Tag: advanced review copy

Creating ARC Copies: A How-To

stack-of-books-1176150_960_720Once upon a time, Publisher’s Weekly asked for a review copy of a children’s book our small press had in the works. We were new to the business then and had no clue how to accommodate them, so we lost the opportunity for a high-profile review. Ouch! Now that I know better, I won’t make the same mistake again. Better still, I’ll share what I’ve learned so you won’t, either.

An advance review copy, also called an advance reader copy or ARC, is simply a preliminary version of a book made available to selected readers prior to the book’s sale date. It differs from the sale version in several respects: Continue reading “Creating ARC Copies: A How-To”

An ARC Reader Reward System?

Chick-lit, romantic comedy by K.S. Brooks and Stephen HiseI’ll be honest; I’d never done anything with Advanced Review Copy (ARC) readers until the release of my most recent collaboration with the Evil Mastermind, Triple Dog Dare. It was all new territory, and it felt weird.

I don’t like asking people for anything, let alone to read a 100,000 word novel and be ready to write a review when the book goes live on Amazon. That seems like a lot to ask of someone. I stopped reading books for review long ago when the requests to do so became overwhelming. I was receiving emails from complete strangers from all around the world (not kidding) – with their manuscripts attached – asking me to review them. Unfortunately, I had to draw the line. So, I had to be frank with other authors; I would not be able to offer a review swap.

So…what incentive do these people have to put this kind of effort into something for someone they may or may not even know? Continue reading “An ARC Reader Reward System?”