Amazon is now allowing KDP authors and publishers to set a pre-order up to one year before your title’s release date and you can also now delay release dates on any of your pre-order titles one time for up to 30 days per title without penalty.
These changes follow Amazon’s move in April this year to drop the requirement to upload a manuscript as soon as you create a pre-order for an ebook with the recent update allowing initial pre-order title set-up without an asset.The previous maximum period for pre-orders was 90 days so it’s a major shift by Amazon to allowing a full year.
It’s also a big move on the terms over delaying pre-order releases as previously you could only postpone the release date on one book and not delay other existing pre-order books and you wouldn’t be able to set up a pre-order for any ebook for one year.
However, the new rules do state that if you delay the release a second time on a given title, you won’t be able to set up a new pre-order for one year or extend release dates for other existing pre-orders.
If you cancel the release of your pre-order ebook, for whatever reason, you can unpublish your pre-order ebook just like you would unpublish any other book on KDP but you won’t be able to set up a pre-order for any ebook for one year.
When you make your ebook available for pre-order, customers can order it any time leading up to the release date you set, and it will be delivered to them on that date.
Your pre-order report is updated as orders are placed. This report includes pre-ordered units, pre-order cancellations, and net pre-order units. Your pre-order sales data will not appear in other reports until after your ebook is delivered to customers on its release date.
After that, you’ll see pre-order units listed in the Prior Months’ Royalties report, under the ‘Pre-order’ transaction type. Once your ebook is released and customers start downloading their copies, you’ll receive credit for final sales.
You can find out more details on setting up pre-orders at KDP.
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