Part III of Mark Coker’s ebook publishing intensive presented for the Colorado Writers Collaborative. For most authors, the first few days of their book launch are their best selling days, after which sales decline. For indie authors, most of those sales will be ebooks. In this session, authors will learn how to use ebook preorders and ebook presales to maximize the success of their book launch. You’ll learn the important differences between preorders and presales; how preorders and presales can be used to reach more readers and sell more books; how to turn a single book release date into multiple book launch events; and how to leverage the allure of presales to grow your author mailing list 365 days a year. The presales portion of the presentation will include an introduction to Smashwords Presales, a new first-of-its-kind, patent-pending invention of Smashwords that was introduced this past December. Smashwords Presales integrates with and supports any publishing strategy, even if you publish exclusively at Amazon. This is the slide deck that accompanied Mark Coker’s video workshop for the Colorado Writers Collaborative September 1-30 2020 at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB4EqMzuIe-EnG-BUj3LBSQ/videos

1. The Book Launch:
eBook Preorders and Presales
September 2020
Mark Coker
Founder, Smashwords
Twitter: @markcoker

2. Mark Coker’s e-Publishing
Intensive @ Colorado Writers
Collaborative 2020
• Introduction to ebook publishing
• 16 secrets to ebook publishing success
• Book launch strategy: Preorders & presales
• The author’s guide to post-pandemic
publishing

3. 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
launch
• Sell more books
• Build a durable long term author career
• How to set up a Smashwords Presale
• Advanced presale marketing tips!

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

5. 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.

6. EBOOK LAUNCH TOOLS AVAILABLE
TO INDIE AUTHORS HAVE EVOLVED
DRAMATICALLY OVER THE LAST 12
YEARS
- LET’S LOOK AT THREE EXAMPLES -

7. Example 1
12 Years Ago

8. Ebook Launches 12 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
• Ebook self-publishing platforms: When the ebook
was ready for public release, the author would
upload it to their self-publishing platform for
immediate sale to readers

9. Example 2
7 Years Ago
A huge innovation!

10. 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 pay for and read the book
• Books that start off as preorders sell significantly
more copies than books uploaded the day of release

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. Examining preorders and presales in
greater depth

15. PART I
PREORDER STRATEGY

16. First, What’s
an eBook
Preorder?

17. Introduction to Preorders
• eBook Preorders
 Advance book listing at major
retailers
 Readers reserve a copy in
advance of release date
 Customer credit card not charged
until release date

18. Preorders are
Super Exciting

19. SEVEN
Reasons to do
eBook
Preorders

20. #1
Preorders Enable
More Effective
Advance
Marketing

21. Advance marketing
• Most authors begin informing readers
about their Work in Progress months in
advance of release
 By discussing your book, you’re
generating awareness and
demand
 Preorders let you capture the
reader’s order at the moment
you have the their greatest
interest and attention.

22. #2
Signals
Commitment

23. Commitment
• As a indie author, you don’t have a
large publisher breathing down
your neck to make a book delivery
deadline
• Preorders force publishing
discipline
• A commitment to your readers to
deliver a new book by a certain date
• For series authors…
 Preorders signal to readers a
continued commitment to the series

24. #3
Fast Track to
Apple Books
Bestseller lists

25. Bestseller Magic
• Most bestseller lists are based on
recent unit sales
• At Apple Books, upon release, all
accumulated preorders credit toward
the first day’s sales rank
 Preorder book land higher on bestseller
lists on day of release
 Chart-topping books are …
 more visible and desirable to readers
 spark a virtuous, self-reinforcing flywheel
of sales leading to higher rank and more
sales

26. How Different Retailers Treat
Preorders
Amazon Apple Books Kobo Barnes &
Noble
Accumulated
credit toward
day one sales
rank
No Yes Partial Partial
Sales rank
credit during
preorder period
for recent
order
accumulation
Yes Yes Yes Yes
Max preorder
runway 12 months 12 months 12 months 12 months
Postponements
allowed?
One month
only, then
preorder
rights revoked
Yes Yes Yes

27. #4
Same-Day
Availability on
Launch Day

28. Same Day Availability
• Advance delivery to retailers …
• Gives stores time to receive, process
and list book
• Retailers release to readers on
launch day
• Without a preorder, your new book
will appear at different retailers at
different times. Frustrates readers.

29. #5
Increased
Merchandising
Opportunities

30. Preorders Open Up New
Merchandising Opportunities
• Preorder books receive more exposure in the
ebook stores
• Two types of merchandising:
1. AUTOMATIC
• Preorders listed alongside your other
books
• More selling days, more exposure

31. Preorders Open Up New
Merchandising Opportunities
2. CURATED
• Each week, the retailers promote
upcoming releases that are now available
on preorder
• If your book is on preorder, you have a
chance to be selected for these
promotions.
• The merchandisers are looking to
promote the most highly anticipated
preorders, as well as preorders from
authors with proven track records.

32. Preorders Open Up New
Merchandising Opportunities
2. CURATED (continued)
• Weekly Smashwords Hotlist - promotes top-
performing preorders and weekly bestsellers to
merchandising managers at major retailers and
library platforms
• Retailers value our recommendations
• Audited – based on real numbers
• Fair – Inclusion based on merit rather than favoritism
• Insightful - We aggregate a book’s preorder
accumulation data from multiple retailers, which then
provides each retailer a more accurate measure of
which preorders merit inclusion in these promotions.

33. #6
Preorders
keep readers
on your train

34. Keep readers on board
• If a reader finishes your book then
moves to a book by another
author, they’ve stepped off your
train
• By always promoting your next
book on preorder in your back
matter, you’re always selling the
reader a ticket to board your train
again
• Reduces natural readership decay

35. #7
Books released
as preorders sell
better!

36. Fun Facts: Preorders 2020
 IF FOR NO OTHER REASON, DO A PREORDER
BECAUSE IT’ll HELP YOU SELL MORE BOOKS!
 Only 9.9% of new releases born as preorders
between June 2019 and May 2020
 YET, over the same period of time, this small
number of preorders accounted for:
 10 of top 10 bestsellers; 94% of top 50; 78% of top 100;
 Among ALL new releases: Ave preorder earned 6.5X
more than non-preorder (median: exactly 2x more)

37. 10 Bestselling Categories, Preorder
Adoption Rate (2020, 2018, 2017)
Second Level
Category
2020 Preorder
Adoption
2018 Preorder
Adoption
2017 Preorder
Adoption
Romance 59% 29% 25%
Erotica 6% 8% 6%
Fantasy 49% 21% 19%
Mystery &
Detective
44% 22% 18%
Gay & Lesbian
fiction
34% 36% 36%
Science Fiction 31% 16% 15%
YA or Teen
fiction
35% 28% 25%
Nonfic: Self-
improvement
7% 15% NA
Thriller &
Suspense
14% 17% 18%
Historical fiction 21% 19% 25%

38. Preorder books capturing outsize
share (2020)
Second Level
Category
Preorder Adoption % category sales to
preorder books
Romance 59% 80%
Erotica 6% 5%
Fantasy 49% 69%
Mystery & Detective 44% 73%
Gay & Lesbian
fiction
34% 36%
Science Fiction 31% 57%
YA or Teen fiction 35% 65%
Nonfic: Self-
improvement
7% 26%
Thriller & Suspense 14% 45%
Historical fiction 21% 62%

39. Planning Your
Preorder

40. Runway

41. Maximize Runway
• Budget a long preorder runway into
your publication timeline
• More days = more time to accumulate
orders
• 12 months advance ideal
• though even 3 days advance listing can
provide a measurable incremental
advantage
• If you’re unsure of your release date, pick a
reasonable date, pad it with a couple extra
months
• If your release date needs to change, that’s
OKAY! Adjust as early as you know.

42. With 12 month runway
2 orders per day
= 730 orders
5 orders per day
= 1,825 orders
10 orders per day
= 3,650 orders

43. Timing

44. Goals and Timing
If goal is… Top retailer
charts/increase
visibility/sell more
books
Hit NYT or USA
Today lists
Hit Smashwords/
Publishers Weekly
List
Don’t release on
Tuesday
Release on a
Monday or
Tuesday
Release book
early in month
Consider weekend
release

45. Maximize your results with proactive
promotion
Here are 5
preorder
promotion tips

46. Five Preorder Marketing and
Promotion Tips
1. Start promoting immediately
2. Offer price incentive
3. Promote in back matter of your other
books
4. If you’ve got other titles, price one of
them at free (then repeat #3)
5. ALWAYS have at least one preorder
working for you - get next book on
preorder before your next book releases

47. Uploading
Your Preorder

48. Uploading Your Preorder to
Smashwords (Click “Publish”)
Uploading a
preorder to
Smashwords is
easy. Simply
choose a future
release date on
the upload page.

49. Book not finished yet?
Or no cover yet?
No problem…

50. Do Assetless
(metadata-only)
Preorders

51. Assetless preorders
 Assets are what comprise your book – the
cover, the book file, the metadata.
 List your preorder up to 12 months in
advance, EVEN IF YOU HAVEN’T STARTED
THE BOOK, and EVEN IF YOU DON’T HAVE A
COVER YET.
 IDEA: Many authors establish their preorder without
a cover so they can do two marketing events –
announcing the preorder followed by a second
marketing event – the cover reveal
 LONGER Runway = more selling days, more
days to promote, more days for serendipitous
discovery, more days to accumulate orders
 Final manuscript due to Smashwords 10 days
before release; modify the release date at any
time

52. Assetless preorders earn more
 Assetless preorders enable more time
to harvest orders
 Among top bestsellers released as
preorders at Smashwords, most
originate as assetless:
 Top 10 bestsellers: 80% assetless
 Top 50 bestsellers: 68% assetless
 Top 100 bestsellers: 80% assetless

53. And some final Thoughts on
Preorders
• Preorders are an essential best practice.
They WILL yield an incremental sales and
discovery advantage in a business that’s
all about increments
• Large traditional publishers know this, yet
90% of indie authors ARE NOT doing
preorders!
• As we’ve demonstrated in our data, the
first indies to adopt preorders have
reaped the lion’s share of the rewards
• Take a look at your publishing calendar
for the next 12 months and get everything
up on preorder now.

54. LEARN MORE ABOUT
PREORDERS
• Episode 4 of SMART AUTHOR podcast
is all about preorder strategy!

55. PART II
Presale Strategy

56. What’s a presale?
Presale - 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

57. Presales Add a New Dimension to
a Book’s Perceived Desirability
• 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

58. With Presales, One eBook Launch
Can Become 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

59. 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

60. 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

61. 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?”

62. Presales can help you get closer to
your readers

63. Harness the power of peak
excitement for author benefit
Release dates 
Prior to Smashwords Presales, all the pent-up energy of the
release flowed in the direction of retailers which then in turn
mediated the reader relationship.

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

65. 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.

66. 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

67. The antidote to mediated reader
relationships: Presales + 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

68. Author newsletter: The antidote
for mediated reader relationships
Private Mailing List
Facebook InstagramTwitter
LinkedIn
Blog
Business card
WebsiteBackmatter
PRESALES!

69. HOW TO RUN A PRESALE
Smashwords Presales Setup and
Advanced Marketing Tips

70. 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!

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

72. Presale Setup
Step 1
Select public or private presale

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

74. 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)

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

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

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

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

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

80. Advanced Marketing Tips

81. Use presales to build your private
mailing list
1. Leverage reader desire for early access to
build your mailing list 365 days a year
 Update all newsletter subscription
messaging (in backmatter, website) to
promise that newsletter subscribers will be
the first to learn of (or gain access to) your
future presales
2. When readers purchase your presale at
Smashwords, we’ll offer them the opportunity
to subscribe to your private mailing list!
 Converts “soft” followers on social media
to solid subscribers to your newsletter

82. Feed the reward centers
 People seek to acquire unique products and
special 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

83. Harness the Psychology of
Sharing (and Not Sharing)
 Readers share for social currency
 To motivate 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 amping up the incentiv for fans to
share the link with their friends.
 If you DON’T want the link shared, tell your readers the
private link is for their use 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, and encourages them to
encourage their friends to join the elite club too.

84. 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)

85. Tying it All Together

86. 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

87. Final Thoughts
• Readers love the convenience of preorders and
the early access of presales
• Your most loyal readers will appreciate preorders and
presales the most
• Presales now joining preorders as an 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
preorders or free series starters did
• Build a marketing platform you control with your
private mailing list!

88. Learn More

89. Mark Coker’s e-Publishing
Intensive @ Colorado Writers
Collaborative 2020
• Introduction to ebook publishing
• 16 secrets to ebook publishing success
• Book launch strategy: Preorders & presales
• The author’s guide to post-pandemic
publishing

90. LEARN TO PUBLISH EBOOKS
LIKE A PRO

91. 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)
All free!

92. Thanks for Your Time!
Connect with Mark:
Twitter: @markcoker
Facebook: facebook.com/markcoker
Publish for free with Smashwords!
https://www.smashwords.com/signup/
More decks from Mark Coker at:
https://slideshare.net/Smashwords