If you love reading books, then you know it’s a hobby that can be expensive. The library is an obvious source of free books to read, but did you know that you can get books to keep, for free, before they’re even published? These pre-publication books are known as Advanced Reader Copies, or ARCs.
How do you get ARCs?
Publishers give away ARCs to librarians, book reviewers, and publication professionals, but that’s not the only way to get them. Here are some ways you can get ARCs.
Goodreads Giveaways
Goodreads is a popular reading site where you can get free books. They give away books in almost any category you can think of. The competition for winning books can be fierce, but it is possible to win books. EBooks are generally easiest to win (those are given out via Amazon). You don’t have to review these books, although I’m sure the author would appreciate it.
Bookish First
Bookish First gives away young adult and adult books every week. They typically offer 1 to 3 pre-release books every week. To win a book, all you have to do is read a sample of the book and offer your opinion on it. In addition to getting a chance to win that book, you earn points towards picking a book of your choice, redeemable on any of the books available that week (although popular books can go quickly). You get more points for reviewing the book after you read it. I’ve won several of these raffles.
Netgalley
Netgalley offers ARCs in almost every category you can think of. You do have to review these books. The web site tracks the percentage of books you actually review, and if your percentage drops too low, you’ll have difficulty getting new books. Publishers will have to approve you for most of the books, and your chances of approval go up if you have an active blog and a high review percentage. There are books you can “read now” however, and don’t need publisher approval for. “Read now” books are a great way to start.
Street Teams
If you’re a fan of a particular author, you may have the chance to join their “street team.” A street team gets access to exclusive content (and sometimes ARCS) in exchange for promoting their book. Not every author has them, and some authors have street teams to promote one particular book.
Blog Tours
Blog tours are set up in order to promote a particular book. You’ll read the book, and on your “tour date” you make a blog post to promote the book. These are often reviews, but sometimes they’re author interviews or other content to promote the book (perhaps a recipe in a book that is heavily food-influenced).
There are other ways you can get free books, but these are some of the most common. Good luck and happy reading!
