An ARC reader’s look at the changing attitude towards ARCs in the book community
I’ve been an ARC reader for almost 10 years, I still remember the very first ARC I received and how grateful I was. The first few years were a blur of applying to different PR teams and requesting anything and everything that appealed to me – not a great strategy and I soon became overwhelmed, but I learnt an important lesson; to only request what I actually want to read. This is something that has helped me so much and I still very much apply this method today and for the most part it works, 90% of all the ARCs I read now are from authors I love and know, with a little room for me to still give newer authors a try.
The other thing I’ve carried with me and I feel it everytime I get an ARC – Gratitude! I am so grateful when I’m sent a copy or if even a publisher reaches out (which I still find so thrilling) to offer me an opportunity the excitement is still just as strong as the first time. Recently though, looking at parts of the book space this is getting lost.
When did getting an ARC stop feeling like something exciting and start feeling like something people were owed?
ARCs are now seen as something that a person is entitled to because they publicly support an author, or that ARCs are just free books. ARCs are not rewards or badges of honour, they are a marketing tool, used by publishers to create early hype for a book’s release. I see it all the time, people complaining on threads that they weren’t selected for certain Influencer/publishing groups or moaning that a Netgalley request was denied and most recently, DMing and harassing authors for ARCs .
I totally get the disappointment of being rejected. It sucks, it really sucks but part of applying for an ARC is accepting that you might not be selected. I’ve been rejected more times than I can count but it does get easier, in fact, when I request something now, my mindset is, if i get it great! If not, I’ll read it on release day.
As someone who has been in the book space for what feels like forever, it’s sad to see the shift in attitude towards ARCs. The “I’m so lucky to get this ARC” posts are becoming less frequent and more space is being taken up with accounts assuming they deserve ARCs because of their huge following. And I know Influencer Programs don’t help, they have created an environment where you must have 1000s of followers before you are accepted and so when someone does get on one they suddenly feel entitled to ARCs.
Another thing I’ve noticed is people joining Bookstagram or TiktTok and expecting to get ARCs right away, it just doesn’t work like that. When I first started blogging it took a solid 4 months of writing reviews before I got my first ARC. I know things work faster now with social media but you still need to have patience, just because you have a book account and love an author, doesn’t mean you’re going to instantly be selected for ARCs.
So where does this leave us? Right now we are in an era where ARCs have become associated with influence, status and exclusivity, so it’s very easy for people to feel offended when they aren’t selected. So here’s a reminder from someone who has been in the trenches and experienced a lot of rejection, it’s not about you, it’s not the end of the world, getting an ARC is not a measure of your success nor does it make you an elite reader. It’s a privilege. At the end of the day you will get to read the book, you just have to wait and sometimes it is better to be reading a book alongside everyone else, release day excitement is just as important and joyful.
and I’ll leave you with this question… Has getting an ARC become more about influence and status than the books themselves?
Books & Other Pursuits 