# 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
1. 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.
2. Form: a Mailchimp tag `arc-team` via a one-question form (name, preferred format EPUB/PDF, where they review). Target 30 sign-ups for 10-15 reviews (30-50% completion).
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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