Recruiting ARC Readers

Where to actually find readers

• Your own audience first: newsletter subscribers, social followers, or a Discord/Facebook group you're already part of tend to convert best, since there's an existing relationship.
• Other publishing professionals you already work with: an editor, cover designer, or formatter who doesn't have the time or budget fit for their usual service will sometimes read and review instead, in exchange for a smaller thank-you like a gift card. They're already invested in your book, which makes them a genuinely motivated reader, not just a favor.
• ARC-request services like BookSirens or Booksprout let readers browse and request books in genres they already read.
• Genre-specific Facebook groups and subreddits (e.g. r/selfpublish) often allow ARC requests if you read the group's rules first; most restrict how often you can post.
• NetGalley is the industry-standard option for wider reach, though it typically costs money to list a title.

Genre matters more than which platform you pick

Across every ARC platform, romance sells the most and gets recommended most easily; one comparison saw a 57% cover-click rate on a romance listing versus 16% for a literary title running at the same time. If you write in a niche genre (literary fiction, YA fantasy, hard sci-fi), expect lower signups no matter which platform you choose. That's not a sign you picked the wrong one. Leaning more on your own newsletter and social following, rather than a general platform, tends to matter more the more niche your genre is.

What ARC platforms actually cost

• BookSirens: $10 plus $2 per reader they actually find you. Good tracking and distribution tools; skews toward romance readers.
• Booksprout: around $9/month. Results vary a lot by genre; some authors get strong signups, others get very few.
• NetGalley: $575 for a standard six-month indie listing, the most expensive option. A cheaper route some authors use: a co-op listing through an editing service, around $75 for a one-month run.
• BookFunnel: delivers and watermarks ARC files, but doesn't find readers on its own; pair it with your own list or another source.
• NovelTalk: a newer platform, free for a first campaign, and specifically only accepts AI-free submissions.

Realistic numbers to aim for

Most authors target 50 to 100 ARC readers per book (some cap it around 150). Expect roughly 15–20% of your own reader list to actually leave a review, versus closer to 10% when sourcing cold through social media; ARC platforms tend to land somewhere in between. If you send out 5–10 copies and get 2–3 reviews back, that's normal, not a failure.

Don't ask friends and family to buy or review your book on Amazon unless they're genuine, regular readers of your genre. Amazon uses who buys your book to decide who else to show it to: a relative who doesn't normally read your genre quietly points your book at the wrong readers, and it can hurt discoverability more than it helps.

If you're enrolled in KDP Select (KU)

Enrolling in Kindle Unlimited locks your ebook to Amazon-only for 90 days, and authors disagree on whether sending digital ARC copies during that window is actually allowed. Treat it as a real risk, not settled. Two safe workarounds: send physical/print ARCs instead, which don't count against digital exclusivity, or publish a short prequel outside of KU and use that specifically for ARC reviews while your main title stays in Select.

Asking well

Be specific about what you're asking for: roughly how long the book is, when you need reviews by (usually tied to your launch date), and that a review is the ask, not just a free read. Most authors aim for more readers than they need, since not everyone who says yes finishes the book.

Making it easy for readers to follow through

The biggest drop-off isn't finding readers: it's readers finishing and actually posting a review. Use the ARC Readers page to track who has a copy and mark anyone who's stalled as "needs follow-up," then send a quick, friendly reminder rather than assuming they forgot on purpose. A short nudge close to your launch date works better than one sent right after you send the book. Readers sometimes send genuinely useful feedback privately instead of posting it publicly. That's worth capturing too, not just public review links.

Goodreads and Amazon are two separate asks

Goodreads is owned by Amazon, but reviews don't carry over from one to the other, so treat them as two separate requests. Readers can generally post a Goodreads review as soon as your book is listed there, so ask for those during your ARC window, before launch. Amazon reviews can only be posted once your book is live, so ask again in launch week.

Expect fewer Amazon reviews than Goodreads ones. Amazon has its own eligibility rules for reviewers, and not every ARC reader will qualify. A reader who can't post on Amazon can still leave a Goodreads review, which is why asking for both beats asking for one.

Watch for marketing scams

Be wary of any marketing service that quotes a large flat fee upfront with vague promises about results: that pattern shows up repeatedly in author scam reports. Cheaper, slower organic channels (a newsletter, TikTok, genre-specific Facebook groups) are safer places to start than paying a firm before you've seen real evidence they deliver.