Today’s topic actually crosses over with a topic that I’ve been in frequent discussions with many of my clients lately, and that is: promotion strategy.

Promotion is obviously a big deal when it comes to publishing, not to reduce literature to marketing and ads or anything like that, but at some point, the publishers need to make back their ROI. You need audiences and you need a reader base to get sales, and promotion helps you do that. Publishing 101.

Having an idea about how to promote your book is something you need before you even approach an agent. You may not need to have all the details, but having a general idea in your pitch is preferred. After all, that will be part of the proposal package that your agent will shop out to publishers.

And, yes, while publishers do typically have their own department for publicity, knowing that there is a market for your book will go a long way in whether or not your book receives a deal. Believe me, I’ve seen plenty of books die on submission because a publisher didn’t know if a book had a market for it. Even books I had a lot of faith in.

It’s a shame, but while I’m not here to talk about that, I did want to talk about a particular promotion strategy that’s been making waves through the industry. And that is ARCs.

What are ARCs?

ARC stands for advanced reader copy, which sounds super technical for no reason, but these are basically just soon-to-be-published books, also known as “galleys“, that publishers give away for free as part of a marketing campaign pending the book’s release.

Ever wondered how Bookstagrammers and BookTubers somehow always have access to physical (or digital) copies of books weeks or even months before their release? Well, they likely applied to be an ARC reader.

ARC goes hand-in-hand with strategies I offer to my clients, which is to offer snippets of their work online for free or for a discounted e-book price. Do I recommend this for every book? Not every time, it greatly depends on how comfortable the author is with sharing the work, and whether sharing excerpts could give away too much of the book before its release, much like how film auteurs have been complaining about film trailers giving away the entire movie and spoiling the audience’s viewing experience.

That being said however, ARCs are a much more private solution to this issue, as only a select amount are given out, and those who receive ARCs can increase the book’s exposure via word-of-mouth; a more authentic and organic way to generate readership.

Are ARCs good for business?

Generally speaking, ARCs are fine. I mean sure, it feels weird to give out free copies of a book when there’s so much focus on sales, sales, sales, but ultimately, it’s a strategic move to market the book better. Those big-name reviewers, like Publishers Weekly and Kirkus, get to read free books all the time, after all, but these coveted reviewers go a long way in determining the book’s success, as a great deal of readers look to them for second opinions before buying.

However, ARCs could also affect the initial print run of a novel; for instance, a positively received galley rollout could result in bolstering the initial number of copies printed ahead of a book’s release. This can go a long way for the author since it would project higher sales numbers for their book’s launch period. It will also help the publisher earn back the advance on the book deal which can make an author appear as a more favorable candidate for future book deals.

On top of that, ARCs can go a long way in securing early reviews at bigger publishing platforms and securing relationships with – for lack of a better term – “influencers” who can generate momentum for a book’s campaign.

But the problem with influencers in publishing arises from whether certain “higher profile” books are favored by a publisher than other, lesser-known authors, and especially book launches from small presses.

Kathleen Schmidt from Publishing Confidential writes a great Substack piece on why ARCs may not be “fair” for all authors and may only benefit big name authors or highly anticipated works.

What happens to ARCs after a book is released?

Usually, ARCs become obsolete after a book is released, since they are not a ‘final version’, and usually they will be tagged with a “not for resale” sticker, though sometimes you will occasionally find a galley or two on eBay.

Sometimes, these can be collector’s items, especially if the book becomes an instant classic or bestseller, so having a “draft” version of a book could be worth some historic or literary value.

Generally, though, ARCs will get pulled from shelves and libraries once the official copy is out.

What makes ARCs different from beta readers?

Beta readers actually play a part in the formation of a book, at times an author can hire beta readers before a book is even presented to an agent or publisher. The beta readers are reviewing a raw draft of the manuscript, while ARC readers review a near-final version.

Beta readers go a long way in shaping the “outside POV” of the book on the author’s behalf, which is necessary because even for authors who have studied writing all their lives and are great storytellers can still be bias when it comes to their own work. People are very defensive and hesitant towards constructive criticism when it’s their own content or IPs being subject to criticism.

Beta readers serve the function of critiquing a work without bias or premonition so that the author has a more complete understanding of how their book may be received by the public, but there is still a window for fixing any major flaws with the book if the reviews come before submission or before the manuscript’s final delivery.

ARC readers, on the other hand, come when the book has already finalized a deal and its nearly completed, with maybe some minor copy & line edits left to do. Their reviews serve a larger purpose of generating buzz for the book’s release as opposed to revising the book before submission.

Free books?? Where can I get one?

To get ARCs from a publisher, you should be:

• interested in the genre
• willing to review the book
• have a readers’ platform (recommended)
• able to finish reading before the book’s release

NetGalley is the most popular platform for ARC applications as far as my knowledge goes, but Goodreads and Amazon also offer ARC giveaways, among others.

This Reedsy blog also provides some insights and resources on ARCs and how you can secure yourself a free early copy.