How to Get Advance Review Copies to Readers Before Launch

Advance review copies are the engine of pre-launch social proof. A book that arrives on its launch date with twenty-five honest reviews in place performs differently from a book that arrives in silence and waits for organic reviews to accumulate. Amazon's algorithm rewards early review velocity. Goodreads ratings that build before launch create the impression of a book worth reading before most readers have encountered it. The work of getting ARCs into the right hands, early enough, with clear expectations, is not optional infrastructure for a serious launch — it is the launch.

This guide covers every aspect of ARC planning and distribution: what an ARC is and why it matters, who should receive one, how many to send, when to send them, which platforms to use, how to write an ARC request page, what to ask of reviewers, how to follow up, and what to expect in terms of follow-through.

What an ARC Is

An advance review copy (also called an advance reader copy or ARC) is a pre-release version of your book distributed to readers before its official publication date. ARCs exist to generate reviews that will be in place when the book goes on sale, so that new readers arriving at your product page encounter social proof rather than an empty reviews section.

ARCs are typically distributed in digital format — EPUB or MOBI files — though some authors send physical galleys to select reviewers. The ARC version may not be the absolute final version of the book: minor proofreading corrections sometimes happen between the ARC and the published version. This is normal and expected. What the ARC must be is substantively complete — a fully written, edited, and proofread manuscript that represents the book readers will purchase.

Do not send ARCs of an unedited draft. Sending a book with significant developmental or line editing remaining produces reviews that evaluate a different book than the one you will publish, and it risks damaging your reputation with reviewers who receive unprofessional work.

Why ARCs Matter

Amazon's algorithm treats early review accumulation as a signal of a book's relevance and quality. A book that receives fifteen reviews in its first week occupies a different algorithmic position than a book that receives one or two reviews a month for the first several months. The early burst of reviews that a well-managed ARC campaign produces can meaningfully affect a book's initial search placement, "also bought" associations, and eligibility for promotional categories.

Goodreads operates on a similar but distinct logic. A book with pre-launch ratings and to-read additions creates pre-publication momentum that is visible to Goodreads users browsing your genre. Readers who use Goodreads to manage their reading lists add well-reviewed books to their queues before launch, which creates a pipeline of readers primed to purchase on or shortly after release.

Beyond algorithms, reviews provide social proof to browsers. A reader who has never heard of you, encountering your book for the first time via an ad or a recommendation, will read the review blurbs before they read the description. Three to five thoughtful reviews from readers who articulate why the book worked for them are worth more than a hundred stars with no context.

Who Should Receive ARCs

Not every reader is an ideal ARC recipient. The goal is not volume — it is placing the book with readers who are likely to post reviews. That population includes:

Book bloggers. Bloggers who write in your genre and have an established publication record are high-value ARC recipients. They have the habit and the platform to share reviews. A single thoughtful post from a blogger with a few thousand engaged readers can be more valuable than twenty reviews from casual readers.

Bookstagram and BookTok reviewers. Readers who create content about books on Instagram or TikTok combine review posting with social media reach. A BookTok post from a creator with any meaningful following exposes your book to new audiences. Even smaller creators (1,000–5,000 followers) with highly engaged, genre-specific audiences are worth pursuing.

Your email list. Readers who have already opted into your communications have demonstrated genuine interest. They are more likely to follow through on posting reviews because they are invested in your success. An ARC offer to your most engaged email subscribers — framed as an exclusive opportunity — typically produces strong follow-through rates.

Previous reviewers. Anyone who reviewed your previous book, particularly on Amazon or Goodreads, is a warm lead. They read you, engaged, and posted publicly. An email to previous reviewers inviting them to receive an early copy of your next book is one of the highest-conversion ARC outreach methods available.

Genre-specific reading communities. Facebook groups, Goodreads groups, and Reddit communities dedicated to your genre contain engaged readers who are actively looking for their next book. Participating genuinely in these communities before requesting ARC recipients produces better results than cold posts.

Librarians and teachers. For nonfiction, children's books, and some young adult fiction, librarians and teachers are high-value ARC recipients. They recommend books to many readers and are often eager for early access to new material.

How Many ARCs to Send

The practical range for indie authors is twenty-five to one hundred ARCs. More is not automatically better. Sending one hundred ARCs to unvetted readers produces lower follow-through than sending thirty ARCs to readers who have demonstrated genuine interest.

A useful framework: send enough ARCs to produce ten to twenty posted reviews by launch day, accounting for realistic follow-through rates. If you expect 30–40% of your ARC recipients to post reviews (a reasonable baseline), you need sixty to seventy recipients to produce twenty-plus reviews. If your follow-through rate is higher because your ARC pool is highly vetted, you can reach the same outcome with fewer sends.

For debut authors, the primary constraint is not how many ARCs to send but finding enough qualified recipients. Start with your email list and your immediate network, then expand outward to blogger outreach. A first launch with fifteen to twenty ARCs that produce eight to twelve reviews is a solid foundation.

Timeline

When to send ARCs depends primarily on your genre:

Fiction: Send ARCs four to six weeks before launch. This gives reviewers enough time to read a novel, write a review, and post it on or after the launch date. Sending earlier than eight weeks risks the book sitting on reviewers' virtual shelves — further out deadlines are easier to deprioritize.

Nonfiction: Send ARCs six to twelve weeks before launch. Nonfiction readers often take longer to complete a book, and nonfiction reviewers may want to fact-check claims or test advice before recommending. Longer lead time is appropriate.

Children's books and picture books: Four to six weeks is typically sufficient for picture books. Early chapter books and middle grade may need six to eight weeks.

Short story collections and poetry: Four to six weeks. Length is shorter, but reviewers in these genres often engage more slowly.

Always specify a review embargo date — the date after which reviews may be posted publicly. Reviewers should not post reviews before the official launch date. Amazon sometimes removes reviews posted before a book's release date; Goodreads allows pre-publication reviews, but Amazon reviews posted before the official date can violate their terms.

ARC Formats

Digital ARCs are the standard for indie authors. Digital distribution is free, immediate, and logistically simple. The two main digital formats are EPUB (compatible with most e-readers and apps) and MOBI (Kindle-compatible). PDF is a third option but is less comfortable to read on e-readers and is harder for reviewers to annotate.

Distribute digital ARCs via a platform (see below) rather than by attaching files to emails. Attachment-based distribution has deliverability issues, produces no tracking data, and creates file management headaches when you need to update the ARC file.

Physical ARCs are appropriate for:

• High-value reviewers with large platforms who prefer physical books
• Nonfiction books where the physical experience matters (cookbooks, art books, reference books)
• Children's books and picture books where the full-color physical version is meaningfully different from the digital file
• Authors who want to make a strong impression on key media contacts

Physical ARCs are expensive — printing, postage, and packaging cost real money — so reserve them for your most important recipients. A budget of $200–$400 for physical ARCs typically covers ten to fifteen copies sent domestically.

BookFunnel for ARC Distribution

BookFunnel is the standard tool for indie author ARC distribution. It is purpose-built for delivering book files to readers, handles multiple formats (EPUB, MOBI, PDF) simultaneously, and provides download tracking so you can see which recipients have actually downloaded the book.

Setting up an ARC campaign in BookFunnel:

1. Create a new "Send to My Reader" page under the Books section of your BookFunnel account
2. Upload your ARC files in all relevant formats
3. Set the landing page to collect reviewer information (email, social handles, intended review platform)
4. Configure download limits if you want to cap the number of copies distributed
5. Share the landing page URL with reviewers individually or post it in ARC application forms

BookFunnel provides download statistics that tell you how many of your ARC recipients actually downloaded the file. This is useful context when following up — a recipient who never downloaded the file may not have received your communication rather than having ignored it.

BookFunnel's basic plan is sufficient for ARC distribution at indie scale. The $20/year First Edition plan supports up to 500 downloads per month and provides the core ARC distribution functionality most authors need. For a complete guide to the platform's capabilities, see the BookFunnel for Authors Guide.

NetGalley and Edelweiss

NetGalley and Edelweiss are professional ARC distribution platforms primarily used by traditional publishers to distribute ARCs to booksellers, librarians, and professional reviewers. Both platforms accept indie author listings, but they come with costs and expectations that make them most appropriate for specific situations.

NetGalley costs around $450 per title for a six-month listing. It gives your book visibility to NetGalley's large database of professional reviewers, many of whom are librarians, school buyers, and trade journal reviewers. The audience is different from BookFunnel's — it skews more institutional. For indie authors whose books have library and school market appeal, NetGalley can be worth the cost. For most genre fiction indie authors, the cost-to-result ratio is less favorable.

Edelweiss operates on a similar model and is used more heavily by independent bookstores and academic markets. Both platforms are worth considering if traditional retail distribution is part of your strategy.

For the majority of indie authors, BookFunnel provides better results at dramatically lower cost. NetGalley and Edelweiss serve a specific professional distribution purpose that most indie authors do not need in their early launches.

Platform	Cost	Best For	How It Works
BookFunnel	$20–$150/year	Indie authors, direct reader distribution	Author creates landing page; readers download directly
NetGalley	~$450/title	Library/trade market visibility	Reviewers request access; author approves
Edelweiss	Varies	Independent bookstores, academic	Professional reviewer requests
Direct email with attachment	Free	Very small, trusted recipient lists	Manually attach files to individual emails
Prolific Works	Free–$25/month	Mass ARC distribution, less vetting	Reader self-serves from catalog

The ARC Request Page

If you are running an open ARC campaign — inviting applications rather than distributing to a pre-selected list — create a dedicated ARC request page. This can live on your author website or be built as a simple form (Google Forms or Typeform).

The request page should include:

• Cover image and title — give reviewers the visual context immediately
• Book description — the full back cover blurb
• Genre and comparable titles — helps reviewers assess whether the book is for them
• Release date — reviewers need to plan their reading schedule
• ARC format available — EPUB, MOBI, PDF
• What you ask in return — be explicit: an honest review on Amazon and/or Goodreads on or after the launch date
• Embargo date — when reviews may be posted
• Contact information or submission form — how to apply

Ask for the reviewer's email address, their social media handles or blog URL, and their preferred reading format. The social handle lets you verify that they have an active reviewing presence. Do not require large followings — an engaged reader with one hundred Goodreads friends is a valuable ARC recipient.

What to Ask Reviewers

The ask should be explicit, reasonable, and free of pressure:

"I'm hoping you'll post an honest review on Amazon and/or Goodreads on or after the launch date of [Date]. Honest means exactly that — if you didn't enjoy the book, you're under no obligation to post, and I would never ask for a review that doesn't reflect your genuine reaction. If you loved it, a few sentences about what worked for you is all I need."

Do not ask for reviews on every platform simultaneously — Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, Apple Books, and your blog. Pick one or two primary platforms and make the ask clear. Asking for reviews on six platforms creates fatigue and often produces nothing.

Do not ask for five-star reviews or specify what rating you want. This violates Amazon's Terms of Service and produces dishonest reviews that sophisticated readers identify as such.

Following Up

One follow-up is appropriate. Sending a reminder three to five days before launch is normal and expected by reviewers who are managing multiple ARC commitments. Phrase it without pressure:

"Launch day for [Title] is [Date]. If you've had a chance to read and would like to post a review, I'd love to have it live on launch day or as close to that as you can manage. No pressure if life got in the way — I'm grateful for your time regardless."

Do not send multiple reminders. Do not follow up after launch asking why a specific person did not post. Do not post publicly in your ARC group calling out members who did not deliver. These behaviors are unprofessional, damage your reputation in reviewer communities, and produce nothing.

If a reviewer posts a review — positive or critical — acknowledge it. A brief, genuine thank-you message ("I saw your review — thank you for taking the time") builds goodwill with reviewers who are likely to receive your future ARCs.

What to Do When Reviewers Don't Post

Expect 30–50% follow-through as your baseline, even with a well-managed ARC program. The reasons reviewers do not post are varied: they did not finish the book in time, they did not enjoy it and chose not to post, life intervened, or they forgot. Some of these are recoverable (a reminder helps), and some are not.

Late reviews — posted days or weeks after launch — still have value. Do not discard reviewers from your list because they missed launch day. A review posted three weeks after launch still affects your product page's social proof and Amazon's review count, which continues to factor into search placement.

The 30–50% follow-through expectation is why ARC programs require a larger recipient pool than your target review count. If you want twenty reviews on launch day, you need forty to sixty ARC recipients in realistic terms, not twenty.

For the full context of how ARC distribution fits into your launch plan, see How to Plan a Book Launch as an Indie Author. For the full setup guide to BookFunnel as a distribution platform, see BookFunnel for Authors.

FAQ

Can I distribute ARCs before my book is available for pre-order? Yes. ARC distribution and pre-order setup are independent. Many authors distribute ARCs before the book is available anywhere — the ARC program builds the review base that will be in place when the book goes on sale, regardless of whether there is a pre-order period.

Should ARC recipients disclose that they received a free copy? Yes. The FTC requires disclosure when reviewers receive products (including books) for free in exchange for reviews. This disclosure does not need to be elaborate — "I received an advance copy from the author" or a Goodreads shelf tag of "arc" is sufficient. In practice, many casual reviewers do not include this disclosure, but you should inform your ARC recipients that disclosure is appropriate.

What format do most reviewers prefer? EPUB is the most widely compatible format and the default request from most reviewers. MOBI is used primarily by Kindle readers. Offering both eliminates compatibility issues. PDF is a fallback option but should not be your primary ARC format.

Can I send ARCs to people outside my email list? Yes. Blogger outreach, ARC communities like ARC Readers on Goodreads, BookSirens (a paid ARC matching service), and direct outreach to Bookstagram or BookTok creators you admire are all legitimate sources of ARC recipients outside your existing list.

How do I know if someone is a genuine reviewer before sending an ARC? Check their Goodreads profile, blog, Instagram, or TikTok for an established reviewing history. Someone with fifteen recent reviews of books in your genre is a stronger candidate than someone who created their account last week. You do not need to be rigorous about this for every recipient, but screening your list for obviously inactive or brand-new accounts is worthwhile.

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