If you have eBooks in your package, yes! Setting a pre-order date will allow your readers customers to place an order for your eBook at any point from the time your eBook is distributed, leading up to the official release/on-sale date you set.
How eBook Pre-Orders Work
All pre-order retail payments will be processed, and readers will receive their eBook downloads on the release date. This can create a spike in sales rankings and help more readers discover your book.
To set up a pre-sale for your eBook version, please reach out to your Project Manager to specify the on-sale date you'd like to use. We recommend setting the date 30-90 days after the book is ready to be distributed.
What About Print Book Pre-Orders?
Please note that for the print book (paperback and hardcover, if applicable), KDP/Amazon does not support pre-sales, and while Ingram technically gives the ability to offer a pre-sale, the reality is most retailers choose not to list titles until the official release date.
Print and eBook Synchronization Challenges
Should you choose to request a pre-order for your eBook, we will publish the print book a day or two in advance of the on-sale date. However, please note that there is no way to guarantee a perfect synchronization of the eBook and print launch. Sometimes the print version will be available right away, while other times, there may be a delay or a technical error, and the print book may go live a day or two after the eBook on-sale date. Click here to learn more about our launch options.
We Don’t Recommend Pre-Orders for Most Authors
For these reasons, we don’t recommend pre-orders for most authors because the retail listings of print books distributed through IngramSpark can be unreliable in the first few weeks. Some retailers may take up to six weeks to fully list a book, while others may display incomplete or “out of stock” pages. This unpredictability also makes it difficult to sync an eBook and print launch.
Instead of a pre-order, we suggest a coordinated launch campaign once your book is fully distributed and available at key retailers. For professional help planning a smooth and strategic release, consider our Early Buzz Marketing Package to maximize your book’s visibility.
The same marketing activities you use to build buzz around your book launch can be repeated and adapted to create excitement around future milestones. You can organize promotional campaigns around anniversaries of your book’s release, seasonal tie-ins, themed events, book awards, media coverage, book signings, speaking engagements, giveaways, or discount promotions. A well-planned book launch is just the beginning of an ongoing marketing strategy that can help extend your book’s reach over time.