ARCs- or Advanced Reader Copies – can sound alluring and exciting, but how are you supposed to get them? I’ve compiled a list of places where any book blogger, or even just a dedicated reader, can find ARCs. I began using some of these websites when I only considered myself a “dedicated reader”. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that they’re useful for more than just bloggers and so easy to use.
Below you’ll find accessible links, simple explanations, and tips on how and where to get ARCs. As well, I’ve linked guides to other book blogs that do a great job of clearly explaining how to use some of these websites. Get to reading and enjoy!
E-ARC Requesting Websites
NetGalley: Perhaps the most widely known source for e-book ARCs. I started getting approved for e-books here before I was even running a blog. It’s that easy! However, before you just start requesting every book in sight, let me tell you a few secrets to make your life easier down the road.
It can be easy to get caught up in all the free books you could potentially get. I found myself thinking, “let me just request as many books as I can because they probably won’t approve me”. Well, guess what, THEY DID and THEY DO!
Only request the books you really want to read and review. If not, you’ll end up with more books than you can handle. This may not seem like a big deal, but NetGalley gives you a feedback ratio that is best to keep above 80% in order for publishers to still consider you for books. So word to the wise, don’t just request every book you see.
The linked website will bring you to the site for the United States. There is also a site available to those in the UK. I’ve heard it can be difficult to get a book on NetGalley if you’re international, but some bloggers say they find ways around it.
Edelweiss: Another widely known source for e-book arcs. This one is much harder to learn/understand and seems to be even harder to get approved for books than NetGalley. I used other bloggers to help me understand how to navigate Edelweiss. These posts can be found on Reader Voracious (it’s a great blog in general. Def check it out.), The Book Prescription, and Books, Bones, and Buffy.
Book Sirens: This is also a good website for book bloggers or readers. Indie authors and authors who self-publish upload their books here and allow users to receive e-arcs of them. You don’t really have to wait to get approved for a book on this website since the authors welcome any readers. This website is great because it helps authors who are lesser-known to receive more recognition for their work.
Other Sources
BookishFirst: A great website for book bloggers or readers! This website lets you win free physical and e-book arcs! The way this website works is that they have 1-2 books a week with excerpts available to download and read. Once you do that, you can leave a “first impression” review. If you like what you read, you can then choose to enter the raffle to win that book. You have to leave a first impression though. At the end of the week, if you won the book, they’ll email you and let you know. A lot of these books are physical copies so they’ll ask for your mailing address.
Another cool part of this website is that for each first impression, review, etc. that you leave, you earn points. After so many points, you can get a free book from there. In other words, once you have enough points, instead of entering the raffle, you can just get it. So cool, right?
The books they offer are from many different genres so there’s an opportunity for everyone. No matter what your genre preferences, you’ll have an opportunity to enter a raffle for a book.
For those in the UK, BookishFirst has another website for you that works the same, ReadersFirst.
Email publishers: Did you know you can email publishers for physical and digital copies of books soon to be published? This method of receiving arcs is more for book bloggers and those who have built up a following. Publishers want to know that they’re sending their book to a place that is going to be seen by lots of readers.
As I said before, I referenced a few blog posts that initially helped me to structure my emails for publishers. One can be found on Lost in a Story. And if you’re wondering where in the world to find a publisher’s contact information, you can typically find an email under ‘publicity’ or ‘marketing’.
I hope this post has been helpful. I know it was helpful for me to compile all of this information. It helped remind me of all the resources available to book bloggers and book lovers. As always, feel free to reach out to me with any questions you have. The comment section below and my contact form are always open.
Disclaimer: Availability outside of the United States may be limited or not available.
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