How to become an arc reader
What is an Arc?
Arc stands for "Advance Reader/Reviewer Copy." They are early copies of books sent out to readers for early reviews, positive feedback, hype & to get the word out of upcoming books for release day.
Where to get arcs?
- Stalk authors online.
- Arc Platforms
- Third- Party Companies
Sign up for Third Parties like PR companies, personal assistants, marketing & promotional companies and publishing companies and websites.
I share some upcoming arc releases & sign ups from the above PR & marketing companies on my Upcoming Releases page.
Tips
- Have places to share your reviews
It is best to have places like Goodreads, Storygraph, Book Bub, Amazon or other retailer sites (Barnes & Noble, apple books, Google books, Kobo, etc) where you can share your reviews. Remember one of the key reasons for arc readers is to get positive feedback & hype for the books on release day.
- Have Social Media
While not always necessary, it is good to
have some sort of social media like a Blog, Facebook page, Instagram, TikTok etc because one of the reasons for arc reviewers is to get the word out of upcoming books. While it isn't't necessary, authors, PA's & PR companies may be more likely to send you arcs when you are active on social media.
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- Always read rules, terms & conditions
Each author, PA, PR & marketing company, & arc platform may have their own rules, terms, or conditions for reviewing a book, which may even change from book to book or series to series. Some may want you to make sure the flow of the story is good, some may want you to post on multiple sites, some may want you to withhold negative/less than usually 3 stars reviews for a week or two, some may require different or multiple sites and/or social medias and so on. So always check out the rules & terms & conditions before signing up for books. And most cases, if you have any questions it doesn't hurt to ask.
- Be Honest & Communicate
As always, Honesty is the best policy. If you cannot review, or rate a book favorably, reach out to the author, PA, PR or Marketing company or arc platform. Usually, they are pretty understanding if you reach out ahead of time.
- Know where to get your links
Know where to access each of your links. Below, I will post short tutorials & explanations on how to access common links.
Kindle Email:
To find your kindle email address (also works if you have the kindle app on other devices) go to Amazon.com in your browser. Click the menu in the top right corner (it has your name with a little person outline). Scroll down to "see all account". Scroll down to "manage content & devices". Click on "devices" (second menu along the top). Click on your device - in this case my kindle fire which is my default device. & your kindle email will appear (& you can change/edit it if you need to).
Adding approved emails:
To add author, PA, PR or arc platform emails to your approved senders list go to amazon.com in your browser. Click menu in the top right corner (it has your name & a little person outline). Scroll down to "see all account". Scroll down to "manage all content & devices". Click on "preferences" (third menu along the top). Scroll down to "personal document settings". Scroll down to "approved personal document email list & click "add a new approved email address".
Amazon Profile:
Go to Amazon.com in your browser. Click on the menu in the top right corner (it has your name & a little person outline). Scroll down to "see all account". Scroll down to "Profile " (under personalized content section). Copy your Amazon profile link from the top of the page.
Amazon review links:
To find review links on Amazon, go to Amazon.com in your browser. Click on the menu in the top right corner (it has your name & a little person outline). Scroll down to "see all content". Scroll down to "profile". Click "see what others see" on top of your profile. Scroll down to the reviews & click on the review you need the link for. Copy the link from the top of the page.
You can also get the Amazon links from your email address (the one you signed up for Amazon with). Amazon sends out an email when your review has went live. Open up your email, scroll down & click on "see full review" & then copy the Amazon link.
Goodreads profile:
Website: Go to Goodreads.com in your browser. Sign in if you aren't already. Click on your profile icon/menu in the top right corner. Click "profile" & then copy the link at the top of your browser.
App: Once signed in, click the more button on the bottom right of your screen. Click "my profile". Then "settings". Then click on "profile" & your URL will be listed. *Note: the apps between android & apple have some differences. This was an android app.
Goodreads review link:
On your browser, go to goodreads.com, sign in if you aren't already. From the home screen you can either:
Go to your profile (click your icon on the top right, then profile) & scroll down to your review & click on "see review". Then copy the link from the top of the browser page.
Or you can search the book you reviewed (for example, Body Check by Teagan Hunter), scroll down to the reviews section. When you see your review, click on the date of your review (forvexample August 30, 2023). & when your review comes up copy the link on the top of the browser.
Storygraph profile:
If you have the Storygraph app, to get your profile link, first make sure you're signed in. From the home screen, click on profile button on the bottom right corner. Next to your profile name will be a small half square with an arrow, click on it. Then click on copy link.
Storygraph review link:
If you have the Storygraph app, to get a review link, first make sure you're signed in. From the home screen, click on profile button on the bottom right corner. Scroll down to the "read recently" section & click on reviews. Scroll to the review you are looking for & click on "go to review page". Next to the title & author name will be a small half square with an arrow, click on it & copy link.
You could also find your review by searching the book, & clicking "see review" under title & book info, then click on the square to copy link.
Bookbub profile:
On your browser, go to bookbub.com. make sure you are signed in. From the home screen click on your icon in the top right corner, then click on "my profile". Then you can copy the link from the top of your browser for your profile link.
Bookbub review link:
On your browser, go to bookbub.com, make sure you're signed in. From the home screen click on your icon in the top right corner, then click on "my profile". Click on "reviews" under your name. Scroll down until you find the review you are looking for. Click on it. Then you can copy the link from the top of your browser for your review link.
Instagram profile:
App: make sure you are signed in. From the home screen, click on your profile icon on the bottom right of your screen. Click "share profile" under your bio. Click copy link.
Instagram post link:
App: make sure you are signed in. From the home screen, click on profile icon on bottom right of your screen. Scroll to the post you want & click on it. Click the paper airplane button. Click copy link.
TikTok profile:
App: make sure you are signed in. From the home screen click on your profile icon on the bottom right of the screen. Click on the menu on top right of your profile screen (will be 3 horizontal lines). Click on settings & privacy. Then on share profile. Then copy link.
TikTok post link:
App: make sure you are signed in. From the home screen, click on profile icon on the bottom right of the screen. Scroll down to find the post you want to share & click on it. On the right side, click on the 3 little dots & then copy link.
- Different arc platforms, authors, & Pr companies may require different links
On top of reading the rules & terms, check to see which links are required for each arc platform, author or PA, or PR & marketing company. Some require different links so it's good to know ahead of time which links they will be looking for, and maybe save them in your phone notes or somewhere safe so it's easy to just copy & paste them when needed. Also, some authors, Pr companies etc may require links to previously read books by that author, so know where you can find them.
- Be mindful on what & how much you sign up for
Watch how much you are signing up for. Yes, it can be exciting to sign up for arcs & promotional packets to share. & yes, some arc platforms or PR companies may give you a higher chance of accepting you as an arc reader if you sign up for multiple books to review- but don't over do it. Be mindful of your schedule & what you can reasonably read & Review. You don't want to be overwhelmed or stressed out or not being able to review due to conflict in your schedule (some authors & Pr companies may not accept that as an excuse to not reviewing on time & you could get booted, or overlooked next time you sign up for arcs). Also note: just because you signed up, you are not guaranteed to be accepted as an arc reader. There is usually only a limited amount of arcs available & not everyone will be accepted.
& yes, some arc platforms & authors & PR companies offer arcs in physical copies &/or audiobooks as well as ebooks. It's okay to have a preference of a physical copy or audiobook - but note: it can be extremely limited since they cost more & definitely isn't guaranteed. If you only arc read physical copies or audiobooks, you will be limited on your choices as well.
- Don't put spoilers in your reviews
Be mindful of what is included in your Review. Don't spoil the story for anyone. Also, don't dock grammer/spelling format etc in your review since an arc is an unfinished copy. Hold off on posting any low or negative reviews until a week or two after release day (don't forget to communicate with author, Pa, or PR company before hand!). Your review can include a summary of the story (without spoilers!), & your thoughts & feelings on it. It doesn't have to be long - but you don't want to ruin the experience for readers who haven't read the book yet.
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