A pre-order campaign lets readers purchase your book before it is officially released. Done right, it is one of the most powerful tools you have for a strong launch: building anticipation, securing sales in advance, and giving you real data on demand before your book even goes live.
Here is everything you need to know about how pre-orders work on Sọna, including the escrow system and the rules that govern it.
What Is a Pre-Order?
A pre-order is when a reader pays for your book now and automatically receives access on your official publication date.
From the reader's perspective, they pay today, and the book appears in their library on release day without any additional action needed.
From your perspective, the sale is recorded, the funds are held in escrow, and on release day, those funds are released into your earnings.
Requirements for Setting Up a Pre-Order
Pre-orders are only available if:
- Your publication date is more than 14 days away at the time you upload the book
- You set a price (free books cannot be pre-ordered)
- Your book has been submitted and approved by the Sọna team
Pre-order eligibility is set during the upload process. If your publication date is within 14 days or has already passed, the pre-order option will not be available.
How to Enable Pre-Orders
The publication date is set in Step 1 (Metadata) of the upload wizard and is required for all books. If you want to offer pre-orders, set the date at least 14 days in the future.
Then in Step 5 (Pricing):
- Toggle Pre-Order on
- Set your pre-order price
Set your standard launch price first. If you want to charge a different price during the pre-order window, for example, an early-bird rate lower than the launch price toggle Pre-Order on and enter your pre-order price.
Readers who buy during the pre-order window pay the pre-order price. On release day, the price moves to your standard launch price automatically.
Important: Pre-orders lock 14 days before your release date. After that, file updates are not possible until after launch and require re-approval. Withdrawing a pre-order after readers have purchased triggers refunds to all buyers.
How the Escrow System Works
When a reader places a pre-order, their payment is collected immediately. However, that money is not added directly to your Pending Payout balance right away. Instead, it is held in escrow.
Why escrow?
Escrow protects readers who pre-order a book. It ensures that if something changes (the book is delayed, withdrawn, or does not launch), their money can be safely returned. It is a standard practice across all major book platforms.
What escrow means for you:
- Reader pays, money goes into escrow (visible in your Preorder Escrow balance in the Earnings dashboard)
- On your publication date, escrow funds are released into your Pending Payout balance
- On your next scheduled payout date, funds are transferred to your bank account
You can see the full breakdown at any time:
- Preorder Escrow: the total amount being held from pre-orders
- Preorder Count: how many pre-orders you have
- Preorders tab in the Earnings dashboard: line-by-line list of every pre-order with date and amount
What Happens on Your Release Date
On your publication date, Sọna automatically:
- Makes your book available to all pre-order customers simultaneously
- Releases all escrow funds into your Pending Payout balance
- Removes the pre-order indicator so the book becomes a standard live title available for regular purchase
Everything happens automatically. You do not need to do anything on launch day.
What Happens If You Withdraw a Pre-Order Book
If you withdraw a book that has active pre-orders, all pre-order customers are automatically refunded. The funds are returned from escrow to the readers' original payment method.
This is a firm policy and happens immediately upon withdrawal. There is no way to withdraw and keep pre-order funds. It is designed to protect the reader's trust.
If you need to delay your publication date rather than cancel entirely, you can update your publication date by submitting a revision through the upload flow. Existing pre-orders carry over to the new date.
Rules and Conditions Summary
- Minimum Lead Time: Publication date must be more than 14 days away
- Book Type: Paid books only; free books cannot be pre-ordered
- Approval: Book must pass the review process before pre-orders are open
- Fund Timing: Escrow released on publication date, not at time of purchase
- Withdrawal: All pre-orders will be automatically refunded if the book is withdrawn
- Price Changes: Pre-order price changes may require reapproval
Why Pre-Orders Matter
Momentum from day one. When your book officially releases, you already have sales recorded. This gives your launch a head start and can help your book surface in discovery features.
Proof of interest. Pre-orders give you real data on how much demand exists for your book before it launches. Even a small number of pre-orders is a signal worth paying attention to.
Reader commitment. A reader who pre-orders is the most committed kind of reader. They have already decided your book is worth buying. These readers are also more likely to leave reviews, recommend the book, and come back for your next title.
Marketing anchor. Having a pre-order live gives you something concrete to point readers and press toward during your pre-launch marketing. "You can pre-order now" is a much stronger call-to-action than "coming soon."
Tips for a Successful Pre-Order
- Announce early. The longer your pre-order is open, the more time you have to capture sales. Six to twelve weeks is a common window for pre-orders
- Build toward it. Share cover reveals, chapter previews, character introductions, and behind-the-scenes content in the weeks leading up to launch. Each piece of content is an opportunity to direct readers to your pre-order link
- Give readers a reason to pre-order now. A launch price that goes up after release day is one of the most effective ways to convert browsers to pre-orders
- Use eARCs alongside pre-orders. Sending advance copies to reviewers while your pre-order is open means reviews land right around launch day, giving new readers social proof to act on
Set up a pre-order during your next book upload, or check your existing pre-order status in Publish Dashboard > Books.
Related Posts
- How eARC Campaigns Work on Sọna: send advance copies to reviewers while your pre-order is live
- Earnings and Payouts on Sọna: how pre-order escrow funds are released and paid out
- How to Market Your Book on Sọna: see how pre-orders fit into a full launch strategy