Has Anyone Created a Successful Pre-Order Page?

Question

I've submitted my second book, and still, I'm unable to get the pre-order function to work. Or maybe I'm misunderstanding it?
I assume that if I allow pre-orders when I create my package in iTunes Producer, that after I upload all my assets, etc., and they successfully import, that a pre-order page for that book should appear on iTunes.
However, for both of my books, this has not happened. They still are pending approval, but there has never been any sort of pre-order page on iTunes in the bookstore.
Has anyone successfully created a pre-order for one of their books titles? I've tried contacting Apple but only get a generic response that doesn't really explain anything. ; (

Answer 1

There is a related thread here:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3811505?start=0&tstart=0
You can set a pre-order start date for each territory in iTunes Producer. According to the iTunes Producer 2.6 User Guide, the date must be earlier than the sales start date. If you don't want to offer pre-order, you are supposed to leave that date blank.
The user guide says that, if you set a pre-order date, the publication will not be shown in the store until that date. It does not say that, if you set that date, the book will be shown starting on that date (or any date before it becomes available, for that matter).
The user guide also says the following:
Important: Pre-orders require minimal manual production work by iTunes. When you deliver a book that is
available for pre-order, contact your iTunes Technical Account Manager. Pre-orders must conform to the
following specifications:
All assets (EPUB, iBooks format, cover art, and screenshot files) are due up front.
You can only create pre-orders with the first, initial delivery of the book package.
You cannot make any changes to the pre-order once you deliver a book package to the iBookstore with
a Pre-Order Start Date.
Each territory where you are sending a pre-order (each territory where you defined a pre-order start
date) must be priced at a valid price tier.
Do not send pre-order start dates for territory products that have been marked not cleared for sale. Only
deliver book packages with pre-order start dates assigned for territory products that are cleared for sale.
Given the current track record in getting books into the store, I would guess that pre-order is something that would only happen for blockbuster titles from large publishers, where actually a significant volume of pre-orders can be expected. For the pre-order to go through into the store, someone still has to review the book, which isn't worth doing for something that sells a few dozen copies a month.
Michi.