Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs)
A way to support upcoming and well known authors
What is an ARC?
Advanced Reader Copy, also known as an ARC, is a pre-published version
of a book; that is sent out to reviewers and book buyers in advance of
its publication. whats the catch? You need to read and leave a review in
a set period of time (pretty easy really!).
There is nothing better than word of mouth advertising!
Indie authors along with well established authors are wanting your
honest reviews.
ARCs are also sometimes known as Advance Review Copy, Advance Readers
Edition, Advanced Copy or a Readers Edition.
How to get on those ARC lists
You might be thinking "Free books 🫠 this is too good to be true..."
While they might be "free", there's a bit of work to do to get
on the elusive ARC lists. Keeping in mind, as an ARC reader, you want to
be reading ARCs for those you can best promote; otherwise it's a lot of
time and commitment for something you might not enjoy. First steps;
check out your favourite authors
FaceBook,
Instagram, or
TikTok pages.
After that, look through your social media for your favourite reading
genres; there are many, many, many pages dedicated to all genres. If
you're still looking for a little more help, there are a number of
dedicated ARC pages on FaceBook which you can join, where you will get
prompted on any upcoming ARCs from the authors themselves. There are
also some great internet platforms such as
Booksprout where you
can find ARCs.
What to include in your reviews
This is where, as a reader, you get to gush about the great book you got the pleasure of escaping into. Whether it be a fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, romance novel or any other genre out there (there too many to list here!), here are a couple of things to keep in mind for your review:
- List the general information first
- Be succinct with the plot overview
- Avoid spoilers - don't give too much away
- Discuss the book, not the author
- Highlight what you liked or didn't like (be true to you, it's your review)
- Remian subjective and transparent
- Be concise and to the point, no one wants to read "war and peace" in your review
Remember: Your reviews can impact the authors author's visibility and book algorithm performance. Authors are not looking for fake or disingenuous rating, they want real honest feedback and reviews. A rule of thumb is to leave any ⭐⭐⭐ (3 stars) or lower reviews until 2 weeks after the publish date. This gives the authors work a chance to find its audience in the market, even if it wasn't to your tastes.
I'd love to hear your ARC story - whether you are an author or a reader!
This page was built by Ann Russell