ARC Reader Frequently Asked Questions

What is an ARC?
It is an Advanced Reader Copy. People who fill out my ARC forms can receive an early copy of my latest release through Bookfunnel in exchange for a fair and honest review. You do not need to be a professional book reviewer, any one can sign up!

Release-date reviews help the book reach its best audience, by letting readers make informed choices. While I can give readers a blurb or a TW list, I can’t give them what it’s actually like to read the book. (Also, there isn’t much credibility to it if I say my book is hilarious, of course I would think it is. But you? You’re the reason any of this works.)

Where do I post my review?
Goodreads is typically where I tell people, but if you want to post to your socials, your blogs, on Amazon, on any of the other popular book reviewing websites, go for it.
There can be some issues on Amazon’s end when it comes to posting reviews, so I appreciate if you do post there, but I understand if you are unable to.

Do we tag you in reviews?
It is generally my policy that I try to boost visibility on review posts that I’m tagged in, I share them to my FB and Instagram stories, and highlight reels. Often reviewers are building their social media platforms just as I am, so I make a point to share review posts that I’m tagged in.

My one request is: please don’t tag me in negative or low star reviews. I do believe in finding areas my books can grow in from reviews, but I reserve the right to choose when I am in the best headspace for it. I’ve gotten notifications for 3-star reviews while visiting the ER for food poisoning, and it’s just not the vibe. You understand.

DNF Requests
If for any reason, you feel unable to finish reading/reviewing the book (life gets in the way, not feeling the book/characters, etc), then do not feel obligated to keep reading!

If the book doesn’t connect with you, for whatever reason, it’s totally ok to DNF. For me, the point of writing is to have fun and create enjoyment, and if the book doesn’t do that for you, I would not want you to stress out over finishing it. Life is too short to spend time dragging yourself through a book that isn’t enriching your life.

(You also do not need to notify me.)

Are you checking on reviews?
I’m not your teacher and this isn’t a homework assignment, we’re adults taking part in the literary ecosystem. I’m not going to be checking up to make sure everyone who received an ARC posted a review. That’s weird and controlling, and honestly sounds exhausting.

What do I do if I find a typo?
Feel free to email or DM me about it! At this point the book has been through a few rounds of editing, but there are always a few stubborn typos leftover.

What if I find something worse?
If you find something you believe to be genuinely problematic in the book, please let me know! It is important to me to not cause harm to my readers, so I want to take every precaution pre-release to either fix it, or add warnings to the content list.

How should people contact you? Email/DMs?
Both are acceptable! I am most responsive on instagram @bykateprior, but email works just as well, katepriorauthor@gmail.com.

What If I Can’t Finish Reading/Reviewing On Time?
If life happens fast at you after you get an ARC, no sweat. Life comes first, your wellbeing is more important than a review. Please do not stress about reading/reviewing on time.

While the primary mechanic of ARCs is to create a large push of reviews for release date, it is still very helpful to receive reviews after release. I’m actually still getting some ARC reviews from my last release, and it makes my day to see people coming back to it in their own time.

Stance on AI Reviews
Against it, full stop. Do not feed my work into an AI. Review them because you love books and reading and language itself. Posers can show themselves out.