Smashwords Preorders vs. KDP Pre-Orders: The Side-by-Side

Smashwords now takes ebook preorders up to 12 months out, while KDP allows 18. Here's how the two compare on timing, files, and sales rank.

By Gundi Gabrielle

4 min read

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Pre-orders just got a second serious option for indie authors.

Draft2Digital announced that the Smashwords Store now accepts ebook preorders, up to 12 months ahead of release. That arrives right after KDP stretched its own Kindle pre-order window to 18 months.

If you publish wide, or you're deciding whether to, this is the comparison I wish I could have found in one place. I'm sticking to what each company says in its own words.

What Smashwords announced (the official version)

According to Draft2Digital's press release:

• ✦Authors can list preorders at Smashwords up to 12 months ahead of release.
• ✦You can list a preorder without the final manuscript or cover art, but you need to upload your assets at least 10 business days before the release date.
• ✦All accumulated orders are credited to the book's sales rank on release day.
• ✦Customer credit cards aren't charged until the book is released.
• ✦Smashwords Presales are a separate, complementary option, and they require the final manuscript and cover art.

Draft2Digital also lists Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo as retailers it distributes to, and its CEO described preorders and presales as "complementary ways to build buzz around book launches."

What KDP offers (the official version)

On the KDP side, Amazon's Help pages say:

• ✦Kindle ebook pre-orders can now be set up up to 18 months in advance.
• ✦It's ebooks only. Paperbacks and hardcovers can't be pre-ordered, but you can schedule a print release.
• ✦The final file is due more than 72 hours before the release date.

I broke those rules down, plus the postpone and penalty details, in KDP 18-month pre-orders.

The side-by-side

Where my table says "not stated," that means I couldn't find it in the official pages, so I'm not going to guess.

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Who should care (and who can relax)

This is useful if:

• ✦You publish wide and want one more place to collect early orders
• ✦You're building anticipation for a series or a nonfiction launch
• ✦You're deciding between exclusive-to-Amazon and going wide, and want one more data point

You can mostly ignore it if:

• ✦You're exclusive to Amazon through KDP Select and not planning to leave
• ✦Your book is almost finished, and a pre-order wouldn't give you much runway

A simple way to decide

1. 1Decide where your readers are. If they're mostly on Amazon, the 18-month window and Amazon's rank mechanics may be all you need.
2. 2If you're wide, remember that Smashwords is now one more storefront to feed with a launch.
3. 3Check your file deadlines before you commit to a release date. The two services want your files at different times.
4. 4Don't set a pre-order date you can't hit. Penalties on KDP, and missed asset deadlines on Smashwords, are real.

Still unknown (and worth watching)

• ✦Whether Smashwords preorders will change how much traffic that store gets.
• ✦How other retailers respond. Draft2Digital's release doesn't say whether it changes preorder rules at the other stores it distributes to.

I keep every change I can verify in one place: the latest Amazon KDP updates. If you're still choosing between KDP Select and going wide, I explain how I decided in my Amazon KDP publishing guide.

A quick note from someone who's been doing this a while

I've only ever sold on Amazon KDP, because in my experience staying exclusive pays off. If you go wide, though, more places to collect early orders is a real advantage, and a pre-order is only as good as the launch plan behind it.

If you only do one thing after reading this: write down the release date, the file deadline, and the day you'll start telling your list.

Created By

Gundi Gabrielle

Top 100 Business Author · Carnegie Hall Conductor · Founder of Golden Bestseller Empire

Hey, I'm Gundi, and for over a decade, I've helped thousands of everyday people turn what they know into a bestselling book.

Along the way, I sold over 350,000 books, and was listed in Amazon's Top 100 Business Author Charts, ahead of authors like Simon Sinek, Brené Brown, Tim Ferriss, Robert Kiyosaki, or Brian Tracy.

No traditional publisher. No massive budget. Just understanding Amazon's algorithm and researching what readers actually want.

In my earlier years, I was a classical conductor & organist, touring the world, incl. Carnegie Hall & a performance for the Pope on St. Peter's Square.

These days, I love traveling as a Digital Nomad and orchestrating busy AI Agents 😎. Out of that came Golden Bestseller Empire — a complete AI-Powered Book Publishing Studio now helping authors around the world.

Can't wait to see you inside & help you publish your dream:

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