Vocabulary
ARC “arc” Advance Reader Copy
Galley (historically something specific, but now often used interchangeably with ARC)
Both ARCs & galleys are uncorrected proofs that are not in the final form factor the book will take. They are sent out to reviewers and should never be quoted or sold for profit.
Printing physical ARCs can be a big investment. Consider going green and sending out ebooks or audiobooks when possible.
Prepare for Reviewers
You’ll want to make things easy for your reviewers by setting up a Goodreads and Storygraph page before sending our ARCs. This doesn’t mean you need to read reviews. But making your book’s page means potential reviewers will be able to find your book (and its cover) to review it. I have accounts on both, but I use Storygraph to track my personal reading. It’s vastly superior and also a black owned small business.
Asking for Blurbs & Reviews
Another reason to send out an ARC (pdf or print copy) is to ask your colleagues to write a quote or blurb. Or to leave a review on a platform like Amazon. It’s a good idea to do this before publication. You can even add blurbs to the book. Sometimes these are used on the cover and other times are included in the front of the book itself.
Further Reading
How to Get ARCs (a reader’s perspective)