by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I have been building my ARC team (Advance Reader/Review Copy team) organically for years. Organically as in…I didn’t do the building myself. If a reader reached out to me and asked to be on my list (a list that I never mentioned and never promoted), then I agreed to the add.
But recently, I’ve been more interested in increasing the number of ARC readers . I do like the early reviews and social media mentions and I think they help spike interest in a new release.
Since I’m a pretty late adopter, I decided to make it very simple on myself. Instead of putting something on my website, I reached out to my most dedicated readers–my newsletter subscribers. When my last release came out and I sent an email to my subscribers to notify them, I included a special section in my newsletter:
Would you like the opportunity to read new Myrtle Clover and Southern Quilting mysteries before they are published (and for free)? I have a limited number of spaces on my ARC team (that’s an advance reader copy team). Applicants must be able to read ebooks (on Kindle, epub, or PDF since there won’t be any print galleys). I would love honest reviews submitted to Amazon, Goodreads, or other retailers/reading communities . ARC members receive an early copy 1-2 weeks before the book is published. ARC team members are also eligible to get signed, printed copies of my books at a reduced rate (just the cost of printing and shipping) when purchased directly from me. If you’re interested, click this link to fill out a short form for consideration. Thanks!
The link went to a free SurveyMonkey form. (You could also use a free Google Form.) My form was mostly geared to making sure that any applicants had the technical ability to load books on their ereading devices, although I plan on sending them the ARCs via InstaFreebie (and InstaFreebie offers tech support). I also wanted to know which series they usually read (I’d rather send ARCs of their favorite series, but I may from time to time send free books as samples of the series they haven’t read).
As soon as the newsletter went out I started getting responses.
I notified the accepted applicants to thank them, explain that they’d receive a link to the upcoming book via email, that they’d be reading an uncorrected copy, and remind them that any posted reviews needed to have a disclosure that they’d received the book for free.
Make sure you’re in compliance with Amazon’s Terms of Service/Community Guidelines, in particular this bit:
Book authors and publishers may continue to provide free or discounted copies of their books to readers, as long as the author or publisher does not require a review in exchange or attempt to influence the review.
I didn’t have a lot of hoops to jump through, but other authors do. I’ve seen everything from deadlines for posting reviews to sending proof of a review to the author. However, because of my concerns about following the Amazon ToS, I won’t explicitly require a review. However, I did stress in my email that there was a waiting list for my ARC team and if life became too busy to read and review, I’d appreciate if they’d let me know so that someone else could have the opportunity to be on the team. I will likely review the ARC team in the future and see if it is helping with sales.
Here are some other examples of ARC forms and copy to take a look at. Some ask very specific questions of the readers to help the authors determine who might be a more valuable member for their team. Some include requests not to issue spoilers for the books that they read in any reviews. Some ask which retailer in which country the reader buys books from (in order to potentially gain international reviews). Again, I’d personally be careful about requiring reviews and requests for reviews, but I think there are other good takeaways from these sites.
Basically…just ask. Ask your most dedicated readers if they would be interested in joining your ARC team.
Do you have an ARC team? How have you added members?
A Tip for Building Your ARC Team: Share on XPhoto credit: nubui on Visualhunt.com / CC BY-NC-SA
Smart to ask for an ARC team in your newsletter. You’d definitely only want those who might actually do a review. I did read about Amazon pulling reviews where the reviewer stated he’d received a free review copy – they like to make it difficult, don’t they?
They do indeed! I read about that too, although I think that the reviews are no longer being pulled (for now!)
Great ideas for developing an ARC team and complying with Amazon’s requirements.
Thanks for this, Natalie! Hope you have a good week.
I like your ideas for ARC team-building, Elizabeth. I honestly haven’t made up my mind what I want to do about ARCs in the future. I can see how they can be helpful in terms of recognition and sales. It is an investment, though. Definitely something I should think more about, so thanks.
Definitely an investment in time, but I use digital ARCS through InstaFreebie…a free program. So at least the books are free (aside from the fact, of course, that I’m likely losing some sales).
I need to prod some of my authors to try that.
It was very easy and I’ve set up the list so that it will be easy to send ARCs when the time comes, later this summer. :)
My new subscribers get a series of four automated emails from me, one per week. In the third one, I ask for people who might be interested in being on my ARC team or my street team. In any given week, I get a response or two. I’ll have a back and forth exchange over email with them to vet them (if I don’t already know them) and then I’ll add them to the team by adding them to segmented lists within my email program (Mailchimp).
I set my ARC copies up at Bookfunnel, email the ARC team, street team and VIPs (some are all three) and let them know what’s out there and give them a link. I ask them not to share the link and I remind them specifically about the Amazon ToS and then I turn them loose. I usually have a half dozen reviews within a week at Amazon US, a couple on other Amazon Country sites, a few at Goodreads and one or two at iBooks. T
I’ve heard great things about Bookfunnel. Not too much work for 6 or more reviews! Sounds as though you have your process down to a science now.
This is great advice. I’m just trying to figure out how to find good beta readers. Ha. Once I get Body Bags (short stories) completed, I want feedback. And people aren’t as apt to jump on board for a book of shorts.
I wish I weren’t a slow writer. I think it’s because I read and reread too much.
As usual, thanks for the awesome articles that help writers write.
Teresa
Some of the folks on my newsletter are actually betas of mine (very supportive and also very critical, which is a good thing.) I’ve heard good things about Critique Circle online, too: https://www.critiquecircle.com/ I would offer, except for the fact that I’m not a gifted beta! Better at writing than critiquing. :)
You might be something of a perfectionist? That’s never a bad thing, but can definitely make things move slower.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Elizabeth, I’ll check out Critique Circle. NO, I wasn’t hinting!!! If you had two minutes of extra time, I would be surprised.
I may have been called a perfectionist a time or two on other things, but I deny it. :)
Teresa C.
Perfectionism is an excellent flaw to have! Everything you release will be amazing that way. :)
Great post, Elizabeth! I really appreciate you sharing the specifics of what you actually do. It’s very helpful. I have to admit I haven’t done a thing about asking my core readers if anyone’s interested in doing this kind of thing…right now, it falls into the category of “I’ll think about it later, when I have more time.” LOL. Is this the same as a “street team”? I see writers referring to that as well, but haven’t looked into it.
Thanks!
I hadn’t done anything either, so I totally understand, ha. :) I was lucky enough to get ARC readers for other books just because they asked to get the books early (it was like they were going on a secret list!)
I’ve seen ARC readers and street teams used interchangeably quite a bit, although to me a street team also makes more of a social media impact. ARC readers are usually just asked (traditionally…and this does seem to be changing) for a review on a retail site. But street team readers will get on Facebook and Twitter, etc, as well. Still, I think the terms are definitely merging.
Hello Elizabeth, I’m offering my services for an ARC review. Let me know if you need my help.
That’s awfully nice of you, Stephen! I’ll add you to my ARC list. :) Thanks.