How do I time ARC distribution?
- Six to eight weeks gives readers time to finish a full-length novel without forgetting it.
- Sending too early means readers finish and forget before reviews can post.
- Amazon reviews cannot post until release day; Goodreads accepts them earlier.
- BookSirens, BookFunnel, and NetGalley all deliver on your schedule, not theirs.
- A locked final file matters more than an early one: proofing changes confuse reviewers.
Send ARCs six to eight weeks before launch, once the file is final. Earlier and readers finish then forget; later and slow readers never start. Remind at two weeks and again on launch day, when Amazon reviews can finally post. After launch day, stop reminding and start tracking.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Timing is the cheapest lever in an ARC campaign. The same list, the same book, and the same email produce very different review counts depending on whether the file arrives twelve weeks out or six. Twelve weeks out, half your readers will have read three other books before yours goes live.
Chapter ii·What to include
- A final, proofread file before any ARC goes out.
- A distribution date six to eight weeks ahead of release.
- Reminder dates set in the calendar the day you send.
- Genre length adjustment: shorter windows for novellas, longer for epics.
- Goodreads posting encouraged early, Amazon on release day.
- A cutoff after which late applicants get the next book instead.
Chapter iii·Example
A romance author moved her ARC send from ten weeks out to six and her review count rose from 27 to 44 on a comparable list, with the only other change being a launch-day reminder.
Chapter iv·Related questions
In WriteLoom
A launch plan, not a launch day
WriteLoom's launch calendar puts the ARC send and both reminders on the same timeline as your file deadlines.
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