What is an ARC team?
- A group of 50-200 readers reading the book before launch in exchange for a review.
- Built T-180 through T-60.
- Copies shipped T-90 through T-30.
- Target: 30-80 reviews live on Amazon by end of launch week.
- Reviews in the first week drive Amazon’s also-bought and "new release" visibility.
An ARC team is a group of 50-200 readers who receive Advance Reader Copies of your book in exchange for an honest review on launch day. Most successful ARC teams are built T-180 through T-60, with copies shipped T-90 through T-30. The team’s purpose: 30-80 reviews live on Amazon in the first launch week, which is the algorithm’s primary visibility signal.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Books that launch without 20+ reviews disappear from Amazon’s algorithmic visibility within days. The ARC team’s job isn’t friendship — it’s seeding the algorithmic signal that drives discovery. Authors who skip ARC teams either pay for ad-driven discoverability (more expensive) or accept much smaller launch sales.
Chapter ii·What to include
- A 50-200 person team built over 4-6 months of recruitment.
- Reader profiles matching your subgenre.
- A clear ARC delivery system (BookFunnel, Story Origin, or direct email).
- A no-obligation but expected review-on-launch-day commitment.
- A reminder sequence (T-7, T-1, T+0).
- A "thank you" follow-up regardless of review post status.
Chapter iii·Example
A debut fantasy author builds a 140-person ARC team across her newsletter (40), Goodreads (35), BookTok (40), and beta-reader carryover (25). She ships ARCs at T-60. On launch day 67 reviews go live on Amazon and 80 on Goodreads. The book stays on Amazon’s "new release" list for 24 days — versus the indie average of 7-10.
Chapter iv·Related questions
WriteLoom’s Market studio holds the ARC team list, delivery status, and review-tracking in one project from recruitment through launch.
See the Market studio