ARC readers: how to find them and ask for reviews the right way

An ARC, short for advance reader copy or advance review copy, is a copy of your book sent to readers before release so they can finish it in time to post reviews around launch. Reviews help other readers decide, and a book with none can be a hard sell even when the cover and description are strong.

ARC programs are also where many authors break platform rules without meaning to. Here’s how to run one that helps your launch and stays within the rules.

The rules come first

Amazon’s community guidelines govern who can review and how reviews can be requested. They change from time to time, so read the current version before you send anything. The principles have been consistent:

• You can give a free copy. You can’t require a review in return, and you can’t ask for a positive one.
• Nothing else can be offered. No payment, gift cards, giveaway entries, or other perks tied to reviewing.
• No reviews from people close to you. Family members, close friends, and anyone with a financial interest in the book shouldn’t review it, and Amazon may remove reviews it sees as coming from a personal relationship.
• No review swaps with other authors.
• Reviewers must be eligible. Amazon sets requirements for posting reviews, such as a minimum amount of spending on the account, so not every reader can post.

In the US, the Federal Trade Commission’s guidance on endorsements expects reviewers to disclose material connections, and a free copy counts as one. Many ARC readers add a line such as “I received a free advance copy.”

Wording matters

The common phrase “a free copy in exchange for an honest review” frames the review as a trade, and the rules don’t allow a review to be the condition for receiving the book. Use wording that keeps the review optional:

If you enjoy the book and want to share your thoughts, a review on launch day would be welcome, whether it’s positive or critical. It’s entirely up to you.

Where to find ARC readers

• Your email list. Subscribers already like your work, and they’re the best fit. Invite them first.
• Readers of your earlier books, through a note in your back matter
• Your social following, using a sign-up form rather than open comments
• ARC services that connect authors with readers who review, such as BookSirens, Booksprout, and NetGalley. Check what each service does, what it costs, and its policies before you sign up.
• Book bloggers and reviewers in your genre, contacted individually with a short, personal pitch

Avoid anyone selling reviews or guaranteeing ratings. Those reviews break the rules, and Amazon can remove them and take action against the account involved.

Choose readers who fit

An ARC team works best when its readers already enjoy books like yours. A thriller fan who agrees to read your romance as a favor may write a fair but lukewarm review that tells shoppers nothing useful. When you recruit, ask a few questions on the sign-up form: which books in the genre they’ve enjoyed recently, which formats they read, and where they usually post reviews. Then invite the readers who match.

How many readers to invite

Invite more readers than the number of reviews you hope for. Some won’t finish the book in time, some won’t post, and some aren’t eligible to review on Amazon. Every launch is different, so record your own results and adjust next time.

Delivering the copy

• EPUB works in most reading apps and can be sent to a Kindle through Amazon’s Send to Kindle service.
• PDF is a fallback for readers who prefer reading on a computer.
• Delivery services can send the right file to each device and answer readers’ technical questions for you.

Say clearly whether the ARC is the final text. If it hasn’t been proofread, tell readers, so they don’t spend their review on typos you’ve already fixed.

What to send with the copy

A short cover note answers the questions readers would otherwise email you about:

• The release date, and where the book will be available
• Where reviews can be posted, with a reminder that Amazon reviews open on release day
• Content notes, if the book includes material some readers want to know about in advance
• How to reach you with questions or file problems
• A request not to share the file, since the copy is for them alone

Keep it to one screen. A long list of instructions makes an optional review feel like homework.

Protect your files, within reason

Advance copies sometimes end up where they shouldn’t. Delivery services can add a reader’s details to each copy, which discourages sharing, and sending individual download links instead of attachments gives you a record of who received what. Accept that you can’t prevent every leak, and focus on readers who have earned your trust.

A simple timeline

• Six to eight weeks before launch: open sign-ups and select readers
• Four weeks before: send the ARC with a short note about the timeline
• Two weeks before: a friendly check-in, with no pressure
• Launch day: an email with direct links to the review page in each store
• One week after: a final thank-you, with the links again for anyone who wants them

Amazon doesn’t accept customer reviews before a book is released, so ARC readers who want to post there need to wait until launch day. Goodreads lets readers post before release.

The launch-day email

Keep it short:

Subject: The Lighthouse Letters is out today

Thank you for reading the advance copy. The book is live today. If you’d like to leave a review, here’s the link: [store link]. Honest opinions help other readers decide, whether they’re glowing or not. Either way, thank you for being one of the first readers.

Handling what comes back

• Don’t respond to reviews, positive or negative, on the store. It rarely helps and can discourage other reviewers.
• Look for patterns. One reader disliking the ending is taste. Several readers confused by chapter three is a fixable problem, ideally before the paperback goes to print.
• Thank readers privately in your newsletter, without referring to what they wrote.

Keep a simple record

A spreadsheet with each reader’s name, email address, the format sent, and the date is enough. Use it only to send the timeline emails and to invite reliable readers to your next ARC team. Don’t track or chase individual reviews, and remove anyone who asks to leave.

Over several books, a small group of readers who enjoy your work and read on time becomes one of the most valuable parts of a launch. Thank them, give them first access to new books, and keep the relationship free of pressure.

ARC checklist

• The current Amazon review guidelines read
• No family, close friends, or paid reviewers on the list
• Invitation wording that keeps the review optional and welcomes honest opinions
• Copies sent in a format readers can use
• A clear timeline with launch-day links
• No pressure, perks, or repeated reminders

If you’re still building the list your ARC readers will come from, building an author email list covers the reader magnet and welcome sequence.

AIBookWriter’s free Review Request Templates tool drafts review requests for ARC readers, subscribers, and bloggers from your book’s details. Edit the wording so it keeps the review optional and asks for an honest opinion, as described above.