Let's Talk ARC's : some basic need to know about advanced Reader copies

             (This is an example picture. This is not a call for ARC readers)

    So if you've been part of the book community, you are probably very familiar with what an ARC is. For those of your just joining the community, an ARC is an advanced Reader copy giving out to readers, usually few weeks before release, in exchange for an early review. 

At least that is what you are supposed to do. 

And that's what we're here to talk about today.

Let's start with the basics: I've already covered what an ARC basically is. It's an advanced copy of a book.

How Do you get an ARC?

 You will see a lot of authors, especially indie authors, on social media looking for ARC readers.

There are also several sites that help link authors to readers, like the site I found, BookSirens. You should be aware however that sites like these may have deadlines in which you have to submit a review to them. BookSirens gives you 30 days to read and review. ( Not sure of the penalties. Sorry. )

There are also Facebook groups and other things ( I saw a booktoker who has created a reader database. I'll try and find more about that)

I'll try to list some site that help connect ARC readers to ARCs at the end of this post.

            An example of what you may see on somewhere              like TikTok 

What's the catch?

 Usually there is a certain criteria to meet, at the very least you'll have to to read the genre that the book is written in. The goal after all is to find readers who will like the book and not only leave a review but a positive one. So reaching out to readers or picking ones who favor a certain genre is usually something is see very often. 

Most authors do say they REQUIRE some sort of review, but there is no real way to enforce this. Unfortunately not every reader may a review, and some may have very valid reasons as to why. (More later)

 In exchange for a review, you'll receive a copy of the book, most likely an e copy as very few authors do physical copies do to printing cost. Reviews are usually left on sites like Amazon and Goodreads, so having an established account would be very helpful before applying for an ARC read ( some authors do ask for your Goodreads account). 

What happens if you don't leave a review?

If you absolutely loved the book, you should definitely try your hardest to leave a review. ( I understand life happens and maybe you just physically can't). However, when you don't leave a review, sites like BookSirens and NetGalley have it so that your profile may be affected in some way ( ie. the amount of ARCs you don't review may be visible to authors as the review your application for their ARC). 

The good thing about some sites is that they do have a DNF Button and allow you to explain why as well as opting in for contact from the author. 

Now when signing up through the author ( social media, news letters and such) it's a little different. In my experience, most authors provide a Google form in which you can fill out to apply to be a reader. Things like followed count, social media links are asked along with if your ok with certain genres or tropes. Again, this is so they can curate their ARC readers to mostly include those who are going to leave positive reviews. If they have a social media following, even better because that means more eyes see their work. Of course not all authors care about follower count. I've had plenty reach out to me before I even hit 500 followers. But I won't lie to you and saw a high follower count may help you out in the long run. 

What if I DNF a book I got through an author?

A lot of people will tell you, leave an honest review. And in my opinion, if you felt the boon was poorly written, wasn't edited properly or something alongs those lines ( I don't want to say a bad book. They do exist don't get me wrong but .... Eh) , by all means leave an honest review and reach out to the author and let them know l, especially it's grammatical things or typos. Those can definitely be fixed.

If it's a book that just wasn't your flow or didn't vibe with you like you thought it would, basically you just plain didn't like it, I wouldn't leave a review. And before people get on me let me explain. 

Just because a book wasn't for me, doesn't mean it isn't for someone else. I would hate for my review to hurt the chances of the author reaching their audience, especially an indie author just starting out. So instead of leaving a crappy review about why i didn't like it, I reach out to the author and explain to them personally why it's just not my thing and why I won't be leaving a review.

All in all ARC reading is a great experience and a great way to support and help out authors in a way that is more than just buying the book. I find the experience so far to be super rewarding and I can't wait to share what some of my arc reads will be in the coming months!

My previous post is a review for a YA Thriller I ARC read ( thank ya good reads) title ' That's Not My Name' definitely give it a look if your curious about writing reviews. Not that mine are the best, but hey, their there, your here. It works 😉

ARC sites I know of:

Booksirens.com

NetGalley.com

Reedsydiscover

All of these sites can be found via Google. I didn't link any of them since I am writing this list from my phone 😅

Please feel free to leave a comment and spark up some conversations and debates. Keep it civil though ☺️😁