There have been some changes lately that make pre-orders a lot more attractive.
- There's a release-day bump in rank, based on the number of pre-orders. Previously, you only got the rank bump when someone placed a pre-order, but in the last year or so, there's been some benefit when the book releases, too.
- We now have assetless pre-orders, ie you can set up the pre-order without uploading a placeholder or early draft file.
- Pre-orders up to a year ahead, just like the trad pubs do. This is huge for indies.
- The right to delay a pre-order by up to 30 days without penalty if Real Life overtakes you. Only once per book, and if you miss the new deadline you still get the no-pre-orders-for-a-year slap on the wrist, but it's a huge concession.
I love pre-orders, especially at full price.