The Do's and Don'ts of Advanced Copies for Authors and Readers
Let's talk a little about ARCs and how to handle them 📚
I’ve been seeing a lot of posts/debates online regarding Advanced Reader Copies and I figured that putting together a guide to provide new authors and new ARC readers with some basics could be useful. Keep in mind, the information below is relevant for both authors and readers. I decided to do this in light of transparensy since I was a reader first before I was a writer.
I’m sure someone else has already done it, but I’ve been at this for six years and I have a little bit of experience, so here is my personal take on do’s and don’ts for ARC.
What’s an ARC?
I’m going to preface my post by explaining that an Advanced Reader Copy is an exactly what it sounds like—an early copy of the book that select book bloggers/influencers receive before the release to help with the hype. Yes, to help with the hype.
It’s important to remember that getting an ARC is a privilege, not a right. Authors and their marketing teams choose which readers will receive ARCs based on their release plan and criteria. Readers should not get upset if they are not selected to receive an ARC, as the decision is often made by the publisher or marketing team, not the author themselves.
The marketing team would vet the reviewers based on a variety of factors. And yes, if you have a small online presense and no engaged following, then the chances you’ll get picked for a major release are slim. The point is to spread the word to the readers who will buy. And if you don’t have that power, shoot small first.
One last thing I’ll mention here is that most ARCs, especially from newbie indies, will be in ebook format. Readers shouldn’t not expect paperbacks or ask only for paperbacks because it’s very expensive. I personally don’t do paperback ARCs because the cost of book+shipping is simply not woth it for me. I have no idea what kind of rating I’ll get. Sending a book to someone who may not like it isn’t viable for smaller indie authors.
How to Become and ARC reader.
You’ll find luck with smaller indie authors and debut authors who do not have access to the major book influencers. (Yes, sadly, famous influencers will probably not work with you if you are a newbie author. Don’t complain about it online. Just keep writing.)
For ARC readers who just start out—look for author who need ARC readers on social media. Threads, Blusky, Facebook groups, Instagram, TikTok.
Today, there’s essentially no difference in quality between traditionally published works and indie books. Most indie authors who serious about their careers hire professional editors (who possible at some point worked at big publishing houses). For example, developmental editor who worked on my debut novel had done work for Simon & Schuster before freelancing. You never know but you may find your next favorite author.
Don’t ever do this as an ARC reader.
Readers should never share, distribute or sell their ARC copies with others. It’s illegal and if this comes to light, you will probably be banned from reviewing. For example, BookFunnel (service that distributes ARCs) puts a hidden watermark on each file. Plus, authors talk to each other, especially if someone is pirating ARCs. So, ARC reader needs to be a good person.
What about imperfections?
Readers please understand that traditionally ARCs are not the final version of the book, so there may be typos or minor mistakes. Sure, a lot of indies send out final versions, but as I’ve mentioned above, ARCs aren’t meant to be final copies.
Readers should not factor typos into their reviews, but focus on bigger issues like character development or plot holes and just overall story. If readers notice significant problems, there are several ways to go about it.
They can provide private feedback to the author, as the final version may address these
But readers are of course welcome to put this in your review
Or not review at all
Which ever one out of three routes you take as an ARC reader is up to you. I’m a strong believer that there is no hard rule about this.
Let’s talk about paid reviews.
Paid reviews where authors pay for reviews or vice versa (where readers are asked to pay for an ARC) are illegal and unethical. Remember ARC is a privilege and a way to help author to promote the book.
But how about all those websites that facilitate reviews, you ask.
Let’s unpack it. Services like BookSirens, BookSprout, or NetGalley (there are others as well), where authors pay for listing their ARCs on their site are legal. You are not paying for reviews as an author. You are paying for the service of listing the book in front of potential reviewers. The money goes to people maintaining those sites/databases of readers. I personally use BookSprout. Have been for 6 years now. I’ve tried NetGally (very low return) and BookSirens (for some reason reader there rate very low compared to other services I used). It's up to authors and readers to decide which services align with their preferences/views/etc.
P.S. Unless you want to throw your money way and especially if you write genre fiction and especially if you are an indie author, don’t use Kirkus reviews. It’s expensive and doesn’t target readers who will buy your books.
Expectations.
I oftentimes see newbie authors complaining online that our of 20 ARC requests only 2 people reviewed. Get used to it, guys. I would say adjust your expectation to roughly 20% return. Which means if 100 people request/receive your ARC, 20 will leave reviews. Some reviews may pop up later on, weeks, event months after the release. I personally am glad even to those. I don’t request my readers to notify me if they are going to be late. Pressure can be a huge turn off for an ARC reader. And they may choose not to review it.
In general, author’s requirements should not be difficult to meet. For example, asking readers to review on Amazon.com site mandatory is unrealistic. Yes, we know for many indies it’s the one that counts, but some of your most dedicated ARC readers maybe in Canada or UK. You never really know. So adjust your criteria accordingly when you set those up on your Google form (or whichever other method you use to collect users) or when you’re reaching out to influencers.
Review Manipulation.
This topic is very polarizing. The practice of asking reviewers to hold off on posting 3-star and lower reviews during book's release week isn’t something that was a thing when I started publishing. I noticed some PR companies started doing it during Covd. This is now a common practice for a lot of indie author, big and small.
Reviews have to be honest, yes. But what’s the best way to go about this requirement? Readers who are uncomfortable with this when they sing up for ARC and see should probably decline to review the book and not ask for an ARC. Yes, it’s more a moral issue. No one is asking you not to post your review. They are just asking you to post it later because imagine if you’re the first one to post your review and it’s 2-star, this will really make it difficult for an author (especially with small following) to recover from the blow. When you hear that Amazon hides the book when the reviews are below 4 stars, it may or may not be true. From everything I have personally experienced on Amazon, I would say there’s some part to this rumor is true. Early 3 or 2 star reviews may affect the book.
I would say there’s no right or wrong here but rather readers and authors should rely on their moral compass if they want to do this. I personally don’t ask my readers to wait. I did hire a PR company for my earlier series once where they had this policy. Now that I handle ARC campaigns myself, I allow my ARC readers post whatever and whenever they want. Some people do. Some people say they didn’t like the book and they won’t post the review. It’s okay too.
What do I do if I am reading and ARC but it’s just not to my liking?
If a reader dislikes an ARC, they are not obligated to provide feedback or leave a review. Not every book is for every reader.
There are three routes you can take as a reader.
You can choose to privately inform the author
Leave an honest review why the book isn’t for you
Or simply not engage further
All of those are acceptable behaviors for readers.
As for authors, following up on reviews once after the book's release is fine. Repeated follow-ups or threats of withholding future ARCs are unacceptable and can damage the author's relationship with readers. It’s not recommended.
Ultimately, both authors and readers should respect each other's boundaries and engage professionally without online complaining or tagging each other in negative posts or demand things from each other.
Today, ARCs are a collaborative process, and open communication is key to maintaining a healthy dynamic between both sides.
I hope this was somewhat useful. Happy reading and writing to all.
Let me know if you have any questions.