The Power of the Pre-Order

Zoe
Birdie Books
January 20th, 2026

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Let's talk about pre-ordering books! 

I’ve heard some buzz online about “auto-buy” authors, i.e., an author that, no matter what they write, you are interested. Some of my auto-buy authors are Bora Chung, Becky Chambers, Susanna Clarke, and local legend Hanif Abdurraqib. 

A great way to support authors that you hold near and dear to your heart is by pre-ordering their upcoming releases. Rather than waiting and buying it on its release date, you can place an order in advance with your favorite local independent bookshop. This not only guarantees you a copy of your most anticipated new read, but it also gives publishers and stores some valuable information.

For local bookstores like us, it lets us know what our customers are interested in. We don’t have a huge amount of room for backstock, so it lets us be decisive about what books we choose to order. If we see a lot of pre-orders, it shows us that we should definitely get multiple copies to have in store on its release date.

For publishers, these pre-sales are important too. They base their print runs on pre-sale numbers. Generally speaking, the more a book is pre-ordered, the more it is printed. It helps authors get on bestseller lists, prompts more reviews, and generates hype! This also helps books stay on shelves in bookstores and libraries, as well as helping your favorite books stay in print.

Back to the personal aspect, I love preorders! It gives me something to look forward to throughout the year. Inevitably, as the year goes on, I forget the specific release dates, so when I get a message from the bookstore that my book is ready for pickup, it’s all the more exciting! 

Some of the most anticipated books that I pre-ordered last year were Monk and Robot by Becky Chambers and Eyes of Gaza by Plestia Alaquad.

What reads are you looking forward to in 2026?

Sincerely, 

Zoë