How to land Bookish PR Boxes, eARCs & more!
No, you do not need a million followers
Hi, friends!
Happy Monday. A lot of you have asked how to land bookish PR. I have gotten gorgeous PR boxes filled with artwork, candles, bookmarks and more, and also wonderful eARCs copies on my Kindle…. and I was able to land a lot of these even when I didn’t have a lot of followers.
I’m here to give you some tips. It does require you to do a little bit of work and stay organized, but it is well worth it and so much fun!
Before we dive in, here is some important terminology you might not be familiar with:
ARC = advanced reader copy (may still contain missing elements such as art + maps and editing errors)
eARC = electronic advanced reader copy (may still contain missing elements such as art + maps and editing errors)
author street teams = group of readers/fans who help promote the author’s work via a variety of activities, including sharing quotes + cover reveals on social media
beta reader = test reader for an unreleased title and often provides initial feedback to the author; this takes place even before ARC copies go out
Author teams + Groups:
Most of your favorite authors have private Fb groups, and/or Discords where they will share exclusives and opportunities to sign up for ARCs before anyone else. They sometimes are looking for beta readers, as well.
Once or twice a year, they tend to open up spots on their street teams -- which includes some extra work promoting their books on socials. Be on the lookout for those applications, too, as nine times out of ten, the street team gets access to ARCs before anyone else.
Join their newsletters, too, as they will send exclusives and ARC applications that way as well.
Netgalley:
The best way to get electronic ARCs is by creating a Netgalley profile.
Your bio matters! Make sure your profiles are completed filled out and as detailed as possible.
Don’t apply to every single title you see on there... make sure you really love the genre and that the book sounds interesting to you.
Some publishers are notorious for rejecting on Netgalley so don’t sweat it.
Keep an eye out for “Read Now” titles -- some books are readily available for download without applying.
Publisher Influencer Programs:
Many of the big publishing houses have influencer programs, and those applications open up either seasonally, or once a year.
If you are accepted into their programs, it is the best way to get access to physical book mail.
Another perk of most of these influencer programs, is that you will be auto approved for all of their titles on Netgalley.
Some publishers have Fb groups where they post forms -- keep an eye out for those.
To note, just because you are a part of an influencer program one year, doesn’t mean you will be in it the following year as they try to give everyone opportunities.
PR Companies + Book Tours:
The book tour companies I personally follow are The Nerd Fam, The Realm Archives, Haus of Fables and MTMC Tours. Sign up for their newsletters, and follow them on social media for the chance to apply to some exciting titles. Their book mailers often come with gorgeous swag in addition to the books. *This is how I get most of my PHYSICAL books.
Some book/author PR firms also have their own influencer programs which are great to sign up for, along with weekly newsletter with eARCs opportunities.
Other Important Things to Note:
When filling out applications, the number one mistake + why your application is rejected is due to broken links. Make sure your application is filled out properly, and that all of your links work!
A big social media following isn’t required. Don’t sweat it if your following is not massive!
Try not to over extend yourself. It can be exciting to apply to many opportunities all at once, but if you get approved for a lot of books, it can feel overwhelming to read + submit your reviews on time.
At minimum, make sure you have one social media page dedicated to books, an active Goodreads and Amazon account in order to increase your chances of getting selected.
Opportunities will vary from country to country.
Physical book mailers are not as common these days. They cost the author and publishers more, so be prepared to primarily be reading eARCs (which are great, too!).
Authors + Publishers may contact you directly! Make it easy for them to do so :)
I hope some of these tips help you! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
Lots of love,
Charlotte
Stay connected with me on TikTok, Youtube, BlueSky and Goodreads.