ARC distribution sounds straightforward until you're actually doing it.
A spreadsheet of emails. A separate tool for file delivery. Follow-up messages that feel awkward to send. Reviews trickling in weeks after launch, when the momentum has already passed.
There's a better way to run it, and it starts with building your reader group before the ask ever happens. This way is so much more natural and comes easy once you get going.
Step 1: Claim your publisher profile
Before anything else, claim your publisher profile on I Turn Pages. This is your public-facing presence — where readers can follow your imprint, see your catalogue, and find out what you're publishing next.
Fill in your genres, add your most recent titles, and write a brief note about what books you publish and who you publish them for. Readers who follow your profile will see your posts and updates. This is your audience. The rest of the process builds on it.
Step 2: Create a private reader group
Create a group for your imprint or for a specific genre you publish. You can keep it private, so membership is by invitation only, or open it so interested readers can request to join. How you run your groups on I Turn Pages is entirely your choice.
Your groups are where your ARC community live. Use groups to post about upcoming titles, share cover reveals, give readers a look behind the scenes of your publishing process. The goal at this stage isn't to ask for anything; it's to build familiarity and trust so that when you ask, the answer is yes.
Adding groups to I Turn Pages costs you NOTHING except a few minutes setting them up!
Step 3: Invite your ARC readers
When you have a title ready for advance copies, post about it in your group. Describe the book, the genre, the reader it's written for, everything else to encourage responses and follows. Invite group members to express interest. This is a much warmer ask than a cold submission form because you're talking to people who are already there for your content, people who follow you because they can't wait to hear about your next book.
You can also invite readers directly based on their genre preferences and reading history on I Turn Pages — so your ARC list comprises people who actually read in that genre, not just anyone who clicked accept on a platform.
Alternatively, you can add an event to get a broader readership across the entire I Turn Pages community. There is a small cost for adding events, but they are showcased to the entire community and all visitors. And the best part is that you manage the enrolments. You can message readers who take part in your event directly from your event page, and then download a CSV to build a list of subscribers who may want to continue to follow you for your next book launch.
Step 4: Distribute and follow up
Once you've confirmed your ARC readers, distribute your files. You can use I Turn Pages in combination with your preferred file delivery method — many publishers use BookFunnel for the actual file transfer, which handles multiple formats and delivery confirmations. You can post the link to the book download in your group or book's ARC event.
Then stay present in your group. Post updates. Answer questions. Keep the conversation around the book warm. Readers who feel connected to the process are significantly more likely to review.
Step 5: Launch with reviews ready
Your launch day should not be the first time your book meets its readers. If you've worked through the steps above, you go live with an engaged group who have read the book, who follow your profile, and who are already talking about it.
Post a launch announcement in your group. Thank your ARC readers publicly. Encourage reviews and make it easy — link directly to the book's page on I Turn Pages where they can leave their rating and write-up in under two minutes.
The publishers who collect the most reviews at launch aren't the ones with the biggest ARC lists. They're the ones with the most engaged communities. Every step above shortens the distance between your book and the readers who will love it — and to make the review a natural endpoint of a relationship, not a cold transaction.
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