The pre-selling of a book is one of the most exciting aspects of this process. It is when you get to put in all the hard work for creating your book, and then get to reap the rewards.
The fact that people are already interested in buying your book means that there is a demand for what you have written. It can also mean that there will be more people wanting to read it once it comes out too! Here are some tips on how to start pre-selling books:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Understand the importance of pre-selling in book marketing. |
| 2. Learn strategies to build anticipation and excitement among potential readers. |
| 3. Discover how to set realistic pre-order goals for your book. |
| 4. Explore effective promotional tactics to boost pre-order sales. |
| 5. Gain insights into leveraging pre-sales for a successful book launch. |
How To Start Pre-Selling Your Book
Once you’ve written your book, it’s time to publish it.
Your first step is to select the format you want your book in (we recommend Kindle). Once you have done so, create an account on Amazon KDP and upload the manuscript.
The next step is formatting your book for publication. This is important because if it isn’t formatted correctly, customers won’t be able to read or purchase it.
There are plenty of options out there when choosing a professional formatting service but we recommend checking out Reedsy or BookBaby. They will take care of everything from formatting to uploading onto Amazon as well as any other platforms that may need doing too!
Once uploaded onto Amazon KDP make sure all your details are correct including author bio/profile picture etc before submitting for approval by clicking “Save & Continue Editing” at the bottom right-hand side of page 1 under the “Edit Book Details & Metadata” section which will take you into another page where all these things should be filled in properly.
Before hitting submit again it will take them back into the main dashboard where there should now be a green box with a title which means they have been accepted and are now available for sale! Congratulations! But wait…there’s more.
The next step is marketing; this can either be done through traditional methods such as press releases sent out through news outlets or social media channels like Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn)
However, I would highly recommend taking advantage of modern methods such as Google Ads which work extremely well when targeted correctly towards specific keywords related specifically only within niche markets that already know exactly what type
If you’re dreaming of becoming a published author, you need to know how to navigate the publishing process. Our guide on how to write a book and get it published can provide valuable insights to help you achieve your goal.
Why You Should Start Pre-Selling Now
Pre-selling your book is a great way to build a following before it’s even on sale. It also helps you get reviews, which are crucial for attracting potential buyers.
The more people who pre-order your book, the more reviews it will have when it goes live and that can lead to more sales once the launch is over.
How To Presell A Book
Preselling is a method of marketing used by authors, publishers, and entrepreneurs alike. It’s a way for you to test the market for your product before you even make it. Once you have an idea for a book in mind and know it’s time to get started, there are four steps you can take to presell your book:
Choose a catchy title. The title is what people see first when they visit your website or social media pages. If they’re not interested after reading it, they won’t continue reading other information about what makes your book unique or interesting.
Make sure that the title conveys exactly what kind of content readers will find inside (for instance: “How To Lose Weight Without Dieting”).
Also, think carefully about how search engines will interpret this information when people type words into Google or another search engine you don’t want them to find 10 different titles with slight variations on one phrase (“How To Lose Weight,” “Lose Weight Fast,” etc.).
Find something that stands out from other books but is still descriptive enough so people understand what they’re getting into!
Are you aspiring to become a book writer? Our collection of guides for aspiring authors covers essential aspects that can kick-start your writing journey and bring you closer to pre-selling your book.
What Is Advance Reading Copy And Why Your Book Needs One?
- What is an ARC?*
An ARC is an advance reading copy. It’s a copy of your book that you can give to reviewers, bloggers, and other people who might be interested in reviewing it. The point of an ARC is to get reviews for your book before it comes out.
That way when the book does come out, there are already some reviews on Amazon or Goodreads so people will be more likely to buy it.
Reviewers can include their thoughts about how they liked the story (or what they didn’t like) or whether they think other readers would enjoy it too! You’ll also want at least one professional review from someone who knows how books should be written (a publisher or agent).
Upcoming Guide To Sell Books On Amazon
Amazon, the largest online retailer in the world, has a massive network of readers who can buy your book. Amazon also has a large network of reviewers who can review your book. And finally, Amazon has an even larger network of authors who can sell it on their platform.
If you’re looking for ways to pre-sell your book before the publication date, this is one method worth considering. Of course, like anything else in life, there are pros and cons to consider when selling books on Amazon. In our next section, we’ll dive into those so you can make an informed decision about whether or not this option is right for you!
Setting realistic goals is crucial for any author. Learn how to set achievable targets with our advice on setting realistic book writing goals, a fundamental step in the pre-selling process.
What Is Pre-Order? And Pre-Selling On Amazon?
Pre-orders are when you take orders for a product before it’s available. When you pre-order a book, you’re reserving the right to receive your copy of that book as soon as it becomes available. This means that Amazon will expect payment from you in advance of receiving your copy of the book and then ship it to you once they receive their stock.
Amazon offers two different types of pre-orders:
Pre-Order – This option lets customers reserve their copies without any money down payment and no obligation until they receive their books at home in many countries around the world (like the US, UK, Germany, etc.).
With this option, however, customers still need to pay for shipping which costs about $3-$4 depending on where they live but if there’s any extra cost involved with custom duty then those extra charges will be covered by Amazon itself so there won’t be any additional charges levied by customs officials when importing goods into their country like Canada or Australia.
Pre-Sell – This option lets authors set aside an inventory that can either be sold directly from KDP select or through third-party websites/services such as BookBaby.
How Does Amazon Pre-Order Work?
Amazon pre-order is a service that lets you sell your book before it’s released. It’s a great way to build buzz around your book before launch and can help you reach more readers who are interested in buying ebooks on Amazon.
When someone places an order for your pre-order, they will be notified when the book becomes available for download from any device with the Amazon Kindle app installed (for example, iPhone or iPad). The order will also show up on their “My Orders” page on amazon.com after it releases if they have not yet downloaded their copy of the ebook.
The Pros And Cons Of Pre-Ordering Books On Amazon?
There are pros and cons to pre-ordering a book on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and the iTunes Store. Let’s take a look at each one in more detail:
Pros: Amazon offers a discount on the price of your book if you pre-order it on their platform (usually 15%). This discount is only given to people who pre-order though, so don’t expect to get this same discount if you wait until after your book has been published before purchasing it!
The other pro is that they offer free shipping for all orders over $35 (which would be hard not to hit after buying a book!).
Lastly, I love how easy it is now for authors to market directly from Amazon itself through Author Central or through Facebook ads that are targeted specifically towards potential readers looking for new content from authors with similar interests/genres as themselves.
You can also create special offers like “buy one get one free” or discounted bundles like “buy 2 books for $5 each” which will help boost sales even further since customers tend not only to need an incentive but also like feeling like they’re getting something “extra” when making purchases online.”
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Upcoming Guide To Sell Books On Barnes & Noble
The pre-order process for an indie author
As an indie author, you can now sign up to be part of Barnes and Noble’s pre-order system. This allows you to build excitement around your book and get paid while you are writing it. You also have access to all the extra tools that will help you market your book like:
- A personalized web page
A social media toolkit that includes a free ebook bundle giveaway (if you want) and unlimited tweets with a promotional link embedding tool. With all these tools at hand, it is easy for any author with no marketing background to promote their work successfully on Facebook & Twitter.
Barnes & Noble Pre-Order Process For An Indie Author
The first step is to submit your book to the Barnes & Noble pre-order process for an indie author. The Barnes & Noble pre-order process for an indie author is pretty simple, but it has a few steps that you need to take care of before you can make your book available for sale on the iTunes / iBooks Store.
The first step is to make sure that your manuscript passes through their review team and they approve it as ready for submission. Your book should be a complete manuscript at this point with everything necessary in place (i.e., cover art, title page, copyright information).
Once approved by the BN review team, you can submit your manuscript into their normal publishing system where it will be reviewed internally before being sent off for final approval from Apple’s editorial department.
Once approved by Apple’s editorial department, the book will then become available on sites like Amazon Kindle Store or Kobo Books.
The Pros And Cons Of Pre-Ordering Books On Barnes & Noble?
When you pre-order a book on Barnes & Noble, it will be available for purchase in the store within two weeks of its publication date.
Pros:
It’s easy to set up. You don’t have to sign up for anything or do any extra work. You can just create an account with Barnes & Noble and then use that same account to order your books from them.
They have many social media integrations so you can easily promote your book once it’s published in their store. Just connect to another social media account and start sharing!
Cons:
There are no royalties from sales made through this platform (which is why we advise authors not to rely solely on pre-orders). However, if you’re looking for exposure before your launch date and want people who aren’t familiar with Kickstarter campaigns this method might be right up your alley!
Crafting non-fiction books involves a unique approach. Dive into the comprehensive insights provided in The Ultimate Guide to Writing Non-Fiction Books to enhance your pre-selling efforts with well-structured and engaging content.
Upcoming Guide To Sell Books On Itunes/iBooks Store
If you are just starting, it can be overwhelming to know how to submit your book to the iTunes store and what steps need to be taken before you get started.
Here’s a breakdown of all the steps that need to be completed for your book to sell on the iBooks Store:
Get Your Book Ready For Pre-Ordering – If you want potential buyers at Apple, then creating an eBook version of your book is essential. There are two ways that this can happen: creating an eBook file yourself or hiring someone else to do it for you (if money isn’t an issue).
Once done, make sure that all files associated with this process have been uploaded and approved by Apple before moving on to other steps outlined below!
Set Up Your Book For Pre-Ordering – Once everything has been added to its proper place within your manuscript (see above), navigate over to the “My Books” tab located within.
Tunes Connect portal will redirect users back into their dashboard where they will see everything related specifically to their account including existing titles available through various platforms such as Amazon Kindle Store etc.
How To Get Your Book Ready For Itunes Store?
Now that you have a completed book and an idea of where to sell it, let’s talk about how to get it ready for the iTunes Store.
First, check that your book is formatted correctly. If you used Word or Pages, then this process is fairly simple; just export the file as an ePub (the standard format for eBooks) and upload it to iTunes Connect along with your other details. If you wrote your formatting code from scratch (or otherwise), make sure all of those details are correct as well.
Next, check that your book is listed correctly by making sure it’s in the right category and has a great cover image (.jpeg/.jpg) that shows off exactly what readers will be getting when they buy the book you can use Canva to create one quickly if needed!
If necessary, change these things in iTunes Connect by clicking “Manage Your Content & Devices” under My Books > My Books on Sale > Manage Your Content & Devices on Apple’s website…
Selling Books On Itunes Store Via Direct Channel?
Do you want to sell books on iTunes Store?
It is the world’s largest digital media store. It sells music, movies, TV shows, and more. You can download the app for free at Apple Store.
This is a good way to get exposure since so many people listen to music via iTunes and they may be interested in your book if they know about it!
Conclusion
The pre-order process is not as complicated as it sounds. The first step is to write a book, edit it and format it for the right ebook format.
Then, upload your book to Amazon using KDP. When you are ready to launch your book, simply set up a pre-order page on Amazon with its release date and price. You can also include a description of the book along with an excerpt from one of your chapters if desired.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to help you further explore the topic of pre-selling and launching your book:
Scribe Media: Tips for a Successful Book Pre-Order Campaign Learn valuable insights into running a successful book pre-order campaign, maximizing your book’s visibility and sales potential.
Author Learning Center: Setting Up Pre-Orders for Self-Published Books Discover the step-by-step process of setting up pre-orders for your self-published book, making the most of your launch strategy.
Forbes Books: Preparing Your Book Launch Get expert advice on how to effectively prepare for your book launch, from generating buzz to engaging your audience.
FAQs
Here are some common questions related to pre-selling and launching a book:
How can I effectively promote my book pre-order campaign?
Promotion is key. Utilize social media, email newsletters, and collaborations with influencers to spread the word about your pre-order offer.
Is pre-selling only beneficial for self-published authors?
No, pre-selling can benefit all authors. Traditional publishers often use pre-order campaigns to gauge interest and allocate resources effectively.
What advantages does pre-selling offer over a traditional book launch?
Pre-selling allows you to build anticipation and secure early sales, creating a strong launch momentum and increasing your chances of hitting bestseller lists.
Should I offer any incentives to encourage pre-orders?
Yes, incentives like exclusive content, signed copies, or limited-time discounts can entice readers to pre-order, boosting your campaign’s success.
How do I handle the logistics of delivering pre-ordered books?
Plan ahead for timely delivery. Coordinate with distributors, bookstores, and online platforms to ensure that pre-ordered copies reach readers promptly.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.