FAQ

How does being an ARC reader work?

ARC stands for Advanced Reader Copy. ARC readers are given the opportunity to read books before they are published publicly. These books are provided free of charge with the understanding that the recipient will read the book in a timely manner and post an honest review of their experience. This is why some books already seem to have a lot of reviews in the first day or two of their launch. And those reviews are precious! The sooner a book starts accruing reviews, the more visibility it gains during that first critical period after it's published.

My ARCs are generally distributed through NetGalley, a free-to-sign-up-for service that connects reviewers with authors. Readers can request books directly from NetGalley, but if you are included on my ARC team you will be sent an invitation with a NetGalley widget to download the book. I will occasionally provide copies directly to readers who don't use NetGalley, but only in special cases, such as a fellow author whose review would give the book a hefty boost in a shared genre.

Do I need to have read your previous books?

Not necessarily. While many of my books are part of a series, and I do highly recommend reading the series in order to get the most out of a new release, you should be able to ready any of my books alone so long as you understand that you may be missing some backstory and make allowances for that. I don't end my books with cliffhangers, so each book should contain an entire story on its own even if some threads are picked up or left trailing as part of a larger arc. If you are not yet familiar with my books and/or series, I suggest you take a look at the books page on my website: https://www.lrbraden.com/p/books.html

What if I don't like the book?

ARC books are given in exchange for an HONEST review. That doesn't always mean a positive one. That said, most ARC readers will not post reviews for books they truly didn't enjoy. If you imagine a scale of one to five stars, most reviewers don't publish a review of less than three for an ARC out of respect for the author. I ask that if you intend to rate one of my books at less than three stars you wait to post your review until at least one week after the launch date.

Where should I post a review?

The more places the better, but I do ask that my ARC readers post their review on at least one of the following platforms: Amazon, Goodreads, or Bookbub. Preferable all three. Since the goal is to spread the word about a new book as far as possible, I encourage you to share across any platforms you're comfortable with. Other review locations include, but are not limited to: LibraryThing, AppleBooks, GoogleBooks, Kobo, NetGalley, BookSirens, personal blogs, genre review sites.

What if I sign up but then don't have time when the book comes out?

If you don't have time in your schedule to read my book when the ARC invitation goes out, don't sweat it. Life happens. I know that. You can always skip a book, or post a later review when time allows. Just shoot me an email to let me know what's going on so you don't get removed from the ARC team. If a person is consistently not posting reviews for books they've received, they will be removed from the team.

How will you use my review?

While the main purpose of a review is to provide insight for potential readers on sites like Amazon, Goodreads, and BookBub that can help them decide whether or not to purchase a book, I also use reviews for marketing purposes. If a line or two of a review is particularly catchy or unique, I may use it in my advertising, as seen in the examples below. Sometimes I credit the reviewer, sometimes not, it depends on how much space I have to work with. I will also sometimes post full reviews on my social media channels and/or link back to reviews posted on blogs.