How book preorders work, and what they do for your launch

Kindle ebook preorders on KDP

KDP's preorder help page sets out the rules. Several changed for preorders created on or after September 2, 2026, so older articles may be out of date.

You can upload a draft manuscript when you create the preorder and replace it with the final file later. Every date change must happen before the 72-hour deadline. In practice, treat the deadline as a week before release, not three days: a file that fails KDP's checks at the last minute leaves you no room.

Preorder ebooks can also be enrolled in KDP Select, Amazon's 90-day ebook exclusivity program. Enrolment covers only the ebook; KDP's KDP Select page says you can keep distributing print and audio formats elsewhere.

Print books on KDP: a scheduled release, not a preorder

For paperbacks and hardcovers, KDP offers a scheduled release date instead. You can set it up to 90 days in advance, but the Amazon page where the book can be bought stays hidden until that date, and from five days before release you can no longer change the manuscript file. So a scheduled release lets you finish setup early. It does not let anyone order the print book early.

KDP's page adds a point many authors miss: if you are taking print preorders some other way, do not use KDP's release date for that edition, because Amazon hides the page until release.

IngramSpark: publication date and on-sale date

IngramSpark distributes to bookstores, libraries and online retailers. Its help article on dates and preorders separates two dates:

• Publication date: the official release date of the book.
• On-sale date: the date sellers are allowed to sell it.

For preorders, IngramSpark says to set both, and to make them the same date. A few rules to plan around:

• 30 days minimum. Allow at least 30 days between setting the title up and uploading files, and the publication date.
• Up to a year ahead. IngramSpark's own blog says you can set the dates up to 365 days in advance.
• The on-sale date locks. Once the title is approved for distribution, the on-sale date cannot be changed. Some older guides say otherwise.
• Printing can start early. Ingram may print as soon as the title is enabled for distribution, so retailers can have stock ready for the on-sale date.
• Ebooks too. Ebook retailers accept preorders when the publication date is in the future.

Title setup is free at IngramSpark, and revisions are free within the first 60 days and $25 after that, according to its pricing guide. That fee is one more reason to get the files right before you approve them.

The Scribe Method, Scribe Media's book on publishing, recommends using print on demand through both KDP and IngramSpark and turning off Amazon distribution on IngramSpark to avoid duplicate listings. If you do that, your Amazon print sales come through KDP, which does not take print preorders, while other retailers can take preorders through IngramSpark.

Audiobook preorders on ACX

ACX, Audible's production and distribution platform, now lets you set a preorder in its portal. Its help article sets the conditions: the audiobook must be finished, with all audio, cover art and metadata uploaded and passing ACX's quality checks; the release date can be up to two years out; the preorder must start at least 72 hours before release; and dates lock within 72 hours of release. In other words, an audiobook preorder is something you open once the audiobook is done, not a way to sell it while it is still being recorded.

What preorders do, and what they do not

Here is what the platforms themselves say:

• Kindle preorders count toward rank before release. KDP says preorders contribute toward sales rank and Kindle Store merchandising before your release. It does not say how much weight they carry.
• Sales rank compares recent activity. KDP's sales rank page says rank reflects your book's customer activity relative to other books, and updates at least once a day.
• Retailers can stock print early. Through IngramSpark, bookstores can order ahead of the on-sale date.

And here is what a preorder will not do on its own:

• It will not find readers. A preorder page is a place to send people. If you do not tell anyone, nobody comes.
• It will not make a national bestseller. The Scribe Method's chapter on realistic expectations says a book must sell at least 10,000 copies in its first week to be considered for the major bestseller lists, and that the average nonfiction book sells fewer than 250 copies a year. Preorders gather sales; they do not multiply them.
• It cannot carry reviews. Amazon's community guidelines do not allow reviewing a product before it has been delivered, so reviews start once readers have the book.

A preorder plan you can follow

1. About 12 weeks out: set up the print edition on IngramSpark with matching publication and on-sale dates. That leaves well over the 30-day minimum.
2. About 10 weeks out: create the Kindle preorder with a draft file. Set your categories and keywords and the description while you are there.
3. About 6 weeks out: schedule the KDP print release so the paperback and hardcover go live on launch day alongside the ebook.
4. Throughout: link to the preorder page from your book page, email signature, pitches and advance reader notes.
5. One week out: upload the final Kindle file and check the preview. The hard deadline is 72 hours before release.
6. Launch day: check that every format is live and linked on one Amazon page. Our launch week checklist covers the rest.

If a publisher is handling your book, they control the preorder. Ask when the preorder page goes live and send people there from that day. The launch planner shows or hides these steps depending on who publishes your book and which formats you chose, and dates each one for your launch.

Scribe Media, which makes this site, publishes books for authors and handles setup like this as part of its publishing packages. If you would like to talk it through, book a free consult.