If you follow any authors on social media, chances are you have seen them ask you to pre-order a copy of their work ahead of publication.
As a consumer, I like to do this occasionally, preferably enough in advance that I have no recollection of doing it, so that when a parcel arrives in due course the book really is a surprise gift to myself.
But, as an author, before I ask anyone to buy my book in advance, I want to explain why this helps.
In the UK, new releases usually come out on a Thursday. (In the US it is Tuesdays). This means that the first week of sales actually only covers three days – Thursday until the end of Saturday. Pre order sales are added to this, so for authors hoping to make a splash on the bestseller lists, pre-orders are hugely important.
If a retailer has been umming and aahing over which books to order, then pre-orders might be the push needed for them to do so for that particular title. This has potential to snowball, so pre-orders might make a retailer look at various promotions such as signed copies , competitions and events, leading to more pre-orders and so on.
Although novels can be available for pre-order from up to a year before publication, the push for sales doesn’t usually begin until there is an agreed cover, as this is when it starts to feel like a real book, which is important given people are being asked to part with their money for a product that doesn’t yet physically exist.
And if copies are flying off the metaphorical shelves, even before publication, retailers will place bigger orders, anticipating that strong sales will continue after the launch. (This isn’t the case in all genres. In fantasy for example, pre orders are a bigger thing, with the fandom pre-ordering their copies or buying early, but sales tailing off pretty quickly after that initial buzz.)
However debut authors shouldn’t expert to shift thousands of copies as pre-orders – that’s unrealistic unless the author is a celebrity or has a huge social media following. But if your mum is planning on buying twenty copies to give to her friends, it would be more helpful to you for her to order these pre publication than post.
So with all this in mind, here’s the sell…
Room 706, out Jan 15th 2026 (and Jan 20th in US) is thrilling but not a thriller, perfect for book groups and ideal reading for people who are clever but tired ie most people. It follows Kate and James, lovers who are happily married, just not to each other, who are content having sex in hotels every few months, until after one such liaison they turn on the television and find out their hotel has been taken over by terrorists. What happens when you are stuck in a room with someone you like having sex with, but don’t necessarily actually like as a person? And how do you tell your spouse you won’t be home to pick the kids up from school…
Available to pre-order from anywhere you like to buy your books.
Ellie Levenson 