%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 This is a continuation of my blogging here at WdC |
| ARCs Schnujo's Doing Homework asked me a heap of questions. I looked at the easy answers in "20250702 Answering Questions"  , but there are two more topics to examine. This is the second.The benefit of ARC readers (at least for self-publishing -- IDK about with traditional) It seems that these questions have been quite anti-trad publishing, but I do understand most people on WdC prefer the self-publishing route. I donāt (and cannot, with very specific exceptions, see why people would), and have put forth my views enough in this blog. Now, for those unaware, an ARC is an Advanced Reader Copy. It is also called an ARE (Advanced Reader Edition) or a Pre-Release Copy. These are the copies that go out after the proof-reading stage. They are sometimes missing things like links, dedication and full publisher details, but they always have the ISBN or ASIN (though nowadays they tend to be as complete as possible). Sometimes the cover is stamped with something to indicate it is a pre-release copy. In the past ten, fifteen years, most ARCs I have seen (say, 95%) have been e-books. They are given to readers who then register them with the publisher (I am guessing this does not happen with self-published, so they can just be shared around) and read them. Why do them? Reviews. It is that simple. You tend to give the ARCs to people who will be sympathetic to your cause to get the first lot of reviews as good as possible. Amazon sometimes doesnāt allow ARC reviews (what day of the week is it?) but Goodreads, personal blogs, Bookgram, Facebook, etc. all do. It gets you out there with a review before the story hits the public, and suddenly people are confronted with a bunch of 4 and 5 star ratings, which does help push it in front of more eyes. ARC reviewers will be expected to give more than just a āthis book was goodā sort of fluffy review, but to list some things that they really did like. You want people who read in that genre, and who know at least your name or the name of your publisher. I guess self-published people choose their ARCs. I am a regular ARC reader for poet Sakshi Narula, for example, and have done some ARC reading for some self-published works by people I know. Many publishers, on the other hand, have lists of ARC readers who they know will give honest reviews, but they also pick and choose them from the list based on what they like to read. I was an ARC reader for a US-based company (that sadly died in the pandemic with my accepted book unpublishedā¦) and read around 4 of their books a year. Now, are ARCs important? Publishers seem to think they are. I am in two minds. Yes, because those first positive reviews can matter. No, because thereās a heap of sales Iāve missed out on. But that could be the greed part of me doing this for a living talkingā¦ However, there is nothing better in marketing than to be able to put a five-star review with a complimentary comment on the āplease buy thisā blog post! Anyway, so thatās ARCs. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
