UC Press Blog

So you’ve reached an exciting milestone — your book is officially online and available for preordering! What’s next?

After you’ve added the link to your book to all your online profiles, including your personal website or faculty page, your social media profiles, and any other online bios, it’s time to send out a preorder email announcement to your network.

Why Preorders Matter

Preorders are one of the earliest signs that a book is generating interest. Retailers use preorder activity to gauge demand and make decisions about inventory. Online retailers also track page views, searches, and customer engagement, all of which can help improve a book's discoverability. More customer search data means more information to fuel the site’s search algorithm.

With millions of books publishing every year, any improvement in online discoverability helps. 

For trade books especially, strong pre-order activity can help your book stand out and build momentum that carries into launch.

Your publisher is already working to maximize discoverability through metadata optimization, retailer outreach and marketing efforts. But one of the most effective ways to drive early interest is through the author’s own network.

Send a Personal Preorder Announcement

Two to three months before your publication date, craft an email to all the relevant people in your network. This might include:

• Colleagues and professional contacts
• Journalists and media contacts
• Associations
• Activists, practitioners, or community organizations relevant to your topic
• Former students and mentors
• Friends and family

Your note should be short and compelling, with a personal touch. Instead of simply saying your book is coming out and sharing the official description, explain in your own words what the book is about and why you wrote it. What motivated the project? Why does it matter now? What impact do you hope it will have? 

While many people will preorder simply because they want to support you, it’s important to communicate why the book may be meaningful to them as well—whether that’s a fresh scholarly contribution, relevance to the political times, or the impact you hope it will make to a movement or cause.

What’s most intriguing or meaningful about your book may vary across different audiences within your network. With this in mind, consider crafting a couple versions of your note or sending a handful of personalized emails to certain contacts on your list—especially if they’re a media contact or someone high-profile who can play a larger role in supporting your book.

For some authors, making this preorder request can feel uncomfortable or overly self-promotional. One way to reframe it is to focus on the ideas and motivation behind the book rather than the sale itself. You’re not simply asking people to buy a book; you’re inviting them to engage with work you’ve spent years on and which will benefit them.

Include a Clear Call-to-Action

Your note should also include a clear call-to-action: asking readers to preorder. You can link directly to an online retailer like Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon, or simply link to your UC Press book page which includes several of these links and allows folks to choose.

UC Press authors can also share our 30% discount code, valid when ordering through the UC Press site. However, for authors publishing trade books, we recommend primarily driving readers to retailer sites since those sales numbers will have a greater impact on retailer algorithms, rankings, and visibility.

Offer Other Ways to Support

While encouraging preorders should be the main call-to-action, not everyone will support your book in the same way. Offer a few additional ways that folks in your network can help, such as:

• Requesting the book through their local or institutional library
• Recommending it to colleagues, students, or book clubs
• Inviting you for a talk, interview, podcast, or event
• Sharing the announcement with relevant communities
• Posting an online review once the book is published

This provides them with opportunities to engage in a way that makes the most sense for them.

Need More Guidance?

If you’re a UC Press author and would like more advice on how to craft your preorder announcement, reach out to your marketing manager.