How do I get book reviews before launch?
- Pre-launch reviews come from advance review copies (ARCs).
- ARCs go out weeks before release to allow reading time.
- Targets include reviewers, bloggers, and engaged readers.
- Editorial reviews and reader reviews serve different roles.
- You ask for honest reviews, never buy or require positive ones.
Get book reviews before launch by distributing advance review copies (ARCs) — digital or print — to a curated list of likely reviewers weeks ahead of release: book bloggers and reviewers in your genre, an ARC team of engaged readers, and, for editorial reviews, relevant outlets or services. Make reviewing easy (clear files, links, a gentle deadline near release day) and follow up courteously. Always ask for honest reviews; never pay for or require positive ones. The goal is a base of credible reviews live at or soon after launch.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Books launch stronger with reviews already in place — they provide social proof, support retailer algorithms and promo-site eligibility, and reassure new readers. Getting them requires lead time and a deliberate ARC process, since reviewers need weeks to read and post. Understanding how to build a reviewer list, distribute ARCs, and follow up professionally — while keeping reviews honest and unpaid — helps authors launch with credibility instead of an empty reviews section that makes a new book look untested.
Chapter ii·What to include
- A curated reviewer and ARC-reader list.
- ARCs distributed weeks ahead.
- Easy files, links, and a gentle deadline.
- Courteous follow-up near release.
- A request for honest, unpaid reviews.
- A mix of editorial and reader reviews.
Chapter iii·Example
Six weeks before launch, an author sends digital ARCs to her ARC team and a handful of genre book bloggers, with clear files and a request for honest reviews by release day. She follows up gently a week before. By launch, a dozen credible reviews are live — social proof that reassures new readers and supports her promotions.
Chapter iv·Related questions
WriteLoom's Market studio tracks your ARC list and review outreach, so launch reviews come together on schedule.
See the Market studio