Using Pre-Orders as Writing Motivation
Should you use pre-orders as writing motivation?
It has become a tactic to some indie authors to set up pre-orders for books they have not written yet. They use it as a hard deadline to write their books. Some people thrive on procrastination. Is this tactic right for you? I want to talk about pros and cons and then talk about some of the practical aspects of using pre-orders as motivations.
Pros
First, and perhaps most important, a looming deadline is strong motivation for many writers. Think of school assignments and that manic burst of energy and productivity the final 24 hours before the paper was due. If you are a writer who is not motivated by consequence-less deadlines (I’m going to finish this book by June or…nothing), then you might benefit from imposing a deadline with actual real life consequences.
Second, and this is tied to the first, scheduling out your pre-orders gives you a very clear roadmap to follow. You know exactly how many words per day you need to write, or how many chapters. If you love structure and thrive on it, pre-order motivation might work for you.
A third motivation could be the sales of your book. If many people buy the pre-order, it could be additional motivation for you to deliver the finished product. It’s…
