Pre-orders can be helpful for your self-publishing strategy, setting the stage for a strong book launch. They can build early momentum, driving engagement and improving your book’s visibility. Here's what I've learned so far.
Pre-orders help us build excitement, drive early sales, and improve visibility on platforms like Amazon. Early sales give you higher book rankings on launch day, increasing the likelihood that your book will appear in recommendations for potential readers and appear on bestseller lists. They also let you gauge reader interest, giving insight into how well your pre-launch marketing efforts are working.
By offering pre-order incentives, you can cultivate a loyal audience, creating anticipation and word-of-mouth buzz before the official release. In short, pre-orders set the stage for a strong, well-prepared book launch.
Drawing on my promotional successes with METAL and pre-order failures with I, NANO, I compiled a step-by-step guide to help you plan, promote, and execute a successful pre-order campaign.
Note: You don't have to spend much money on pre-launch activities to drum up pre-orders. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise.
EARLY PLANNING
A longer preparation period helps you stay consistent with your promotions without overwhelming your audience. Stretching out your announcements and teasers over a few months helps you build excitement gradually. Set a schedule that works for you. The earlier you can start, the better position you'll be in on launch day. If you don't have a plan leading up to your launch, think about delaying your launch (this is easily done on most platforms).
3-6 months out: Announce your book and start teasing. I post snippets and news about my books as I write and edit as early as a year ahead of launch.
Remember: Every interaction is one touch closer to a sale.
2-3 months out: Reveal the cover with a social media push. People love a good cover. Giving fans and future fans a glimpse can wet their apatite. Here's my post about Book Covers.
Remember: Every interaction is one touch closer to a sale.
1 month out: Offer sneak peeks like sample chapters or exclusive character profiles.
Remember: Every interaction is one touch closer to a sale.
1-2 weeks out: Ramp up with daily countdowns and share ARC reviews.
Remember: Every interaction is one touch closer to a sale.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
You may want to consider using a project management software tool. I use a simple Google Doc to keep track of everything. If I have time, I'll turn it into a template that everyone can use to easily manage their pre-order strategies. If you're tech-savvy, Trello can help you track deadlines and stay on top of your progress by moving digital post-its across a virtual whiteboard. Similarly, Asana helps manage tasks and workflows, especially if you’re working with a team.
Hint: Keep things flexible. If some promotional angles don’t resonate with you or your audience, shift your strategy and try something new, like a poll or behind-the-scenes post.
YOUR WEBSITE
A pre-order page simplifies the process for readers by giving them one place to find everything—links to retailers, bonus offers/material, and book details. If you need help getting started on your website, check out my post here.
You can either add a pre-order section to your home page or a separate page where you link to from other places like X, Facebook, or newsletters.
Here are a few key details to include or consider.
Description: Add a clear, concise, and enticing book description. If you need help writing a blurb (as most of us do), here's my post on the subject. This is my
Cover: You should include a graphic of the cover to entice readers.
Timer: Use a countdown timer to create urgency (tools like Countdown Kings make it easy).
Links: An advantage your site has over other formats is that you can provide links to multiple platforms like, Amazon, Kobo, and Apple Books.
There are a variety of website builders you can choose from. I prefer Wix, but many authors use WordPress, Squarespace, Weebly.
Hint: Pin the link to your pre-order page on your social media profiles and add it to your email signature for easy access.
BLOG POSTS/NEWSLETTERS
Email subscribers are your most dedicated readers. Sharing exclusive content with them keeps them excited and encourages early orders. Remember, if they sign up, they're interested in your content, so they want to know. Here are some things to keep in mind.
Subscriber-Only Content:
Send a first-look chapter to your email list before sharing it publicly.
Offer an exclusive cover reveal or sneak peek at character art.
Thank readers with automated follow-up emails when they pre-order.
Email Tools: There are software tools that can make your life easier if you're tech-savvy. These can cost a lot, so be careful.
Mailchimp – Great for automation and tracking email engagement.
ConvertKit – Tailored for creators with easy email funnels.
Hint: Make your emails personal and fun—use subject lines that grab attention, like “Pre-Order Now or My Dog Gets the Couch!”
PRE-ORDER INCENTIVES
By providing early rewards to readers, you can encourage them to take action before launch day. The right bonus can turn curiosity into commitment. It's important to choose incentives that match your book. Here are some examples.
Fantasy books: Offer digital maps or character sketches.
Sci-fi: Create a bonus short story set in the same universe.
Romance: Design digital wallpapers with romantic quotes from the book.
Bonuses
Use BookFunnel for digital downloads.
Collect pre-order receipts and addresses via Google Forms.
Hint: Even small bonuses—like personalized thank-you notes—can go a long way in building goodwill with readers.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Your audience is already hanging out on platforms like Instagram, X, and Facebook. Use these platforms to connect with them and keep your book top of mind.
Create Engaging Content: Post about countdowns leading up to launch day to create urgency. Use polls to ask readers which teaser or character they want to see next. Try sharing behind-the-scenes content, like a sneak peeks into your writing process or thoughts about character development.
Helpful Tools:
Hint: Don’t be afraid to inject humor—memes related to your book’s theme are a great way to increase engagement.
COLLABORATE
Partnering with other authors allows you to tap into their readership and vice versa. Working with book bloggers, podcasters, and influencers can expand your audience even further.
Finding Partners: Try joining communities like StoryOrigin to find authors open to newsletter swaps. You might want to reach out to Goodreads bloggers to help find ARC readers to provide early reviews.
Offer Mutual Promotion: Newsletter swaps can help you both entice readers from your separate friends, families, and fans. Think about doing a joint giveaway or Instagram Live with another author.
Hint: Collaborations work best when there’s natural enthusiasm for each other’s work—readers can tell when it’s authentic.
GIVEAWAYS
Giveaways build excitement and reward readers for spreading the word. Offering prizes like signed copies or bonus content can boost visibility and drive engagement. You can setup giveaways on Rafflecopter or Gleam to manage entries. If you offer multiple ways for readers to enter to win, you'll gain more exposure. Choosing a fan/online friend who shares your pre-order link or tags your pinned post can be a great way to spread the word.
Don't forget to share every giveaway as widely as possible on social media. Make sure to announce winners publicly.
Hint: Offer small consolation prizes (like a digital wallpaper) to all participants—it keeps everyone engaged.
ARC REVIEWS
As I've posted before about how advanced reader copies (ARCs) can help you get ratings and reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, and elsewhere, which helps other readers feel confident about hitting pre-order. This is a whole thing of it's own, so rather than go into detail, I'll just refer you to my post about ARCs.
Hint One: Start early. Find early readers ASAP. If you read their's they're much more likely to read yours.
Hint Two: Follow up with reviewers and thank them—relationships matter in the indie community.
ADVERTISE
Ads help you reach new readers beyond your current audience. Targeted Facebook and Amazon ads work well for me. However, what works for one author/book often doesn't work for another author/book. I've shared posts about advertising before, and much of what I learned is that I don't know enough. Here's what I can say:
The algorithms change so you have to stay on top of it.
Experiment with small amounts of money on different ads and platforms like Amazon and Facebook/Insta before you up your budget.
Monitor how well the ads work with cost per click, numbers of clicks and impressions, and bumps in pre-orders after each experiment.
Some purchases come long after you advertise because you get on people's to-be-read list.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This is all a learning experience, one that I keep trying to figure out. The goal shouldn't be perfection. Remember there is time to improve if you start early. Each campaign is an opportunity to try something new. Give up on what doesn't work for you. Use what does. Do what you're comfortable with and forget the rest.
You’ve got this.
As always, I appreciate your support of indie authors. In the name of putting myself out there, here are a few of my works.
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