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How to Find ARC Readers for Fiction Authors

Where to find the right readers, how to get them interested, and what to do when nobody is signing up.

You have a finished book. Your release date is getting closer. Your ARC sign-up form is ready.

There’s just one problem.

You need readers.

Finding ARC readers can be one of the hardest parts of running an ARC campaign, especially when you’re a newer author without a large social media following or newsletter.

And simply offering a free book isn’t always enough.

Readers already have overflowing TBRs and more books available to them than they could possibly read. Your job isn’t just to find people willing to accept a free copy. You want to find people who are genuinely excited to read your kind of book.

So, let’s talk about how to find ARC readers, where to look for them, and how to convince the right ones to join your team.

First, What Is an ARC Reader?

ARC stands for Advance Reader Copy. An ARC is an early copy of a book provided to readers before or around its publication date.

An ARC reader gets the opportunity to read your book early and may choose to leave an honest review once they’re finished.

They are different from beta readers.

Beta readers usually read an earlier version of your manuscript and provide feedback that can help you improve the book.

ARC readers typically receive a finished or nearly finished version. Their role isn’t to help rewrite your story. You’re giving them an opportunity to read it early and, ideally, share their honest thoughts about it.

And there’s an important word there:

Honestly.

ARC readers should never be required to leave a positive review.

We’ll come back to that later.

1. Start With Readers Who Already Like Books Like Yours

One of the biggest mistakes I see authors make when trying to find ARC readers is targeting readers as if they’re all one audience.

They’re not.

Someone who reads three contemporary romances a week isn’t automatically going to want your 700-page epic fantasy just because they love books.

Instead of asking:

Where can I find readers?

Ask:

Where can I find readers who already love books like mine?

Before recruiting, write down a few things about your book:

  • Genre and subgenre
  • Major tropes
  • Themes
  • Comparable books or authors
  • Age category
  • The kind of reader most likely to enjoy it

Let’s say you’ve written a romantasy featuring a morally gray fae prince, forbidden magic, and enemies-to-lovers romance.

You don’t just need “fantasy readers.”

Look for people already talking about romantasy, fae romance, morally gray characters, enemies-to-lovers stories, and books similar to yours.

Learning how to find ARC readers starts with knowing exactly which readers you’re looking for.

2. Look Where Your Readers Already Talk About Books

Once you know who you’re looking for, the next question is obvious:

Where do you actually find them?

Fiction authors can look for potential ARC readers through places such as:

  • TikTok and BookTok
  • Instagram and Bookstagram
  • Facebook reader groups
  • Goodreads
  • Your author newsletter
  • Existing social media followers
  • Previous beta readers
  • Previous ARC readers
  • Genre-specific reader communities

Don’t immediately start dropping your ARC link everywhere you can.

First, pay attention.

Which readers are actively discussing your genre? Who posts reviews? Who recommends books? Who regularly talks about tropes or authors similar to yours?

Those are much stronger potential ARC readers than someone who simply has “book lover” in their bio.

Also, check the rules before promoting your ARC in reader groups or communities. Some welcome author promotion while others restrict or completely prohibit it.

3. Give Readers a Reason to Choose Your ARC

Here’s where ARC recruitment becomes marketing.

Posting this once probably isn’t enough:

ARCs AVAILABLE! LINK IN BIO!

You’re asking someone to spend several hours reading your book. You need to give them a reason to care about the story first.

Instead of repeatedly advertising the fact that your ARC is available, market the book itself.

Create content about your:

  • Tropes
  • Characters
  • Plot hooks
  • Quotes
  • Setting
  • Themes
  • Comparable books
  • Reader promises
  • Aesthetic
  • Interesting behind-the-scenes details

For example:

Instead of:

“My fantasy ARC is open! Sign up now.”

Try:

“If you like morally gray princes, forbidden magic, enemies-to-lovers tension, and heroines who make terrible decisions for very good reasons, I’m looking for ARC readers for my upcoming fantasy.”

See the difference?

The second version gives the right reader a reason to stop scrolling.

When I’m recruiting ARC readers for authors, I’m not simply trying to convince people to take a free book. I’m trying to find the people who have a reason to want this particular story.

That’s a very different goal.

4. Personally Invite Potential ARC Readers

You don’t have to wait for readers to discover your sign-up form.

Targeted outreach can be another way to find ARC readers, especially when you don’t have a large existing audience.

Look for readers who actively discuss or review books similar to yours. If appropriate for the platform or community, you can send a short invitation explaining why you thought the book might interest them.

The important part is keeping outreach personal rather than spammy.

A good invitation should be:

  • Short
  • Relevant to that reader
  • Low-pressure
  • Clear about what you’re offering
  • Easy to decline or ignore

There’s a huge difference between contacting someone because you noticed they regularly review books in your niche and sending the exact same “READ MY BOOK!” message to hundreds of random accounts.

Quality matters more than volume here.

5. Make Your ARC Sign-Up Page Sell the Story

You found the right reader.

They clicked your link.

Don’t lose them now.

Your ARC sign-up page shouldn’t feel like paperwork. It should make someone even more interested in reading the book.

A simple ARC page can include:

Book cover → hook → genre and tropes → short blurb → important ARC dates → reader expectations → sign-up form

Put the exciting information near the top.

A potential reader shouldn’t have to work through five paragraphs of instructions before discovering what your book is about.

Keep your form simple, too.

Only ask for information you actually need. Reducing unnecessary friction makes it easier for an interested reader to complete the sign-up process.

6. Consider ARC Platforms or ARC Management Services

What if you don’t already have an audience?

You still have options.

Some authors use ARC platforms that help connect books with readers interested in receiving advance copies.

Another option is an ARC management service, where someone handles some or all of the campaign for you.

These aren’t exactly the same thing.

An ARC platform generally provides infrastructure or access that helps connect books and readers.

ARC management can involve much more of the actual campaign, including things like reader recruitment, sign-ups, ARC distribution, communication, reminders, troubleshooting, and review tracking.

And, of course, you can do everything yourself.

The right option depends on your budget, available time, existing audience, and how involved you want to be in managing your campaign.

7. Once You Find ARC Readers, Don't Lose Them

Finding readers is only the beginning.

Give them enough time to actually read your book.

There’s no perfect ARC timeline that works for every author. A 200-page romance and a 700-page fantasy aren’t the same reading commitment.

Consider your:

  • Book length
  • Genre
  • Release schedule
  • Recruitment period
  • Reader expectations
  • Size of your ARC team

Then communicate.

A simple ARC sequence might look like:

Welcome + ARC delivery → check-in → reminder → release-day links → final follow-up

The purpose of those emails isn’t to pressure someone into reviewing your book.

They’re there to make participating easy.

Give readers the information and links they need, answer questions, help with access problems, and remind them of important dates.

Then keep track of the readers who consistently participate.

Someone who reads your book, communicates with you, leaves an honest review, and asks about your next release could become part of your ARC team again.

Over time, you can build your own community of reliable readers instead of starting from zero every time you publish.

8. Know the Rules About ARC Reviews

This part matters.

Never offer an ARC in exchange for a positive review.

Amazon currently allows authors to provide readers with free or discounted copies of their books, including ARCs, as long as the author does not require a review or attempt to influence what the reader says. Amazon also states that offering additional compensation, such as gift cards, can invalidate a review.

Your goal should always be an honest review, whether the reader loved your book, thought it was just okay, or decided it wasn’t for them.

Disclosure can matter, too. When readers publicly endorse or promote something they received for free, FTC guidance says material relationships may need to be clearly disclosed so audiences understand the connection.

Policies can also vary between review sites and platforms, so check the current rules anywhere you’re asking ARC readers to post.

Do You Need Hundreds of ARC Readers?

No magic number guarantees a successful ARC campaign.

A huge ARC team isn’t automatically better than a smaller one.

What matters is whether you’re recruiting relevant readers who actually want to read your kind of book.

I’d rather build a campaign around readers who are genuinely interested in the story than chase an impressive sign-up number filled with people who aren’t likely to open the book.

Your ideal ARC team size will depend on your goals, genre, existing audience, recruitment strategy, and the amount of campaign management you’re prepared to handle.

You Don't Need Thousands of Followers to Find ARC Readers

Learning how to find ARC readers isn’t really about shouting your book into increasingly large crowds.

It’s about getting much more specific.

Find readers who already enjoy your genre.

Learn where those readers spend their time.

Give them a compelling reason to care about your story.

Make signing up easy.

Support them once they’re on your team.

And keep the good ones around for your next release.

You can absolutely build an ARC team yourself, even if you’re starting with a small author platform.

But finding readers is only one part of managing an ARC campaign.

There’s also recruitment, applications, distribution, reader communication, troubleshooting, reminders, review links, tracking, and follow-up.

Want to Learn More About Running an ARC Campaign?

If you want to manage your own campaign but aren’t sure where to begin, grab my free Fiction Author’s Quick-Start Guide to ARC Teams for a simple introduction to building and managing your ARC team.

And if you’d rather spend your time writing your next book instead of managing all those moving pieces, Order of the Bookish offers done-for-you ARC campaign management for authors.

You write the books.

I’ll help you find the readers.

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