How to Run an ARC Campaign That Works

Advance reader copies are how you arrive at launch day with reviews already waiting. Here's how to build an ARC team, when to send copies, and how to turn readers into honest reviews, the right way.

Few things kill a launch faster than a brand-new book with zero reviews, browsers see it, hesitate, and move on. An ARC (advance reader copy) campaign solves this by putting your book into the hands of eager readers before it goes on sale, so that on launch day, reviews are already there. Done right, it's one of the highest-leverage marketing activities an author can run. Here's how.

What an ARC Campaign Is and Why It Matters

An advance reader copy is a near-final version of your book shared free, before publication, with readers who agree to read it and (you hope) leave an honest review around launch. An ARC campaign is the organized effort to recruit those readers, get them the book, and follow up. It matters for two reasons:

• Reader trust: A book with a healthy number of honest reviews looks credible. New readers are far more likely to buy a book others have vouched for.
• Algorithm visibility: Reviews and early sales signal to retailers like Amazon that a book has traction, which can improve its visibility in search and recommendations.

The goal of an ARC campaign is honest reviews from real readers, never paid or fake reviews, which violate retailer policies and can get your book removed. See our guide to getting reviews the legitimate way.

Where to Find ARC Readers

Your ARC team can come from several sources, and the best campaigns blend them:

• Your email list: The highest-quality source. Subscribers already want your book, building a list before launch is the single best thing you can do (see the book launch timeline).
• Genre reader communities: Facebook groups, Reddit communities, and Discord servers dedicated to your genre, where readers actively seek new books.
• ARC platforms: Services like BookSirens, NetGalley, and StoryOrigin connect your book with reviewers who request ARCs.
• Book bloggers and bookstagrammers: Genre-focused reviewers with engaged audiences. Research their submission guidelines and pitch politely.
• Your existing readers: If this isn't your first book, past readers are your most enthusiastic ARC team.

Timeline: When to Send ARCs Before Launch

Timing is everything. Send too early and readers forget to post; too late and they can't finish in time. A reliable schedule:

Aim for reviews to land on or just after launch day. A cluster of honest reviews in the first days builds the social proof and early momentum that carry a launch.

How to Request Honest Reviews (Within the Rules)

How you ask matters, both ethically and for compliance with retailer policies:

• Ask for honesty, not positivity. Request an honest review, never a positive one, and never make the free copy conditional on a good rating.
• Disclose nothing misleading. Reviewers should leave reviews voluntarily; some retailers ask reviewers to note they received an advance copy.
• Make it easy. Provide direct links to your book's review page and a one-line reminder of how to leave a review.
• Never pay for reviews. Paid or incentivized reviews violate Amazon's policies and can get reviews, or your book, removed.
• Spread reviews across platforms. Goodreads, Amazon, BookBub, asking readers to post where they're comfortable widens your footprint.

For the full set of legitimate tactics (and what to avoid), read how to get book reviews without buying them.

The ARC Campaign Checklist

• Final-quality ARC files ready (EPUB and/or PDF), clearly marked 'Advance Reader Copy'
• Sign-up method set up (form, ARC platform, or email)
• ARC team recruited 8–10 weeks out from sources above
• Copies delivered 4–6 weeks before launch
• Clear, policy-compliant review request prepared
• Reminder sequence scheduled (2 weeks out, launch week)
• Direct review links ready to share on launch day
• Thank-you message to your team after launch

An ARC campaign turns launch day from a nervous gamble into a planned event, your book goes live already backed by honest reviews and early readers ready to spread the word. Recruit early, deliver on schedule, ask for honesty within the rules, and follow up. It's one of the most reliable ways to give a new book the momentum it needs. Fit it into the bigger picture with our 90-day book launch timeline.