Common Questions
Who can sign up?
Anyone who loves to read and review books, even if you're just getting into it. A big following or past reviews are not necessary.
What is an ARC reader, and why is it so important?
An ARC reader is someone who receives a free book, often before the release and more often in ebook format, in exchange for an honest review. ARC stands for Advance Reader Copy. Generally, ARC reviewers are a huge part of a book release for both independent and traditionally published authors. Having reviews helps the books get noticed by other readers, making it vital for algorithms on retailers like Amazon. It also creates buzz and excitement around the release date!
You are under no obligation to actually leave a review or to review by a certain time. I understand life gets in the way and sometimes you can't read or review. If a reviewer is consistently getting free ARC copies and not reviewing on at least one site, they will be removed from the team.
Where can I sign up?
The S.P. Woods ARC Team sign-up form is listed in a google form below.
If your form was accepted, you'll receive a confirmation email. This can take some time as the form will not be viewed until a new arc is set to release. Sometimes, the emails will get delivered to the junk or spam folder. Emails containing the ARCs will be sent 2-4 weeks before the release date. A couple of reminder emails will be sent because I know life gets busy and it can be hard to keep track of specific dates. This is not a sign-up to my newsletter. Please email me if you later want to be taken off the ARC team.
If you don't hear back with a confirmation of being on the ARC team, not every applicant is chosen, but it could be that the form wasn't completely filled out, or that the confirmation email went to your spam or junk folder.
**ARC copies are not allowed to be shared, sold, or distributed in any way. If you know anyone who may want to join to read and review, please send them my website!
When is the best time to leave a review?
You can leave a review anytime after receiving the ARC copy! I really appreciate you taking the time to do that. Some important information: Goodreads reviews can be posted before the release date. Amazon won't allow the ebook reviews to be posted until the day of the release.
Amazon paperback copies will sometimes be published early, and reviews can be left there. Sometimes, amazon will take a few days to publish your review. Leaving the review under the "paperback" version will often mean it gets accepted faster, but either way works! The ebook and paperback versions combine to the same page after both are released.
Disliking the book is totally valid. If you consistently find my work isn't for you, or even a genre you don't like to read, I ask that you send me an email to be removed from future ARCs.
What do I put in a review?
That's allll up to you!
I know what it's like to have an idea or opinion and then you sit down and draw a blank. Honestly, I'm happy you're on the ARC Team and happy with any rating or thoughts you want to share. When rating, 5 stars means you loved the book. 1 star is the lowest.
People often leave a couple of sentences up to a couple of paragraphs of general thoughts or feelings. They may include how the book made them feel, their favorite characters, if readers of another author might like it, or a favorite quote. Please don't post spoilers, but if necessary, consider adding a spoiler tag .
CURRENT SIGN-UP FORM WILL BE BELOW IF AVAILABLE
Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns! spwbooks@outlook.com
