okay this is exactly the kind of thing my publishers do not tell me haha, thank you. I had someone very nice a week or so ago like "oh no did I get it early.... will the indie bookshop get in trouble" and it's great to know I can start telling those people it's fine

I mean, instead of just going 'so excited you got it, the date doesn't matter to me' but having no idea if I, too, might get an indie bookshop in trouble

If the bookshops have put it on sale, it's fine! We have lists of what shouldn't hit the shop floor yet, and most of the time we're pretty good about making sure what's out is meant to be out :)