These days you would have noticed a trend. Many articles, including books, are available on pre-order. This is a great way to build up publicity for your book. As the name suggests, this means you pay for and book a book in this case ( pardon the pun) before it is released. Usually pre-orders give you the advantage of a very attractive price, which makes it all the more beneficial for you the buyer.
On the one hand, you are assured of early delivery, ( relative to most others) and on the other it is an assured delivery at a fixed price. I notice that increasingly publishers seek out online portals to offer their books on pre-order basis. For example, my second thriller, “Lucky For Some, 13” is slated for release in early December 2012. My publisher already has it on offer at HomeShop18, Amegabooks and Stackkart, to start with.
The advantage to the publisher is that the pre-order sales is an indicator of how the book is likely to be received. If there are great sales during the pre-order period, before the book is actually launched it signals very positive news to the publisher ( and to the author, of course.)
I must clarify once again that books ordered on pre-order are slated for delivery after the book is formally launched. Don’t feel disappointed if you don’t get the book in the next 24 hours. Usually the advertiser who collects the pre-order will indicate the likely date for the release of the book you are ordering.
As a reader, I think the concept of pre-ordering is fantastic. As an author, I hope many of you will pre-order my book!
Prem Rao : Stories from a Story Teller 
Another consideration is whether you might have the opportunity to meet the author in person at a signing. If you do, you might want to hold off buying the book till then–unless you want two copies 🙂
Is a very useful article not just to writers but book lovers too…
Thank you, Nalini.