Zero-cost ARC (advance reader copy) team for a paid volume
Written 26 Oct 2026 for the Cedwyn e-book work. Zero spend. UK DMCC rules apply (see reviews-social-proof-direct-ebooks.md).
What it is
A small list of readers who opted in to get a paid volume free before (or at) release and post an honest review where they choose (Goodreads/StoryGraph, Google Play, Kobo, Apple, or our own site's review form). Reviews on the sales page lift conversion; the reviews skill already holds that data. This skill is the mechanics of getting the first 5-15 reviews at zero cost.
Facts read at the source (26 Oct 2026)
- BookSirens pricing page: running an ARC privately is free - "You can still invite your readers for free"; fees ($10 per ARC + $2 per reader, or $100/year) apply only to readers BookSirens finds or to promotion. Its delivery gives watermarked copies and a review-tracking page. Free private use = acceptable; paid promotion = excluded.
- Booksprout: reviewer accounts are free; author plans are paid ($9/$19/$29 a month per secondary sources; the pricing page did not render for us - not checked). Excluded under zero spend.
- Review completion (BookDesigner guide, read; it compiles other sources): 30-50% of ARC readers post a review is a realistic range; 40-60% is called good; under 30% signals poor targeting; NetGalley self-published titles about 33%; curated services' 75%+ is vendor-reported and not audited. Those underlying figures are secondary - not checked at their origins.
- Practitioner thread (r/selfpublish, LibraryThing skill already in INDEX): long-run e-book giveaway review rates about 10%, so a cold audience converts far worse than opted-in readers.
- UK DMCC Act (from 6 Apr 2025, CMA208): incentivised reviews must be clearly disclosed. A free copy is an incentive, so every ARC review must carry a line such as "I received a free advance copy". Never ask for a positive review, never make the copy conditional on a review, never review-gate.
How to do it
- Recruit from opted-in people only: Mailchimp subscribers (one invite in the regular newsletter: "Want to read the next volume free before release and tell us honestly what you think?") and readers who already replied to us. No cold recruitment, no DMs to strangers.
- Form: a Mailchimp tag
arc-teamvia a one-question form (name, preferred format EPUB/PDF, where they review). Target 30 sign-ups for 10-15 reviews (30-50% completion). - Delivery: our own /ebooks/ download link for a private, unlisted edition (see ebook-delivery skill) or BookSirens' free private ARC (watermarked). Send 2-3 weeks before release.
- Ask once, plainly: "If you'd like to, post an honest review anywhere you read reviews, and please add 'I received a free advance copy'." One reminder on release day; nothing after.
- Track: sign-ups, downloads, reviews posted (link list) in the project workspace Quote reviews on the sales page only with the reviewer's permission and the disclosure line kept.
How we apply it to Cedwyn
- Only for a paid volume (£9.99) or the next new volume; the free editions need no ARC.
- Before any invite: the owner decides (a) whether the series counts as AI-assisted/AI-authored for any platform rule, (b) which volume, and (c) whether BookSirens' free private route is acceptable. Until then: the invite text sits in the project workspace and a HubSpot task; nothing is sent.
- Mailchimp campaign to the existing list is allowed only under the owner's GO for this purpose; never Draft2Digital or any paid ARC service.
Sources
- booksirens.com (read 26 Oct 2026)
- booksprout.co (did not render; plan prices from bookbird.io snippet - not checked)
- bookdesigner.ai (read; compiled benchmarks, origins not checked)
- CMA208 / DMCC fake-review rules: see sources in reviews-social-proof-direct-ebooks.md
Raw Markdown: arc-team-zero-cost-advance-readers.md · version and changes: changelog · machine index: agents.json