Why Authors Care So Much About Preorders

Hopefully by now you’ve heard the big news...Your Home Playbook is officially available for preorder! 🎉

Monday’s blog post was all about the book itself—why I wrote it, what’s inside, and why I’m so excited to finally share it with you.

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Today I thought it’d be fun to talk about something completely different.

Before writing a book, I never understood why authors were constantly asking people to preorder. I’d see those posts and always think, Wouldn’t it make more sense to just buy the book when it comes out?

Turns out...there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes than I ever realized.

One thing I never realized is how far in advance publishers have to make decisions. Books don’t magically appear on shelves the week they’re released. They have to decide months ahead of time how many copies to print, and in many cases (mine included), those books are printed overseas.

Preorders are one of the biggest signals they have. If people are ordering the book before it’s even released, it tells the publisher there’s excitement and demand.

This was another thing I never thought about.

Every bookstore only has so much shelf space, so they’re constantly deciding which books to bring in and how many copies to order. Strong preorder numbers tell them people are interested, which means they’re more likely to stock the book and order more copies.

The idea that someone might walk into a bookstore next January and see Your Home Playbook sitting on a shelf is still something I haven’t fully wrapped my head around.

Of course I’d love for Your Home Playbook to become a New York Times bestseller. I think every author dreams about that. Do I expect it? Absolutely not.

The nonfiction list is incredibly competitive, and so much of it comes down to timing. If a huge celebrity releases a memoir the same week or there are several major nonfiction books launching, you’re all competing for the same list.

But here’s the part I didn’t know until I started writing a book.

The New York Times doesn’t just look at how many copies sell on launch day. They count all of the preorders plus the books sold during that first week. So when authors spend months talking about preorders, they’re really trying to get as many sales as they can, since those numbers count towards the release week total.

I had always assumed preorders were just a nice bonus. It turns out they’re a huge part of launch week.

Will making the list change my life? Probably not.

Would I be absolutely thrilled if it happened? 100%.

More than anything, though, I see it as a way for the book to reach more people. A New York Times bestseller sticker catches people’s attention. It gets books featured in more places. It introduces them to readers who may have never heard of me otherwise. And if this book can help more homeowners feel less overwhelmed and more confident, that’s something I’d be incredibly proud of.

Side Note: The podcast Planet Money did a really fascinating series on publishing and chatted all about the NYT list if you want to dig deeper into how it all works. I learned a lot from that episode!

I’d be lying if I said I haven’t had moments where I wonder how this is all going to go.

That’s probably the weirdest part of creating something. You spend a year and a half pouring yourself into it, and then one day people can buy it, and you hope they like it.

Whenever I start getting caught up in the numbers, I try to come back to the reason I wrote this book in the first place.

• I really believe it’s going to help people.

• I think it’s going to help homeowners feel less overwhelmed.

• I think it’s going to help people stay organized.

• I think it’s going to save people money because they’ll stay ahead of maintenance instead of reacting to expensive repairs.

• And I think it’s going to become one of those gifts people buy for someone they love who’s just getting the keys to their first home.

That’s what matters most to me.

I’d be incredibly grateful if you’d preorder it.

Not because I’m chasing a bestseller list or because my publisher told me to ask (I mean, they did though. haha). It’s because preorders genuinely make a difference. They help publishers, bookstores, and retailers understand there’s excitement around a book before it’s ever released.

BUY IT ON AMAZON // SHOP BARNES & NOBLE // BUY IT FROM BOOKSHOP.ORG

A year ago, I had no idea any of this mattered. Now I preorder every book I know I’m going to buy anyway.

P.S. If you've already preordered, thank you. Truly. Every time someone messages me a screenshot of their order, I do a little happy dance. I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing people excited about something I created.

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