"Pre-Order" was one of the magic words at SIBA in the Springtime in March. According to the American Booksellers Association, pre-orders are an increasingly important part of a book's marketing campaign, especially in the era of social media marketing and buzz. Indie bookstores that ignore the trend are in danger of losing sales. They may find their customers have already purchased the book long before it could be put on the shelves. Conversely, stores that take advantage of pre-order campaigns may not only increase sales, but also find they have fewer returns and a better sell-through rate.

The ABA keeps a running calendar of books with publisher-supported pre-order campaigns here:
https://www.bookweb.org/pre-order-calendar

Disney-Hyperion will be launching a pre-order campaign for Southern favorite Robert Beatty for his latest Serafina book, Serafina and the Seven Stars, which publishes on July 9, 2019. SIBA stores that participate in the banner-for-dues program, Circle of Sites, will find the book advertised on their sites for the month of June. The book will also be featured in the Lady Banks newsletter and on the Lady Banks Bookshelf -- which means book will be promoted directly to the fans and followers of stores on Facebook.

It's a great opportunity to capture early sales of a book from an author with a huge following in the South. Disney-Hyperion has created some graphics for stores to use to build on the momentum: Serafina Graphics for Store websites