Become a member and get exclusive access to articles, contests and more!
Start Your Free Trial

Do Pre-Order Book Campaigns Really Work?

The struggle of achieving the ‘buzzy bestseller.’

Image considering whether pre-order book campaigns work or not.
Add to Favorites

Wondering whether or not to execute a pre-order book campaign to your schedule? A good place to start: It’s not often that a tweet will have staying power after it disappears from your feed, but this 2021 viral tweet by YA author Jenny Elder Moke still resonates with me: “I know this is very against popular discussion, but the idea of pre-orders being so important to a book’s success is just exhausting. People just…don’t shop that way. Books are a tactile thing, and they’re often a browsing experience. People want to peruse at a bookstore.”

How Do People Buy Books?

As the president of Books Forward, a literary publicity firm, I find the question of “how do people buy books?” is always on my mind because the answers fuel our book marketing efforts. And here was an intriguing offshoot of that essential book-buying question: “Do pre-order book campaigns ‘work?’”

It looks like you’re out of free articles.

Become a member of The Writer to read this full article.

Already a member? Sign in

Monthly Membership

$3.99/month (billed monthly)
  • Unlimited access to the The Writer website
  • Quarterly livestreams and more

Annual Memberships

Starting at $4.99/month (billed annually)
  • Unlimited access to the The Writer website
  • Print and digital subscriptions of The Writer magazine
  • Free contest entries and more
Advertisement

Premium Access

Join The Writer to read this full article

Become a member for as low as $3.99/month. Unlimited access to our website, free contest entries, and more!

Free Trial Available

Already a member? Sign in

Dismiss Message