How do I follow up with ARC readers?
- Two follow-ups is the practical maximum before the emails read as pressure.
- A reminder at two weeks out and one on launch day covers most of the lift.
- Direct links to the review page remove the most common excuse.
- You may remind readers to review; you may not require or reward a positive review.
- Track who posted so the next campaign starts from a proven list.
Send two follow-ups: one about two weeks before launch and one on launch day, each short, warm, and carrying the direct review link. Never ask for a positive review, only an honest one. After the second reminder, stop, and record who delivered so your next ARC team starts warm.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Most ARC readers who do not post simply forgot or lost the link. A well-timed reminder recovers a meaningful share of them. A third and fourth reminder recovers almost none and costs goodwill with people who are doing you a favor for free, some of whom will become your most reliable readers over a career.
Chapter ii·What to include
- A two-week reminder with the launch date and where to post.
- A launch-day email with the live Amazon and Goodreads links.
- The honest-review disclosure line, written out for them to copy.
- A genuine thank you that does not read as a template.
- An easy opt-out for anyone who did not finish the book.
- A record of who posted, for the next campaign's invitation list.
Chapter iii·Example
An author who sent one reminder got 22 reviews from 80 ARCs. The next launch she sent a two-week note and a launch-day note with direct links and got 38 from 85, with no additional recruiting.
Chapter iv·Related questions
In WriteLoom
A launch plan, not a launch day
WriteLoom's Sell studio flags who has not posted yet, so a follow-up is a two-minute job rather than a spreadsheet reconciliation.
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