with Amazon and whether it ends up being a good thing or bad thing.

    • @KillianWolf
      @KillianWolf Před 4 lety

      @@Kindlepreneur Ahh okay, gotcha. Oh well, lol going to have to work twice as hard to bring it back up, if at all possible lol

  • @disastrousemouse
    @disastrousemouse Před 4 lety +1

    Dave: What about part of a rapid release where you have the follow ups coming right after? So maybe pre-orders for books 2 forward for as long as you can release within two to four weeks?

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +2

      That is definitely a good reason to do them - you're capitalizing on the readers you get from the first book.

    • @disastrousemouse
      @disastrousemouse Před 4 lety +1

      Kindlepreneur My hope is to catch impulse “I want more of this in two weeks-better just click the link at the back of the book and get it while I’m thinking about it.” One of my clients did a new book each month or so for nine and they built and built. BUT, he’s established and HAD a big email list and fan base.

    • @KammiLutz
      @KammiLutz Před 4 lety +1

      @@disastrousemouse, are you a newer author? It would be interesting to see if that method works for authors who are just starting out. With instant gratification becoming the norm, I think you definitely capitalize on this method. My one caution would be not to do it too much? Have you ever watched a TV series and it drove you crazy to wait for the next episode but you watched the series for years? Compare that to binge watching something on Netflix. You get the fix you're craving, but you also get burnt out much faster. That is the difference between standard launch intervals and your method. My advice would be to not overuse it. I wouldn't do more than 3 books at a time. Then I'd wait 3 month or so and do it again. Good luck. Let us all know how it goes!

    • @disastrousemouse
      @disastrousemouse Před 4 lety +1

      Flash University I haven’t published yet. I have one short story in a literary anthology, but I’m a fan of GameLit and outlining for the first time. I have themes and turning points for nine novels, as well as the outline for book one and a little more then half of book two. Writing has gone faster for this series then most books I’ve written, probably because of the outlining. I’m a freelance line editor as well, with a busy schedule, so that has affected writing time, too.

    • @ck607
      @ck607 Před 4 lety

      @@disastrousemouse, if worrying is a slower process for you, then I'd recommend a different marketing technique that doesn't require you to have them all done at once. Another similar idea is to write flash fiction series set in your world and publish those leading up to your novel. That is founded on the same principles but requires far less writing and so it would be much quicker to produce the stories. In the end, you have to do what feels right for you. Good luck!

  • @EdTeja
    @EdTeja Před 4 lety +1

    What about launching a trilogy at one time, making book one available and the next two on preorder? Would that change the dynamic?

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +1

      You can do that - because you're assuming that there will be a following of your book or series. Just be careful of setting those dates up before hand. If you don't publish on the date you said, you can get penalized.

    • @EdTeja
      @EdTeja Před 4 lety

      @@Kindlepreneur The intention is to have them all written before launching the first book and staggering the releases. I'm just thinking that making them available for preorder might make the first seem more legitimate to a reader who doesn't know me.

    • @raynizzle143
      @raynizzle143 Před 4 lety

      Should I just focus on Amazon ads and collect a lot of keywords with Publisher Rocket?

  • @blessingperese
    @blessingperese Před 2 lety

    I already put my book for preorder yesterday, is there anyway to cancel it? Wish I’d seen this video earlier 😩

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 2 lety

      That's okay - so long as it isn't set up for a long preorder process.

  • @j10001
    @j10001 Před 3 lety

    It generally makes sense, but it would have helped to see hard evidence that Amazon rates books in this way and determines whether to promote or display a book based on the track record during the preorder period. If that’s true, your logic is sound and indeed helpful. But without evidence, it’s hard to take your word for it. Can you please share screenshots of data showing this, or an official announcement or help page from Amazon?

  • @JRoseBooks
    @JRoseBooks Před rokem

    This is two years old. Is it still up to date?

  • @dignairizarrycassens1113

    I've not done pre-sales and have my books on Amazon since 2012. the sales are tiny, and Amazon changes the price I've set whenever it wants to. Some of the books are specialized for nutrition professionals, so not of general public interest, 6 are cookbooks and the last one received the Gourmand Cookbooks World Award in the Latin American category. I have no idea how to market that or include in the Amazon listing. BookBub didn't want my books and I don't want to jump through their hoops to list them. That's one reason I watch all your videos, but haven't found answers applicable to my case.

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +2

      We're redesigning Kindlepreneur.com to better help authors choose the right things based on their situation.

  • @justinboote5815
    @justinboote5815 Před 3 lety

    I was told to do a preorder to ensure that my book is released on the day I tell everyone it will be. Because if I want to publish Sep. 1st, for example, and upload the day before, how do I know KDP will in fact have it ready for that day? Especially with paperback? Or do we just upload the day before and tell fans paperback might take a day or two longer? Thanks!

    • @MichaelAYarid
      @MichaelAYarid Před 3 lety

      You cant upload the book the day before. You have until 3 days before its release to upload the final manuscript if I remember correctly

    • @justinboote5815
      @justinboote5815 Před 3 lety

      @@MichaelAYarid So better to upload the paperback 3 days beforehand to ensure it's ready for launch day and subsequent deal sites that are booked for those dates.

    • @MichaelAYarid
      @MichaelAYarid Před 3 lety +1

      @@justinboote5815 The sooner the better heck yea, Id also double check with amazon on Author Central, just to make sure the timeframe you have.
      If your manuscript isn't uploaded in time or you cancel it, you won't be able to do preorders for a full year after

  • @emilypierite-author1251

    Hi Dave! Quick question: Does Amazon require you to put your book out for preorder before you actually publish it? Or, is it that a misunderstanding on my part? Thanks!

  • @christinedillon5279
    @christinedillon5279 Před 3 lety

    But would it make sense to do pre-orders 'wide' (Apple, Kobo, GP) and not on Amazon?

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 3 lety

      I'm not sure - I really haven't studying their search algorithm as much as Amazon's.

    • @christinedillon5279
      @christinedillon5279 Před 3 lety

      @@Kindlepreneur might work as a way to increase the 'wide' percentage of sales.

  • @FCSchaefer
    @FCSchaefer Před 2 lety

    I'm a nobody DYI indie author and you are speaking to me.

  • @PamelaKelleyM
    @PamelaKelleyM Před 4 lety +1

    Preorders can be hugely powerful and effective, if done right--even for brand new authors. But you need to have a plan and follow it.

    • @everynewdayisablessing8509
      @everynewdayisablessing8509 Před 4 lety +1

      He kind of said it - he mentions it is ok to do for super marketers. But as you said you need to have a solid plan and market/advertise a lot in pre-launch too.

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +1

      Yup - exactly. If they are done right, or you have a following or are famous, they can help make sales and kickstart a launch. But if you don't have those things and you just set it to preorder and let it sit like many authors do, then it an really hurt.

  • @johncressmanci
    @johncressmanci Před 4 lety

    I am a new author with no following. It sounds like I shouldn't do a preorder. What about a FBA or AMS campaign for preorder?

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety

      Well, if you do do a preorder, you could. But like I said in the video, if a customer comes across your book and they think it looks interesting, when they say that they'd have to wait to get it instead of get it now, they will probably not buy (unless they already know you, or the story). So, you'll have a higher cost and lower ROI on those ads .

  • @LeslieFlemons
    @LeslieFlemons Před měsícem

    Wow. Too late for me. I canceled the pre-order on my book and now I can't edit anything.

  • @thefarrers
    @thefarrers Před 4 lety

    I'm not sure about this advice. I have a newsletter of about 1000 subscribers and am considering putting my next book out as pre-order at a discount price, and advertising it to my newsletter, so that I can give them a $1 discount. On the day before launch date I will then put the book to full-price. Would this change your mind about pre-orders?

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +1

      Well, with a newsletter of 1000 subscribers, you have a 'following' and you probably have experience in book launch marketing, so you have a launch process. So, obviously, you are not new and could benefit from it. My point is that those who don't have those things, usually shouldn't do them.

  • @CodyCEngdahl
    @CodyCEngdahl Před 3 lety +1

    Dang it! I watched this after I launched my pre-order.

  • @samanthafranklin9948
    @samanthafranklin9948 Před 2 lety

    To be clear, this is ONLY if you’re selling on Amazon? If you’re self publishing on your own website, knowing that it’s going to be a small and modest amount of sales, then large sale platforms with challenging algorithms like Amazon can’t really affect you.

  • @ericachristensen2852
    @ericachristensen2852 Před 4 lety +1

    So if someone made the mistake of doing a pre-order without a lot of following and they want to increase their relevance, how do they do that?

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +1

      Develop a marketing plan for it while it is in preorder...and hopefully it isn't in preorder for a SUPER long period. Shorter periods will be best.

  • @lisalippiner4068
    @lisalippiner4068 Před 4 lety +2

    This advice centers on Amazon. What about Apple, Barnes & Noble or Kobo? Are there any reasons not to do a pre-order through them? Some of the reasons I've seen authors promote pre-orders include testing campaigns - so by book launch, you have a good target audience for BookBub ads and you're pushing your best FB ad. ALSO - if you are planning on applying for a BookBub New Release feature, they require an ASIN....which, as I understand it can only be received by setting up a pre-order. Is there another way of acquiring an ASIN that I don't know of, other than Amazon pre-order? I've struggled with this NO pre-order advice, because the bulk of my new release sales come from BookBub... and since I'm not KU, I'm skeptical my sales volume is high enough to be able to truly impact Amazon's algorithm anyway.

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety

      I'm not sure. I don't have the data to figure out how those market's and their search algo responds to preorders and sales during that period. As for your struggle with this advice, I'd say that it sounds like you've got quite the launch plan and therefore fit in the third of those listed as those who should/could do them. This was advice for the authors who don't really know what they are doing and don't have a following, or are famous or have a launch plan and thus will be hindered by the long period of no sales.

    • @smithwriter
      @smithwriter Před 2 lety

      The advice applies only to Amazon. All the other big book retailers, plus Google Play, count pre-orders as if they occur on the launch day, so you get a big bump in sales day 1. If you're a Zon-only author, then the advice applies. If you're a wide author, then use pre-orders on the other retailers.

  • @AnthonyMetivierMMM
    @AnthonyMetivierMMM Před 4 lety +1

    I tried preorder with my last book and some of the pitfalls you mention happened. That said, it was also during the global meltdown, so not exactly a fair test. But going forward, even though I have a substantial following, I don't think I'll do preorder again.
    I think it's ultimately a bad choice for more than just the potential algo punishments and people discovering you only to have to wait a period of time. You also lose speed of feedback for any follow-up books you might be writing. I think that's what I missed the most with my recent experiment.
    I really appreciate you doing a video on it, but am still glad I gave it a try. If there's one major "fault" I have always had as an authorpreneur, it's that I cannot let certain experiments go until I've given them a spin. As they say in Japan, Genchi Genbutsu. :-)

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety

      And that's a great way to look at that. The hardest thing for me, and information is that most of the time my REAL answer is "it depends." But sometimes I have to make generalities like I did in this video. But regardless, it's my hope to either help people miss suffering a mistake....or....give reason for the results they saw.

  • @Bycfedwards
    @Bycfedwards Před 4 lety

    What if you are writing a serial that ends on a cliff hanger and comes out 90 days after the first book? Wouldn’t it be beneficial to have some where to send those people?

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety

      Yeah I think that is good. I classify 'series' under my "following" category because with series, people are following your work and having them lead to the next is a good thing.

    • @Bycfedwards
      @Bycfedwards Před 4 lety +1

      Thanks, for the quick response! KDP rocket is amazing! I bought it this week and love it!

  • @ThatsJustMyBabyDaddy
    @ThatsJustMyBabyDaddy Před 3 lety +2

    I wish I would've seen this before. 😞

  • @ChippyPinkChannel
    @ChippyPinkChannel Před 4 lety

    Dang it. I launched my first pre-order today of my first book. It’s only 30 days out and I’ll be doing advertising and marketing, so maybe not all is lost. 😬

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety

      True, but be weary of the ads costs. Remember, people will see your ad, and click it, but when they see it is a preorder and they won't get instant gratification of getting it now, there will be a higher chance they don't buy. YOu can do them, but just remember your ROI will be a LOT lower than when the book is live.

  • @actorkaiserjohnson
    @actorkaiserjohnson Před 4 lety

    So does Amazon no longer lump all preorder sales into your first day?

  • @twintypebooks9694
    @twintypebooks9694 Před 4 lety +4

    I witnessed firsthand Amazon canceling ALL the preorders on publication day for two different indie authors, both of whom are very well-known in their genres. It was an absolute nightmare for them both, since readers had already paid and were expecting the books to be auto-delivered. And unfortunately most non-authors don’t necessarily know that it really IS an Amazon problem, and a huge one. I’ll never put any of my books on pre-order for that reason alone.

    • @Kindlepreneur
      @Kindlepreneur  Před 4 lety +2

      Yeah, that's a whole new bag of cats.

    • @KammiLutz
      @KammiLutz Před 4 lety

      @@Kindlepreneur, I would be interested in seeing a video on this. Maybe something about little known glitches or pitfalls that can happen on Amazon.