What is a preorder?
From the children’s book, Ravens Roost
The preorder is one of the things about book publishing that I think is mainly about marketing. If you are like me then, you are probably new to terms like preorder, live, printed proofs, and author copies. Some of these terms make a lot of sense when you experience them, so I’m going to jot down the definitions that I understand now. Maybe this will help you if you are curious about these things. The preorder is the last on this list.
The manuscript is an unpublished version of the book. The manuscript is what is sent to an editor, publisher, or printer for the interior of a book. The manuscript is the 1st version of the book and it may contain typos and errors. The manuscript might not have a cover yet.
Printed proof: These are printed books that serve the purpose of testing out the printed version. They may have the words PROOF watermarked across the pages or the cover. These would not be considered sellable books, but I wonder if you were the author of a best-selling book, would the printed proof be worth some extraordinary amount of money someday simply for the role that it played in the journey of the book? (Another excuse to have too many books!)
Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) are versions of the book that precede the 1st edition. These may be circulated to a select audience for reviews, proofing, or marketing.
Author copies are printed books that include the cover and you can order them for a wholesale price or possibly an even deeper discount depending upon who is doing your printing or publishing. You can sell these books from your doorstep, the trunk of your car, or however you like unless you have a contract that says otherwise. You might order these to sell or show them to book stores or enter your book into contests.
Live versions of the book are available online. The book is for sale or in preorder status and the public can order it.
First edition and first printing seem to be tied together. The first edition is the first printed version of the book for the general public to see or purchase. The first printing is more related to the antiquated methods of printing. The more historical definition of first printing relates to the printing press letters over the life of the printing cycle. First print runs would have a crisper look as compared to later printings of the first edition that used the same type set. The letters get tired. Modern understanding of this first edition printing has more to do with the original version of the book, rather than subsequent versions of the book that may contain new forward text sections or changes to the manuscript.
Preorder is a period where the book has passed through the proofing and editing stage, it has a cover and it’s ready to be released to the public, but it’s not published yet. A preorder book can be purchased and has a promised date that it will be delivered into the hands of the buyer.
Preorder can be confusing depending upon where you look for the book, one form of the book can be in preorder while another form can be purchased. By form, I am referring to digital eBooks, paperbacks, and hardcovers. Preorder encourages people to talk about the book and it builds anticipation. I can get behind it because it creates some ‘fun’ around selling a book, and who doesn’t like more fun.