- A finished or near-finished version of a book distributed before publication.
- Sent to reviewers, booksellers, and influencers in exchange for honest reviews.
- Ships 30-90 days before launch.
- A typical ARC team: 50-200 readers.
- Target: 30-80 reviews live on Amazon by launch day.
An ARC (Advance Reader Copy) is a finished or near-finished version of a book distributed to reviewers, booksellers, and influencers before publication in exchange for honest reviews and early buzz. Most ARCs ship 30-90 days before launch. An ARC team of 50-200 readers typically produces 30-80 reviews on Amazon by launch day.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Books that launch without 20+ reviews fall off Amazon’s "new release" lists within days. ARCs exist to seed the algorithmic visibility signal — they’re the difference between a launch that gains momentum and a launch that doesn’t. Skipping ARC distribution is the second-most-common indie launch failure (after skipping copy editing).
Chapter ii·What to include
- A 50-200 person ARC team built over 4-6 months.
- A delivery system: BookFunnel, Story Origin, NetGalley, or direct email.
- A no-obligation but expected review-on-launch-day commitment.
- A reminder sequence at T-7 and T-1.
- A post-launch thank-you regardless of review status.
- A "next book" tag for repeat ARC readers.
Chapter iii·Example
A debut fantasy author builds a 140-person ARC team across newsletter, Goodreads, and BookTok. She ships ARCs at T-60. On launch day 67 reviews go live on Amazon. The book stays on Amazon’s "new release" list for 24 days versus the indie average of 7-10.
Chapter iv·Related questions
In WriteLoom
A launch plan, not a launch day
WriteLoom’s Market studio holds the ARC team list, delivery status, and review tracking in one project.
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