How to Get ARC Readers for Your New Book Before Launch

When I published my first book, nobody warned me about the silence.

You spend months — sometimes years — writing the thing. You hit publish. And then you refresh the page, waiting for readers who don't know you exist yet.

ARC readers are how you avoid launching into that silence. This guide covers what they are, where to actually find them, what to send, and how many you really need (fewer than you think).

What an ARC reader actually is

ARC stands for Advance Reader Copy: a free copy of your book, given to readers before release day, in exchange for honest feedback or an honest review.

Notice the word honest, twice. You are not recruiting cheerleaders. A good ARC round gives you two things:

• Reviews waiting to go live in launch week, so your book page never sits at zero.
• A last line of defence — readers who catch the confusing chapter, the pacing dip, the typo you missed on your forty-seventh read.

What it won't do is make your book successful by itself. Think of it as making sure the doors are open on opening night — you still have to put on the show.

Step 1: Decide what this round is for

Before you ask anyone, answer one question: do you want feedback or reviews?

• Feedback ARCs go out early — two to three months before launch — while you can still change the book.
• Review ARCs go out four to eight weeks before launch, when the text is final, so reviews land as the book goes live.

Mixing them up is the most common first-timer mistake. If you send a near-final book asking for feedback, you'll get notes you can't use. If you send an unedited draft hoping for reviews, you'll get reviews of the unedited draft.

Step 2: Build a simple ARC kit

Some authors accidentally turn ARC reading into a job application — forms, contracts, weekly check-ins. Don't. Your kit needs exactly four things:

1. The book file in EPUB and PDF, so nobody has to fight their e-reader. A tool like BookFunnel can handle delivery neatly, but plain email attachments work fine when you're starting out.
2. A one-paragraph pitch — genre, one-line hook, and content notes if your book needs them.
3. The release date, and where reviews will help most (usually Amazon and Goodreads).
4. A thank-you. Written like a person, not a campaign.

That's the whole kit. The easier you make it, the more readers finish.

Step 3: Start with the readers you already have

You do not need an audience to run an ARC round. Most indie authors start with:

• friends who genuinely read your genre
• online friends from book communities you're already in
• a handful of social media followers

Two honest caveats. First, match the genre — handing your horror novel to someone who only reads business books wastes both your time. Second, know that Amazon sometimes removes reviews from people it decides are close to you. Feedback from friends is still gold; just don't build your launch plan on their reviews surviving.

Step 4: Go where your genre's readers already gather

The best ARC readers are people who were already looking for a book like yours:

• Goodreads groups run ARC threads for most genres.
• Fable book clubs are smaller and chattier — good for actual conversation.
• Instagram and TikTok book communities — search your genre's hashtags and you'll find readers who post nothing but early reviews.
• Facebook reader groups — many genres have dedicated "ARC readers wanted" groups.

One rule everywhere: be a person before you're a promotion. Talk about books you love. Answer questions. Readers support authors who feel human, and they can smell a drive-by book link from a distance.

Step 5: Ask other indie authors

Fellow indie authors make some of the best ARC readers there are. They read fast, they review thoughtfully, and they know exactly how much a launch-week review matters — because they've needed one themselves.

At IndieFiction, authors can volunteer as ARC readers from their account page, and we're building a way to send ARC requests directly to that list — coming soon as a paid plan. Listing your book stays free, always. Create your free author profile now and you'll be ready when it opens.

Step 6: Ask properly

When you reach out, short and personal beats polished and long. Something like:

Hi [name] — I noticed you read a lot of [genre]. My [genre] novel [Title] comes out on [date], and I'm looking for a few early readers. I'd send you a free copy (EPUB or PDF), and if you enjoyed it, an honest review around launch would mean a lot. No pressure either way — happy to just have it on your radar.

Everything that matters is in there: why them, what they get, what you're hoping for, and a graceful way out. The "no pressure" line isn't politeness — it's what makes people say yes.

Step 7: Follow up once, then let go

A week before launch, send one gentle nudge with the release date and review links. On launch day, a short thank-you note.

And then — this is the part nobody enjoys — accept that some readers will enthusiastically sign up, download your book, and vanish forever. This happens to every author, on every launch, at every size. It isn't about your book. Budget for it: if you want ten reviews, find twenty readers.

How many readers do you actually need?

New authors often assume the answer is hundreds. It isn't.

Ten to twenty engaged readers can carry a first indie launch. A book that goes live with eight honest reviews looks alive. Readers trust it, and the algorithms treat it accordingly. Early on, momentum matters far more than scale.

Keep it honest

Three lines you never cross, because they can sink a book:

• Never pay for reviews.
• Never ask for a positive review — ask for an honest one.
• Make sure readers disclose they received a free copy. Amazon requires it, and a simple "I received an ARC of this book" covers it.

An honest three-star review from a real reader does more for you than five fake stars ever will — and only one of them can get your reviews wiped.

Your first ARC round won't be glamorous

No launch team. No campaign budget. Just a handful of readers willing to give your book a chance before release day — and that's genuinely how most indie careers begin.

Once your ARC round is rolling, your next job is being findable: how to promote your book as a beginner covers the first steps, and if you're tempted to pay for promotion, read what I learned hiring book influencers before you spend anything.