lay down date
n.— «Booksellers have been required to refrain from selling the book until then, in what is known as a “lay down” date in the publishing world, a tactic typically used for giant best-selling books such as the latest Harry Potter book.» —“Marketing machine for Fiorina book begins” by Therese Poletti Mercury News (San Jose, California) Oct. 5, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In 1916, a small-town newspaper in Pennsylvania printed a fanciful item about a local gathering with a guest list that included, among others, Miss Ella Vader, Mr. Ray Zor, and other punny names. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
The Great Passage is a 2016 one-season anime about Genbu Shobo, a major publishing company, and a young man who takes over a dictionary project from a veteran lexicographer. For anyone whose interests overlap at anime and dictionaries, its premise...