Books Need Early Believers

How preorders quietly determine a book’s life

Dear Friends,

In honor of If You Love That Lady being available for preorder, I filled a gallery with silver balloons and ran through them like a deranged toddler.

Just kidding. That was the Balloon Museum.

Drags over a chair and sits somberly. But I do need to talk to you about preorders…

You’ve likely heard authors request preorders and thought, Okay, but I’d prefer to just buy the book when it’s…you know…actually available? Fair. That’s how I felt before learning that preorders quietly determine a book’s life.

Here are three things you didn’t know—I didn’t know—about preorders:

1. All preorders count toward a book’s first week of sales, and that first week is likely the only shot a book has at making a bestseller list.

2. It is virtually impossible for a book to achieve bestseller numbers without strong preorders. And for a poetry title? Forget it. Poetry is the least represented category on any list. There’s no built-in bestseller pipeline, no poetry front tables at bookstores, no weekly poetry category on the NYT site, and far fewer media pushes.

3. Publishers look at preorder numbers as a signal of a book’s potential reach. Those numbers determine how much support a title will receive from a press in marketing and publicity. I know, wouldn’t it be amazing if all books received the same support? Alas, that’s not how it works. Preorders also shape the momentum that follows a book into the world. And bookstores decide whether to carry a title—and how prominently to display it—based on preorder strength. The same is true for online vendors: preorder numbers influence whether a book appears on homepages, curated lists, and new-release roundups.

In short, preorders pave the path for a book.

And I would be infinitely grateful if you would help pave a smooth path for If You Love That Lady, the book I’m most proud to have written these last five years.

Will worthy books always find their readers? One certainly hopes so. But I hope this helps explain why writers ask you to preorder. In truth, I didn’t know any of this with my first or second book. As always, I’m learning and growing alongside all of you, and hopefully sharing what’s useful for your own writing along the way.

With love and gratitude,
xM

P.S. If you preorder the book, please comment below so that I can thank you. 💛