How to request & receive ARC's 

What if I told you that you could read your favorite author's new releases, before they even go out to the public

 ...you'd probably silently scream at the possibility of getting an ARC and knowing what is going to happen to your favorite morally gray character before anyone else does.. am I right?!

I've always been a die hard, nerdy AF reader and when i find an author, 

A book and/or a series that i fall in love with, i'm 100% the girly who'll continuously think about said book for months and months on end.. at least until the next one comes out. 

think Bella Swan when Edward disappears and she's just rotting in front of the window as the seasons change.... whelp that's me.

When i found out i could request an advanced reader copy (ARC) of a book i've been low key obsessing over... i went a bit FERAL and requested a ton of them all at once.  

Highly discourage that BTW.... BUT it was absolutely WILD and when the approval's started sliding into my inbox i was absolutely MIND BLOWN.

In this post i'm giving you the EXACT strategy on how to request & receive ARC's from indie authors, trad authors and even publishing companies! 

How to request & Receive arc's

1. have a backlog of reviews already posted online

This step is more of a prerequisite, and although it is DEFInitely not required to have reviews posted somewhere before requesting arc's, it's highly encouraged.

Start up a Goodreads account or even review books you've read in the past on amazon, storygraph, social media etc. When you request an arc the author and/or the publisher will ask if you have previous reviews that they can check out!!

If you can, start writing reviews now, even before you start requesting arc's! 

2. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE TIME IN YOUR READING SCHEDULE

One of the first things to be aware of is IF you actually have time within your reading schedule to take on another ARC. 

I know, I know BOO Rachael for being realistic, BUT speaking from experience you don’t want to get behind on reviewing an ARC you requested! 

3. Build authentic & genuine connections 

Take time to ORGANICALLY interact with the author and/or publisher on social media....

Not just because you want an ARC but because you genuinely enjoy their content and you want to support them on their writing journey.

Side note, Make sure you're following the author and/or the publishers way before you request an ARC from them. authors want you to read their book because you're generally interested and invested in the story... NOT just to get an Arc copy in the mail.  

4. Be yourself bestie! 

You are the secret sauce when it comes to social media and becoming an arc reader & reviewer.

There is no one in the multiverse with the exact mind, likes, desires, talents, qualities, experience and characteristics that you have. 

That is your freakin' super power... use it!

Social media can be so monotonous, so stand out be yourself and you'll soon catch the awareness of authors and/or publishers you wish to collab with as an arc reader!

The qualities that you deem to be "too much" to share are usually the ones that help you stand out amongst the crowd! OWN who you are babes!

5. Check to see if there is an ARC application 

Before you send the author and/or the publishing company an email requesting the ARC copy please make sure to check on the applicable websites & social media platforms to see if there is already an ARC form live for that book.

If so, fill that out first!

I also suggest screenshotting all of the ARC's you apply for, that way you can reference them to see how many you've requested and/or so that when you get approved you can celebrate the journey on your socials!  

6. Time to hit send on that email request

If you’ve already done steps one through five, then it’s time to send over an email to request the ARC.

Make sure you have your kindle email written down (located in your kindle settings) and your regular email pulled up! You will also have to find the email address for the author and/or the publisher (depending on if it’s for a TRAD or INDIE published ARC) 

P.S. you can grab the exact email templates here that i've used to request and receive 50+ Arc's in my free guide called The ARC Files!

7. WOOHOO!!! Let's celebrate! 

First off, celebrate yourself because that sh*t is scary and you DID THE DAMN THANG!

From now on you’re in a mini waiting game. Some authors/publishers respond to the email requests and some don’t.

Make sure to keep an eye on your inbox (SPAM & PROMO folders too) without obsessively checking it lol 

P.S. keep me posted!!

I would love to hear how it goes for you while requesting & receiving your most anticipated reads as ARC's!!!

If you'd like the FULL guide on how to request & receive arc's you can grab your copy of the arc files here! This is an in-depth 51 page pdf loaded with free resources, tools and tips to help you in request & receive all the arc's you've been drooling over!  

this post was all about How To Request & Receive ARC's (advanced reader copies)

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