If you love reading then you can imagine the excitement of being one of the first to read the work of a new author. It’s a huge responsibility and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Getting a pre-released copy of a book to read and review is also called being an ARC reader. The book you receive is referred to as an ‘advanced reader copy’ and the honor of reading it often comes with a list of rules.

While the author may lay out exactly what they expect from you when sending you a copy of the book before it’s released publicly, there are some things that may not be explicitly stated but should be followed out of courtesy.

We’ll go over both standards in this article.

ARCs should not be shared or sold.

If you are receiving a copy of a book ahead of its release, it should be common sense that you aren’t supposed to share it with anyone else or sell it. It is often explicitly stated by the author when you sign up to be an ARC reader.

Pirating books does affect authors, especially indie authors. They pour hours, weeks, months, and even years into putting words on the page and creating an entire book for people to read. When you share or sell their unreleased work, it impacts their future sales.

When advanced readers take advantage of the books they are getting, it puts a strain on authors and has caused many to rethink sharing their books ahead of the official release.

Give an honest review of the book.

This isn’t always required and cannot be enforced by the author but it is appreciated when you review the book after you’ve read it. They will often tell you that they would like for you to review the book and will send you links to post your review outside of social media such as on Amazon or Goodreads.

The important thing is that you give an honest review.

It can be scary to review a book that you might not have enjoyed but as long as you explain why you didn’t like it in a respectful way, it is okay to tell what you really think. After all, not all books will be something you like. By reviewing it honestly, you might help another reader with similar tastes to you.

Do not proofread or edit the book.

This usually isn’t stated in the application but ARC reading is not the same as being an alpha reader or a beta reader. Unless there is a glaring error, you shouldn’t be proofreading or editing the book. This is the copy right before the release so it has likely gone through many rounds of revisions.

The main purpose of sending our advanced reader copies is to hopefully get reviews. Alpha readers have the most freedom to proofread and suggest edits. Beta readers often are just there to provide feedback on pacing, characters, etc.

So, if you’re invited to be an ARC reader, remember that your job is not to proofread or edit the book. Just enjoy the story and leave a truthful review.

You shouldn’t tag the author in negative reviews.

This. Is. A. Big. One.

Leaving an honest review on social media doesn’t mean you have to tag the author, especially in negative reviews. You can be truthful without rubbing your dislike in the author’s face.

This point isn’t stated but it has been a source of discourse on social media, especially by those who have been blocked by authors because of that type of content (even if they weren’t ARC readers).

It is perfectly okay to not like a book but there’s no reason to send it directly to the authors. Just as you shouldn’t email them with things that you don’t like or wish they would have changed. They worked extremely hard to put that book together and get it out in the world, if you don’t like it you’re free to post about it but don’t include them directly.

You have a right to your opinions and they have a right to their peace.

Disclose that you received a copy of the book to review.

It is a good practice, though not a specific rule, to tell people that you received an advanced reader copy of a book to review. It lets them know that:

1. You did not go out and purchase this book based on reviews or recommendations.
2. You were trusted by the author to handle their work with integrity.
3. You signed up to get a free copy of the book, likely in exchange for a review.

It just shows transparency and let’s people know how you came across the book.

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If you want to start reviewing books and getting your feet wet before applying to become an ARC reader, StudioLink is a great place to share your thoughts on the books your reading and create a portfolio of reviews.

It can be fun and make you feel important to receive a book before its official release but a level of integrity is required when handling someone else’s work. ARC readers are afforded the opportunity to be one of the first people to review a book and it’s an honor that should be respected, though as we’ve seen lately not everyone shares this outlook.

So, if you are interested in becoming an ARC reader, just keep in mind how important of a job it is and be aware of how you are handling the author’s books.