What Is an ARC and How Do I Get One for My Self-Published Book?

Poke around self-publishing for long enough, and you’ll eventually find yourself asking, “What is an ARC?” ARC stands for Advance Review Copy (or, depending on who you ask, Advance Reader Copy). It’s exactly what it says on the tin: a pre-publication version of your manuscript meant for early readers so they can provide reviews, endorsements, and media coverage before launch.

But where do you get these reviews, and what do you do with them once you have them?

In this post, we’ll explain some of the strategies behind ARCs and how you can use them in your book launch. We’ll look at creating ARCs, and we’ll share best practices for leveraging advance praise in your book listings and elsewhere.

Topics Covered In “What Is an ARC and How Do I Get One for My Self-Published Book?”

Why ARCs Matter
The Three Main Types of ARCs and How to Get Them
What to Do with Endorsements
Publish with Spoonbridge Press

Why ARCs Matter

The purpose of an ARC is to give other readers, reviewers, and retailers the ability to read your book ahead of its publication and share advance praise. While major publications are doing away with blurbs, they remain a valuable tool for independent authors looking to stand out in a crowded market.

There are a few different goals for sending out advance readers copies, and your goals should depend on your publishing strategy.

Endorsements and Blurbs

Gather praise from notable authors and industry professionals so you can leverage that praise in your book, sales pages, website, and other marketing copy.

Early Reviews

Encourage regular readers to post on Goodreads, Amazon, and other platforms during a soft book launch to inspire readers outside your network to buy your book.

Trade Publications

Submit your book to various industry publications (Publishers Weekly, Library Journal) to receive professional book reviews, which you can leverage much like other endorsements.

Note: Not all industry publications are created equal. Be wary of paid reviews, and make sure to set appropriate expectations for the usefulness of those reviews.

Libraries and Retailers

If connecting with libraries and retailers is part of your marketing plan, ARCs can help drive preorders and may influence booksellers to stock your book.

The Three Main Types of ARCs and How to Get Them

Think about the publication process and the various stages your manuscript goes through on its journey from draft to publication.

In its roughest state, your manuscript may not be in the kind of shape you’d want to share with a professional reviewer. For most authors, it’s best to wait at least until after copyediting. At this point, ideally, all front and back matter will be present, and the content is very close to its final form. 

But you don’t want to just send out an unmarked copy of your unpublished book, especially when you don’t personally know the recipient. While each reviewer will have their own preferences, here is a look at the three types of watermarked ARCs and how you can get one.

Watermarked PDF of Your Copyedited Manuscript

(Note: The steps and screenshots below apply to the most recent version of Microsoft Word for Mac as of this publication, but you should find similar options in your Windows version.)

If possible, you’ll want to wait until your book has been through all editing. At its earliest point following editing, this will be a Word document with all tracked changes and comments cleared.

Before we create watermarked PDFs, we like to add “Property of” followed by the author’s name and email address to the top of every page. To do this, do one of the following:

• Double-click in the top area of the document to open the Header text field and type your chosen text
• In the top ribbon, click on Insert > Header > Edit Header to open the Header text field and type your chosen text

Depending on your goals, this single review copy may be sufficient for everyone who needs one. (To discourage readers from sharing the manuscript with anyone else, some authors create separate ARCs for every reader that include the reader’s information too.)

When you’re finished, double-click the main text area to exit the Header.

To turn this into a watermarked PDF, take these steps:

1.   In the top menu, click on Insert > Watermark.
2.   Select “Text” and type “REVIEW COPY.”
3.   Select your chosen font and size.
4.   Select 0% transparency AND change text color to light gray (this will appear too faint, but don’t worry!).
5.   In the top menu, click on File > Print > PDF and save to your computer.

To see the finished product, open it in a PDF reader after saving.

Watermarked PDF of Your Designed, Unproofed Interior

Some book reviewers, publications, and influencers will request a fully designed interior. These ARCs don’t typically need to be proofread, so early readers still have several weeks to read your book and share their reviews or endorsements before the design needs to be finalized for publication.

(Of course, every publication is different, so check the requirements provided by the reviewer you plan to approach.)

To create a PDF of your designed, unproofed interior file, you have a few options:

• Ask your book designer to export a copy with a faint “PROOF COPY—NOT FOR RESALE” watermark on every page.
• Insert a watermark with Adobe Acrobat.
• Use a free or paid watermark program such as WatermarkPDF.

When you send these, mention that the PDF is unproofed to avoid any confusion.

Printed Copies of Your ARC

Some top-tier reviewers, booksellers, and media contacts may prefer a printed copy of your book. This is an extra step, but sending out printed review copies is a great way to make it easy for certain readers to read and review your book.

If you need a printed copy of your book, you have options! Take a look at these common options.

Order KDP Print Proof Copies

Before you publish your book on Amazon, you can order proof copies of your book. These are exact replicas of what your book will look like on publication, but they have a “NOT FOR RESALE” stamp across the cover.

Typically, authors use these proof copies to check the placement of your design elements and make sure there are no surprises in the finished product. However, because of this “NOT FOR RESALE” stamp, they are also ideal to use as review copies. To place an order for a paperback or hardcover proof copy, make sure your book is in Draft status. After you’ve approved your book in Print Previewer, you can take these steps:

1.   Navigate to your KDP Bookshelf and find the book you want to order.
2.   Hover over the ellipsis (“…”) menu and click Request Printed Proofs.
3.   Choose the number of proof copies you’d like (up to 5).
4.   Choose the Amazon marketplace based on your shipping destination.
5.   Click Submit Proof Request.

Within just a few hours of submitting your request, you’ll receive an email with a link to complete your order in your Amazon shopping cart. 

Note: KDP only allows you to print up to 5 proof copies in a single order. If you need more than 5 proof copies, simply place multiple orders.

Order IngramSpark Print Proof Copies

If you have a longer timeline, you can order proof copies from IngramSpark:

1.   Navigate to your IngramSpark account.
2.   Click “Orders” > “Place Order” and locate the book you’re ordering copies of.
3.   Follow IngramSpark’s prompts to enter quantity and shipping information and place your order.

Important: If you are uploading your book to IngramSpark so you can order pre-publication proof copies, don’t enable global distribution when you set up your book.

Order Copies from 48 Hour Books

In a pinch, we’ve turned to 48hrbooks.com for both proof and regular author copies, and we’ve been very impressed with the helpful customer service and fast production and shipping turnaround times.

While proof copies cost a bit more (and you have to add any “Proof Copy” watermarks to the artwork you submit, this company is a good option for high-quality short runs. Just navigate to 48hrbooks.com (or use our referral link for no added cost to you) and click Place Order to upload your files and get started.

What to Do with Endorsements

As an independent author, getting someone to review, endorse, or blurb your book is a huge accomplishment. Here are a few ways you can leverage those early readers into powerful social proof.

“Praise For” Section

If an author receives at least three endorsements, we like to include them at the beginning of the book in a “Praise For” section. This highlights the social proof for readers right from the very first page.

Front Cover

If the cover artwork lends itself well to adding a few words of text, you can feature an excerpt from your choicest endorsement. (Just remember to keep it short—just a few words if possible—so the blurb isn’t visually competing with your artwork.)

Back Cover

In addition to copy about the book meant to entice readers, it’s a good idea to include excerpts of reviews or blurbs on your back cover copy. Depending on how many reviews we want to include, we like to keep these to just a few lines. (Remember, you can use the longer version in your “Praise For” section or your website.)

Amazon Author Central Page

If you’ve ever seen a book listing with a bold endorsement at the top of the book listing, you may be wondering where the author added that. In fact, you’ll want to back out of your book listing page and navigate to your Author Central page, then add endorsements under “Editorial Reviews.”

Other Marketing Materials

Once you obtain reviews, blurbs, and endorsements—along with permissio to use them for promotional purposes—the sky’s the limit. Share your glowing praise in website copy, press releases, print and digital ads, Amazon A+ Content, social media, and anywhere else you can think of.

Publish with Spoonbridge Press

If you’re looking for help with your ARC strategy, we offer the flexibility to add endorsements to your book right up until proofreading is finalized. This gives you more time to be 

To learn more about how you might incorporate advance review copies into your publishing strategy, schedule a free author consultation with Spoonbridge Press.