ARC & media
Advance readers, honest reviews, real coverage.
We coordinate advance review copies and literary media outreach for the titles we publish and represent. What we promise is careful, well-timed work, never a guaranteed review.
ARC strategy
An advance copy is a plan, not a giveaway.
Copies sent without a plan produce silence. Everything below exists to put the right edition in front of the right reader at the right moment.
01
Reader targeting
We define who the advance readers should be before a single copy goes out: genre, language, territory and the kind of reader who finishes books like yours.
02
Copy preparation
A clearly marked advance edition, watermarked where useful, with correct metadata so early readers quote the right title, edition and release date.
03
Distribution windows
Advance copies are released in waves, typically eight to twelve weeks before publication, so momentum builds rather than peaks too early.
04
Measurement
We report on copies sent, responses received and coverage published. We report what happened, not a projection of what might.
Reader network
Who reads the book first.
Four distinct groups, contacted differently. None of them are paid, and none of them are told what to think.
Beta readers
Coordinated earlier in the process, reading for clarity and pacing while changes are still possible.
Advance reviewers
Readers who accept a copy in exchange for an honest, independent opinion, freely given or withheld.
Book bloggers
Approached individually, with a pitch matched to what they actually cover.
Reader newsletters
Genre newsletters and reading communities where a title can be introduced properly.
Media outreach
Where a book is introduced.
Each desk receives a pitch written for it. Mass mailings are ignored, and rightly so.
Literary press
Reviews desks, culture editors and books pages, approached with a release, sample chapter and author availability.
Trade press
Announcements for rights deals, translations and audiobook editions where there is genuine news.
Regional media
Where an author or subject has a local connection, the local desk is often the most receptive.
Specialist outlets
Subject-matter publications for non-fiction, matched to the argument the book actually makes.
Podcasts & interviews
Conversations, prepared properly.
An interview is the most durable piece of coverage a book can get. It deserves preparation.
Show research
We shortlist programmes by audience fit and episode format, not download counts alone.
Pitch preparation
Three to five talking points that stand on their own, so a host can see the conversation.
Interview preparation
A briefing call before recording, covering structure, difficult questions and time discipline.
Follow-up
Episode links collected in one place and reused across your own channels.
Media kit
Everything a journalist asks for, ready in advance.
Prepared once, before outreach begins, so no opportunity is lost waiting on a file.
- Press release, long and short form
- Author biography, 50, 100 and 250 words
- High-resolution cover and portrait files
- Book metadata sheet: ISBN, formats, price, release date
- Sample chapter approved for circulation
- Selected quotes cleared for reuse
Launch timeline
Twelve weeks, in order.
Visibility is a sequence. Each stage depends on the one before it being finished.
12 weeks out
Positioning locked
Audience, comparative titles and the single sentence the book is about.
10 weeks out
Advance copies prepared
Advance edition finalised, reader list assembled, outreach templates written.
8 weeks out
First outreach wave
Advance readers and bloggers contacted; podcast and media pitches sent.
4 weeks out
Coverage window opens
Interviews recorded, early responses collected, launch-week assets finalised.
Launch week
Coordinated publication
Announcements, interviews and reader activity land inside the same seven days.
Post-launch
Sustained visibility
Second-wave outreach, translation and audiobook announcements, evergreen placement.
What we will not do
We do not buy reviews, write reviews on an author's behalf, offer payment or gifts in exchange for a rating, create accounts to post opinions, or coordinate groups to influence a ranking. These practices breach retailer and publication policies, and they are removable, traceable and reputationally expensive.
Reviews and media coverage remain independent. Whether a reader posts, what they say, and whether an outlet covers the book at all is governed by that reader, that publication and the policies of the relevant platform. Our work is to make the case well and to make it on time.
Consultation
Tell us about the launch.
Send the title, publication date and the markets you care about. We reply with a realistic outreach plan and what it would involve.
Questions
ARC and media, answered honestly.
Can you guarantee reviews or coverage?
No, and no one honestly can. We coordinate outreach and make the strongest possible case for your book. Whether a reader, editor or host responds, and what they then say, is entirely their decision.
Will the reviews be positive?
We do not ask for positive reviews and we do not offer anything in exchange for one. Advance readers are asked for an honest opinion, which may be critical or may never be published at all.
Do you pay for reviews?
Never. Paid, incentivised or written-for-you reviews breach retailer and publication policies and damage an author's reputation permanently. We do not offer them at any price.
Which platforms do reviews appear on?
Wherever the reader chooses to post, subject to that platform's own rules. Retailer and review-site policies govern what is permitted, and we follow them.
How much lead time do you need?
Twelve weeks before publication is comfortable. Shorter timelines are possible, with fewer outreach waves and less room for scheduling interviews.
Next step
Plan the launch before the book is finished
The earlier we start, the more outreach waves fit inside the schedule. Twelve weeks is comfortable; four is tight.