For readers
Free stories to read now. ARC readers wanted, often before release.
IndieFiction is a free home for indie and self-published books. Join the reader list and we'll send you the ones worth your time. Tick one more box and you'll hear from authors looking for ARC readers, often before anyone else has read their book. Each author chooses who gets a copy.
- Requests from authors looking for ARC readers, often before release
- New indie releases in your inbox, no shouting, no BUY NOW
- Say yes only to the books you want. Leave in one click.
Count me in
Your email, and the ARC box if you'd like to be an ARC reader. That's it.
Already have an account? Turn ARC reading on from your account.
How it works
Being an ARC reader, in three steps.
Tick the box
Pop your email in and tick “I’d like to be an ARC reader”. That is the whole signup: no application, no card.
Authors send requests
When an indie author wants readers for a new book, or one that's already out, we pass their request on to the list. You see the book, the genre and what they are hoping for.
Say yes to the ones you like
Read what interests you, skip what does not. You are never obliged to say yes, and an honest review is always more useful to an author than a kind one.
Requests come from the authors listed on IndieFiction, and we pass on genuine ones only. See the ARC requests open right now. The newsletter and the ARC list are two separate boxes, so you can have one without the other. Read a past issue of the Shout-Out to see what the newsletter is like.
Meanwhile
Something to read right now.
Indie books in every genre, three ways to find the one for you, and a quiz to prove you know your books. All free, no account needed.
Optional
Want a shelf as well?
A free reader account keeps the books you find. It takes a minute, and you can switch ARC reading on or off from it whenever you like.
- A TBR shelf: save any book on the site in one tap
- Follow authors and hear first when they publish something new
- A page of your own for reviews and notes
Free, and it stays free.
No card, no catch. Readers who also write can pick an author account instead: it lists books, and it can save, follow and review too.
Create a free reader accountQuestions readers ask
- What is an ARC?
- An ARC is an advance review copy: a copy an author shares with readers, hoping for honest reviews. Most come before a book is published, so reviews are ready for launch day, and some are for books that are already out. Each author chooses their own ARC readers, so signing up doesn't guarantee a copy. If you're picked, the copy is free, usually as an ebook.
- Do I have to write a review?
- No. Authors hope for one, and a short honest review helps an indie book more than almost anything else, but nothing is owed. Read the books you say yes to, and review the ones you have something to say about.
- How often will you email me?
- The newsletter goes out when there is something worth sending, most weeks as the Shout-Out of new indie releases. ARC requests are separate: one round-up on Fridays, only in weeks when authors are looking for readers. Neither is daily.
- How do I leave?
- Every email has a one-click unsubscribe, and the ARC list is separate from the newsletter, so you can leave one and keep the other. We never sell or share your address.
More in the full FAQ, and the privacy policy says exactly what we do with your address.
Read the next indie favourite before it is one.
One email address, one tick. Leave whenever you like.
Become an ARC reader