As an indie author or publisher, you only have one change to make a big splash with your book launch. This presentation was first presented February 14, 2020 at the San Francisco Writers Conference. You'll learn how to leverage ebook preorders and presales to make your book launch as successful as possible. You'll also learn how to leverage the promise of ebook presales to grow your author mailing list 365 days a year, even if you don't have an upcoming release yet on preorder.

1. The Book Launch:
eBook Preorder and Presale
Strategies to Grow Your
Readership
February 14, 2020
Mark Coker
Founder, Smashwords
Twitter: @markcoker

2. What you’ll learn in this
presentation
• Why preorders and presales are essential
components of a successful book launch
• How preorders and presales are different
• Learn how to use ebook preorders and
presales to …
• Increase the visibility and desirability of your book
• Sell more books
• Build a durable long term author career
• How to set up a Smashwords Presale
• Advanced presale marketing tips!

3. THE BOOK LAUNCH:
FOR MOST NEW RELEASES, THE
FIRST FEW DAYS FOLLOWING A
BOOK’S RELEASE ARE THE BEST
SALES DAYS

4. Peak Excitement at Launch
Release dates 
This NYT bestseller’s three book launches illustrate the
tremendous energy wrapped up in a new release, measured in
daily unit sales. Sales spike at launch, then quickly recede.

5. EBOOK LAUNCH TOOLS AVAILABLE
TO INDIE AUTHORS HAVE EVOLVED
DRAMATICALLY OVER THE LAST 10
YEARS
- LET’S LOOK AT THREE EXAMPLES -

6. Example 1
10 Years Ago

7. Ebook Launches 10 Years Ago
Public release date:
book available to all
customers at same time
Launch prep begins
up to 12 months in advance of
ebook release
• When the ebook was ready for public release, the
author would upload it to their self-publishing
platform for immediate sale to readers

8. Example 2
7 Years Ago
A huge innovation!

9. 7 Years Ago: Indie Authors Gain
Ability to List Their Upcoming
Releases as Preorders!
Public release
date: book fulfilled
to all customers at
same time
Launch
prep
begins
Preorder – reader places
their reservation; waits until
public release date
• Preorders allow readers to place a “set and forget”
purchase order reservation up to 12 months before
release
• Preorder customers must wait until the public release
date to read the book
• Books that start off as preorders sell significantly
more copies than books uploaded the day of release

10. Learn Advanced Preorder
Strategies in Episode 4 of the
Smart Author Podcast
www.smashwords.com/podcast

11. PREORDERS ARE REALLY COOL, BUT
NOW AUTHORS HAVE A NEW BOOK
LAUNCH TOOL THAT’S EVEN
COOLER

12. Example 3
TODAY
An Exciting New Tool Joins the
Author’s Book Launch Toolbox

13. NEW! Presales Join The Author’s
Book Launch Toolbox
One or more presale events
(i.e. targeting different
affinity groups and customer
segments). Early purchase,
early customer fulfillment
Launch
prep
begins
Public release
date
Preorder – reader
waits until public
release date
• Unlike a preorder, which requires readers to wait
until the public release date, a presale allows readers
to purchase and read early, before the general public
• Presales are destined to become more popular with
readers than preorders
• Smashwords is first-to-market with an ebook presales
solution; leverages patent-pending technology

14. How One eBook Launch Becomes
Many
Presale events targeting different affinity
groups and customer segments. Early
purchase and reading.
Launch
prep
begins
By tweaking author-controlled variables such as pricing, discounts,
access rights, content (i.e. exclusive bonus content for presale
customers only), targeting, and presale event timing (start and stop
times), you can create infinitely customizable targeted presale events
Public release
date
1 2 3
1. Exclusive presale for newsletter subscribers
2. Presale for social media followers
3. Presale featuring exclusive bonus content

15. Introducing
• Ebook presales transacted at the
Smashwords Store
• Compatible with all publishing
strategies (KDP Select, direct upload
to retailers, wide distribution via
distributors such as Smashwords)
• Simply run your presale at Smashwords in
advance of the public release date
• The date of your presale doesn’t
change the date of your preorder’s
public release date

16. Smashwords Presales Puts
Authors in Control
• Public and private presales
• Public: Presale accessible to all,
merchandised publicly in Smashwords Store
• Private: Presale available only to those who
possess the secret access hyperlink we
provide you
• Supports multiple file types (.epub, .mobi, .pdf)
• Works with Smashwords Coupons to enable
myriad custom marketing opportunities
• Dollars off, cents off, limited redemption
(metered), family coupons, private and public
coupons

17. Presales Make Upcoming Book
Releases More Desirable to
Readers
• Among the multi-dimensional factors that
influence a reader’s perception of a book’s
desirability, fans place high value on the early
access enabled by presales
Early
Access

18. Do Your Readers Want Presales?
• YES!
• Not Sure? Ask them!
• Poll your readers on Facebook with a question
such as:
“If I run a presale on my next release so
you can buy and read the ebook days or
weeks before the general public, would
you be interested?”

19. HOW TO HARNESS PEAK READER
EXCITEMENT FOR THE AUTHOR’S
BENEFIT

20. Peak Excitement at Launch
Release dates 
Prior to Smashwords Presales, all the built-up energy of the
release flowed in the direction of retailers which then in turn
mediated the reader relationship.

21. THE DANGERS OF MEDIATED
READER RELATIONSHIPS
Image credit: https://www.vecteezy.com/vector-art/154301-toll-booth-worker

22. Q: Can you reach your prior
readers?
“I’d sell a lot more copies of my next
book if only I could reach my prior
readers to tell them about it …”
~ said every author who’s ever released more than one book
• Most authors have ephemeral relationships
with their readers.
• The reader discovers you, reads you, enjoys
you, and loses touch with you.
• These readers would purchase your next new
book if only they knew about it. Why can’t you
reach your prior readers? The reason is
mediated relationships.

23. The danger of mediated reader
relationships
• Gatekeeping intermediaries can erect
tolls, taxes and obstacles that make it
difficult, expensive, or even impossible
for you to notify YOUR prior and
prospective readers about your
upcoming book release.
• Examples of tolls, taxes and obstacles
• Facebook and Amazon sponsored Ads
• Amazon’s KDP Select which requires
exclusivity
• A retailer’s benign neglect of your self-
interest

24. The antidote to mediated reader
relationships: The author
newsletter
• Your author newsletter is your
most important book marketing
tool
• 100% opt-in – readers affirmatively
subscribe (never add people to your
mailing list without their express
permission!)
• Author-controlled – reach readers
with your unfiltered message on your
schedule

25. How to Turbocharge Your List
Building With Presales
1. Leverage reader desire for early
access to build your mailing list 365
days a year
 Promise early presale access to fans
who subscribe to your author mailing
list
2. When readers purchase your presale at
Smashwords, we’ll offer them the
opportunity to subscribe to your
private mailing list!

26. Tying it All Together

27. Integrating Preorders and Presales
into Your Next Book Launch
 Review your release schedule for the next
12 months, and get everything up on
preorder today!
• You can establish your preorder listing without
a cover image and without a manuscript!
• Deliver your final manuscript and cover to
Smashwords at least 10 days in advance of
public release
 Plan to run one or more presales in
advance of your public release date

28. Presale Marketing Checklist:
The Essential Basics
 Promote your presale link to your newsletter subscribers
(most of your presales will come from here!)
 Promote your presale link on social media (Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc)
 Download the 2020 edition of the Smashwords Book
Marketing Guide to learn over 65 book marketing ideas, all
FREE to implement.
 Listen to the SMART AUTHOR Podcast to learn evergreen
best practices that make your books more discoverable,
desirable and enjoyable to readers.
 For future presales, update all newsletter subscription
messaging (in backmatter, website) to promise that
newsletter subscribers will be the first to learn of your
future presales

29. BONUS CONTENT:
Smashwords Presales Setup and
Advanced Marketing Tips

30. HOW TO RUN A PRESALE

31. Before the Presale
 Place upcoming release on preorder at
Smashwords & upload final manuscript
• Click “Publish” then select future release date
 From Smashwords Dashboard, click
Presale Dashboard when you’re ready to
create, preview and launch your presale!

32. Presale Setup
From the Presale Dashboard, select “Create
Presale” to get started.

33. Presale Setup
Step 1
Select public or private presale

34. Presale Setup
Step 2
Enter optional logline (entices reader to buy)

35. Presale Setup
Step 3
Select if you want to require anti-piracy
agreement (readers must agree to not
illegally share your ebook with others;
otherwise they’re unable to purchase)

36. Presale Setup
Step 4
Select if you want email capture and
optional incentive pricing for capture

37. Presale Setup
Step 5
Offer incentive pricing to encourage
newsletter subscription?

38. Presale Setup
Step 6
Click Preview Presale to view your presale’s
custom landing page
(next slide to view preview)

39. Presale Setup
Step 7
Preview your presale’s landing page

40. Presale Created!
Presale activated, now start your marketing!
Below your confirmation is a marketing
checklist

41. Advanced Marketing Tip: Feed
the reward centers
 Humans are sensate creatures. We seek to
acquire unique products and experiences that
give us joy.
 Ideas to increase the perceived desirability of
your presale
 Make it feel special. Consider requiring the reader to do
something in exchange for access (i.e. subscribe to your
newsletter, join your private Facebook Group, other)
 Offer incentive discounts (i.e. a private or public Smashwords
Coupon) that reward presale customers for their purchase, or
that reward readers for subscribing to your newsletter
 Consider offering metered (limited redemption) Smashwords
Coupons alongside your presale to incentivize urgency to
purchase. For example, the coupon could enable the first 200
presale customers to get a special discount, after which other
presale customers will need to pay full price

42. Advanced Marketing Tip: The
Psychology of Sharing (and Not
Sharing)
 If you want your fans to help spread the word of your
presale, consider making it a private presale BUT give your
fans permission to share the private access link with
friends.
 A private presale “feels” more exclusive and more special
(because it is!), thereby further incentivizing fans to share the link
with their friends. People share on social media for the social
capital it earns them.
 If you DON’T want the link shared, tell your readers the
private link is for their usage only in appreciation for [that
thing they did to join the elite club of readers who can get
the presale, like those who subscribed to your newsletter,
or who join your private Facebook group, or who volunteer
for your street team]. This exclusivity makes the presale
feel more special to the reader, thereby making them more
inclined to take advantage of this opportunity to purchase
your presale.

43. Advanced Marketing Tip:
Collaborate with fellow authors
 There’s a good chance that other authors
who write for your same audience have
upcoming book launches for which they plan
to run presales
 Consider doing collaborative promotion
swaps where they promote your public or
private presale access links to their readers,
and you promote their access links to your
readers
 Cross promotions can be simultaneous (if both
authors have active presales) or staggered (to
coincide with different presale periods)

44. Advanced Marketing Tip: Offer
multiple file types
 At the Smashwords Store, a single customer
purchase entitles the customer to access
your book is all available file types.
 At a minimum, offer .epub and .mobi to
satisfy all customer e-reading devices, and
then consider PDF if your book is best
enjoyed in a fixed format (i.e. children’s
picture books, graphic novels, workbooks,
research reports)
 Manage available file types from your Dashboard’s
“settings” page

45. Background on the Pending
Smashwords Patent
• 65-page application filed with the US Patent & Trademark
Office October 22, 2019
• Patent application titled, “A PRODUCT RELEASE SYSTEM,
METHOD AND DEVICE HAVING A CUSTOMIZABLE
PREPURCHASE FUNCTION”
• On December 13, 2019, USPTO granted Smashwords’
request for fast-tracked review of patent application
• Invention reshapes the conventional temporal timeline for
how new products are brought to market via ecommerce
• The patent application describes many new first-of-their-
kind presales capabilities, only a few of which are
implemented in Smashwords Presales. Stay tuned for
more exciting new capabilities!
• Smashwords is open to licensing our technology to
everyone – even our competitors – so that more authors
benefit. Learn more at
https://blog.smashwords.com/2019/12/presales.html

46. Final Thoughts
• Readers love the convenience of preorders and
the early access of presales
• The readers who will appreciate your preorders and
presales the most will be your most loyal readers
• Presales now joining preorders as essential best
practice for indie book launches
• Due to how incremental advantages compound over
time, the first authors to adopt presales will reap the
greatest long term benefits, just as the early adopters of
preorder did
• Build a marketing platform you control with your
private mailing list!

47. Learn Best Practices
• Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success (best practices of
successful authors)
• Smashwords Book Marketing Guide (how to market any
book)
• Smashwords Style Guide (how to format an ebook)
• Smart Author podcast (evergreen best practices)

48. Connect!
Connect with Mark:
Twitter: @markcoker
Facebook: facebook.com/markcoker