Photo Credit: Lieberman’s Bookstore
Can you believe I’ve once again tricked you into thinking something completely false? I’m about to release a book! I think it’s a major step above my first book and hopefully the story is read by millions around the world. The excitement is getting to be overwhelming.
Oh come on. I KNOW you didn’t believe that. Writing is the last thing on my mind right now. But I am a little curious about something. We all have our favorite authors who we hate every year for forcing us to wait a full year for their next book, unless we’re talking James Patterson. Of course, you could be like me and have one or several of your favorites no longer living and that just sucks even more. But as I was saying, we all have our favorites whose books we cannot wait to read. We’re tweeting about their upcoming book tour and new book and then writing a nice five star review of the book just a few hours after getting our hands on it (assuming you write reviews).
But what I’m thinking about now is if you have any author(s) who you don’t look at the price or the synopsis or anything about their new books before making your purchase. You see the book is available for pre-order on Amazon and six months ahead of its release date you have made your purchase. Do you have any authors you love so much that you do this? Cause if I’m being honest here…I don’t. I’ve never pre-ordered a single book in my life. Of course, this is a little misleading because it just happens that most of the authors I read released books years before I found them. For example, Suzanne Collins. Or Robert B. Parker. Or Michael Connelly. There are a few who I am aware of their releases each year, but most of the time I wait for the paperback to come out rather than spend a stupid amount of money on a hardcover. There’s a reason my hardcover shelf is about 35% full and my paperback shelf is about 80% full. But that’s just me.
Now tell me, are there any authors who you pre-order books from months or weeks in advance of their release? Or just go to your nearest bookstore and purchase the book on release day? You know my answer to that question, what’s yours?
And did you know that if you pre-order on Amazon you get the book on release day? Unless of course if it’s a Hachette book, then you get it three weeks later. Ha!
Johnny Reads 
I’ve only pre-ordered something once in my life and that was an album on iTunes. I just don’t really see the point. And my library is awesome about getting new releases right away (and you can place a hold on that item before it’s even released) so… No. I don’t see the point in pre-ordering. Maybe if there was a limited amount of them or something. Ha!
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You buy albums!? Whaaaaaa? Who does that? I also don’t see the point of press orders.
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I don’t even remember what album it was. But yeah. I do sometimes. Like Rascal Flatts. Why not buy the whole album?!?
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I just listen to all the songs on YouTube and buy the ones I like.
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I’m a member of the Stephen King book club, so I get every book he writes without ever having to pre-order them! Sometimes it takes a couple of weeks to get them after release, but I always know they will eventually arrive in my mailbox without me ever having to lift a finger.
Other than that, no, I don’t usually pre-order anything. If it’s big enough to buy on release day (say like the latter half of the Harry Potter books), I’ll wait until release day. And if, for some reason, they don’t have any left in stock when I get there, well, there will be more coming soon.
A lot of times, too, I’ll wait to purchase a book until I’ve heard about the upcoming release date for the movie (like how I first found out about The Hunger Games).
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Wow. I wonder if other authors have similar clubs. I assume you psy some kind of membership fee?
But yeah, I don’t know what the big deal would be about getting a book on its release day. Just means you have even longer before the next one.
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Actually, all I did was sign up. No membership fee required. Just pay for each new book (and shipping, of course) There are no other fees, which is why I believe I originally joined in the first place (you know – it was an easy way to collect all of the books without worrying about missing one)! As for other authors, I wouldn’t know… there aren’t any others that I care about doing that type of thing (at least right now).
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Even as I am a recently published author, I would say better to get a taste of what you are ordering before buying. I too don’t see the point of pre-ordering. Just sounds fancy for the sake of it….lol
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I’m not exactly sure what you mean. Like reading a few pages in a store or….I don’t know. Since there’s usually a sample on Amazon and the back cover text too.
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I only pre-order books that are a part of a series that I am reading. And I know I wouldn’t forget about them because I’m a bit obsessive about my books, but I like seeing the titles in my nook library, reminding me of all the book greatness I have to look forward to!
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That wouldn’t work for me. Too many series.
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It does get out of hand . . .
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You say writing is the last thing on your mind right now…well you’ve written this post and in my book that’s writing too.
I’ve pre-ordered Deborah Harkness. – her triology, for the last two years.
Keep writing.
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Oh. Well blogging isn’t the same as writing. Not really.
So just the one author you’ve pre ordered?
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I tend to buy when it comes out on the shelves of book stores. I might ask the shop to reserve a copy for me, which they have done before without asking for any deposit. They’re cool that way.
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Pretty much what other commenters have said. Hm.
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One of my favorite authors is Kim Harrison. I have pre-ordered at least four of her books, just to make sure I got the first edition. I have no idea why that is important to me, but it is. I love getting the hardback editions as well. I’m in the process of getting all of her books in hardback when I can find them. Her latest book that just came out a week or so ago has a blue butterfly at the beginning of each chapter, but only the first edition copies were printed in blue. All other editions are in black and white. So…I had to have a first edition. It’s also the last book in her series, so it was special.
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I don’t think I have any first editions. Or maybe like one by mistake. I think I’d rather have some books signed by the author rather than have a first edition.
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My last first edition was signed by the author. 😀 I was super excited to get it, but bummed I didn’t get to see her sign it in person. I can never make it to the book tours of my favorite authors. I live in an out of the way place and it takes forever to get anywhere.
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I haven’t preordered books before. As another person said above, if I was in the middle of a series, then I would be likely to preorder. Otherwise I have always waited for the book of interest to be released, sometimes purchasing it well beyond release day.
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You’re like me. Even though I’m in the middle of a bunch I’d series and still haven’t pre ordered any.
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I don’t pre-order because I’ve got so much to read as it is!
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Nope. No pre-ordering from this girl. The only thing I pre-ordered online was a Blu-ray for a TV series that was still playing when I bought it. It was shown in the UK first, and then America, but the Blu-ray came out before the season ended in America. So, I knew some of the plot before others did.
But books? I don’t think I’ve ever pre-ordered a book.
No! Wait! I take that back. I have once because I knew I’d be working at the camp out in the boonies during the summer when it came out and I wouldn’t get a chance to buy it for a few months. So I had it sent to me at camp.
That book? Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I think we can make an exception for that, right?
Other than that? No, I’m not a fan of pre-ordering.
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You pre ordered a series in blu-ray? Because you hadn’t just watched the series and they were probably going to run out because so many people buy those. Haha that’s weird. I’ve never even bought a series on DVD or anything. Not even my favorites like House or Friday Night Lights. Hmm. I’m surprised you don’t pre order books after that.
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I have my favorites but almost never buy hardcover; even my Steinbecks are paperback. My hardcover/paperback ratio may be closer to 85/15. Since I got my Kindle, it hasn’t changed much at all except for the addition of a new category, eBook. BTW, just added another to the eBooks, DW.
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Yep. We’re the same. I’m not a buyer of hardcovers at all. Oooh. Well hopefully you don’t hate my book. But if you do, that’s okay too.
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