Happy Friday, friend! I hope your week has been kind to you.
If you’ve been scrolling anywhere in bookish spaces this week, I’m sure you’ve seen several of us authors shouting about the Barnes & Noble Preorder Sale, where you can save 25% on preorders through today.
If you’re like me (and several of my writer friends), you’re probably like, “Wait, didn’t we just have one of these?”
I could’ve sworn we did, but alas, time waits for no writer or reader, I guess? That or the window in between these sales really is getting shorter.
Anyways, I digress.
I thought it might be helpful to shed some light on why preorders are so important for us authors, in case you were curious as to why we’re all suddenly dropping our drafting to post incessantly about the sale.
Let’s get into it.
Preorder numbers are monitored by our publishers as we head into a release, and are a strong indication of market interest in a book.
Market interest often dictates A LOT for us.
Preorder numbers can affect the print run (AKA how many books are initially printed), how much marketing support a publisher allocates to a book, retailer interest (AKA how many books a retailer orders to have on their shelves), etc.
It ALSO impacts our futures, because all of those factors above impact our sales numbers, which then dictate how our next deal shakes out, if we GET a next deal, etc.
Essentially, the drive a lot when it comes to our careers as authors.
Preorders basically are a blinking light for our publishers that say hey, pay attention to this book.
The more you know, right?
Now, there’s so much I could say about how little control us authors actually have in any of that, and how some of it lends to the chicken and the egg debate, but that’s a Substack for a later date. If I get started on that now, I’ll never get back to drafting my next contemporary romance, and we’ll both be in for a hell of a Friday.
Instead, I’ll leave you with this: preorders are truly foundational for our book’s success.
So if you’re ever considering preordering a book, please know that us authors appreciate it so, so much!
And if you feel so inclined, today is the LAST day of the B&N Preorder sale, which means if you preorder THE ODDS OF YOU today, you’ll save 25% (and you’ll get the stenciled edge edition, which is limited to the first print run of the book!)
I know, I know. THE CURSE OF GODS literally just came out. But in true Kate form, I have another book dropping in January, and it’s my contemporary romance debut, so I’m officially entering my Odds era.
This book is really something special. Just look at the early feedback my team has sent me so far.
I am so excited for y’all to read this one. And I have so much more to share about it soon (cough tour cough).
One last thing before I stop procrastinating on my drafting and get back to it:
There are two books available for preorder in this sale that I’ve been shouting from the rooftops about since I got to read them earlier this year:
An Ocean Apart by Jill Tew, which is THE romantic dystopian of my dreams. If you grew up on Divergent and the Hunger Games and are longing for a book that makes you feel like the early aughts dystopian era did, this is for you. (Also,
is currently serializing her new Dystopian on Substack FOR FREE and I highly recommend you check it out.)Last First Kiss by Julian Winters, which is a book that if I could read it again for the first time I would immediately wipe my memory so I could do so. This book is up there with my all-time favorite book, Red, White and Royal Blue, and if you know anything about me at all, that is legit the highest praise I could give it. It’s a story about second chance love and self discovery, and it’s one I wish I’d had when I was trying to figure myself out.
Okay, I think that’s all I have to share today. Thanks for taking the time to read, friend!
I hope you have a lovely day.
All my love,
Kate
Love you!! Thank you for always shouting about my books, I cannot wait for more people to scream about ODDS with me!!!