How do I build a repeat ARC team?
- Repeat ARC readers convert at a much higher rate than new recruits.
- A team of 40 proven readers outperforms 150 unknown ones.
- Naming readers in acknowledgements, with permission, is a strong retention tool.
- Exclusive early access is a legitimate thank you; payment or gifts for reviews are not.
- Attrition of 20 to 30 percent per book is normal and should be planned for.
Keep every reader who posted, thank them by name, and invite them first next time. A repeat team of 40 proven reviewers beats a fresh list of 150 strangers. Recruit each cycle to replace natural attrition rather than starting over, and never offer anything of value in exchange for a review.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Recruiting is the expensive part of an ARC campaign, and most authors redo it from scratch every book. A retained team also reads faster, understands the ask, and knows your work well enough to write reviews that persuade other readers in your genre. That compounding is worth more than any single promotion.
Chapter ii·What to include
- A record of who posted, per launch, going back as far as you have.
- A first-invite list drawn from posters only.
- A specific thank you that references their review, not a group blast.
- Acknowledgement credit offered with permission.
- A modest recruiting drive each cycle to replace 20 to 30 percent attrition.
- A clean exit for readers who want off the list, with no guilt.
Chapter iii·Example
By book four, an author had a 46-person core team with a 71 percent posting rate, and only recruited 15 new readers per launch. Her first book had needed 180 recruits to reach the same review count.
Chapter iv·Related questions
In WriteLoom
A launch plan, not a launch day
WriteLoom keeps your reviewer history across every release, so book four's invite list writes itself from book three's results.
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