To worry I've not got enough book preorders

Use the time you have to make up a false narrative about being poor and writing a book in a coffee shop. That might get the tabloids frothing to promote it. Works for some!

PeachyPieStreet - Rivers of London?
I read then last year & I’m currently re-reading them. I absolutely loved them. I’m struggling to find anything I enjoy as much.
Have you any suggestions?
I’m going to start on Garth Nix’s ‘The left-handed book sellers of London’ next.

Apologies about the de-rail, but I don’t pre-order books.

Feel free to DM me details. Always up for a new book! 😁

I pre-order books because I have a mind like a sieve and forget to go back and order them on their release date. I see it advertised and think “ooh. Sounds good”. So if I’m keen on the sound of the book / fan of the author, then yes I pre-order.

It's a stressful time for you! I think what you should do is contact the marketing department nearer to the date of publication and ask their advice about what you should do. Are you active on Twitter?

is this with Amazon? They’ve had issues with preorders in the last two weeks. I got an email to say that hilariously my own book that I had on preorder to test for publication day had been cancelled. Then I got 4 other emails for other books I’d preordered. I contacted the authors and they had no clue. I was onto Amazon for an hour and they’ve reinsured them all but every book group is saying they’re having problems. If this isn’t it try and relax, you have a publisher for a reason, they’ll push on publication, you push too and hopefully it’ll all work out x

I don't think it matters if this is an attempt to plug the book!

Out of curiosity, what is it called?

Thanks

Feel free to dm the title to me btw

I often preorder books on Amazon If they sound like something I would like to read!
Is your book is already being advertised?

Pre-ordering is generally completely unnecessary.
The only book I ever pre-ordered was a Young Adult because my 12yo was excited at the idea I’d ordered it for her.

Is your publisher giving out ARCs? I'd love to put my name down.

I want to know what the book is now 😁

For people saying 4 months is a long way out for pre-orders, it isn't. Most orders for wholesalers, library suppliers etc are c 6 months pre-publication. So whilst an individual probably won't order at this stage, those who will supply them do.

Is the OP talking about trade or individual pre orders though? Supermarkets are confirming orders later and later; it used to be three to four months but that's shortened a lot. I'm not sure how you'd know what individual pre orders were like at this stage, unless OP is looking at Amazon ratings which is... somewhat opaque, at the best of times.

The only book I've ever preordered was Harry Potter tbh though I'd probably only preorder an author I know

The main reason I preordered HP was because it was huge and I wanted to read it before I ran into any spoilers. Aside from that, books aren't something I'd think to preorder.

For people saying 4 months is a long way out for pre-orders, it isn't. Most orders for wholesalers, library suppliers etc are c 6 months pre-publication. So whilst an individual probably won't order at this stage, those who will supply them do.

OP- I would ask your publisher what they are doing to push sales through these channels, and what they intend to do to improve them.

Dependent on various factors, what you think is low may not be- ask your publisher and agent what the expectations are, and what is being done to market and publicise the book.l (and what you can do to help).

My guess is yes.

There was an almost identical thread a couple of weeks ago and the OP got tonnes of interest, before the thread eventually got pulled but by then it was at around 200 posts.

It might be worth having a chat with your agent about what the publisher's realistic hopes are for this book, and what they're doing to achieve that. Pre-orders aren't really looked at so far ahead of publication - unless there's been some sort of targeted marketing/publicity that might have a quantifiable impact.

Sorry, I meant to say that I don't think pre orders have a bearing on sales (but what do I know about publishing).

I rarely pre order.... I usually use book tokens and wait til there's an offer. It's rare I'm desperate enough to pre order a paper book.

I did it once on Amazon for a kindle book by mistake but it was cheap so I left it.

Go on then OP tell us what your first book was so we can have a nosy?

Ive never pre ordered a book either just wait for it to be released.

I would never ever pre-order a book from an author I'd never heard of, and with no track record. I'd wait until it came out, and see whether it was being reviewed positively, or if people were talking about it.

Harry potter books and in particular the beautiful illustrated version is the only series I have ever preordered.

For a new author I need a book cover that entices me to pick up from the shelf.

I never pre-order unless it's something by my favourite author even then I usually wait till the day before.

Most people only pre-order from a well known author.

Lots of people publish books all of the time and it would be silly to preorder something you have no idea if you’ll like or that will sell.

Relax. Take a breath. This is normal.

Good luck for when it does come out.