Immediate — Build Your ARC List and Boundaries
- Create a list of potential ARC readers in your genre
- Not friends or family — genuine genre readers who review regularly
- Write your review request templates using the soft-ask language from p.64
- Back matter, email newsletter, and social media versions
- Set up a review tracking system
- Spreadsheet: platform, date, star rating, key themes — track patterns not individual opinions
- Establish your review-checking boundaries before you publish
- Monday mornings only. 15-minute timer. No exceptions.
This Week — Apply to Review Platforms
- Research and apply to NetGalley, BookSirens, or Reedsy Discovery
- 4–6 weeks before your publication date
- Reedsy Discovery is being rebuilt. From 13 October 2026 it keeps only official reviews from its approved reviewers, and reader reviews, comments, followers and the Goodreads link are gone. Check its current submission terms before you apply, and if your book has reader reviews there worth keeping, copy them before 27 October 2026, Reedsy's deadline for saving them
- Identify and reach out to 10–15 book bloggers who review your genre
- Create your review request timeline — map ARC distribution, blogger outreach, and launch asks
- Set up Google Alerts for your book title and author name
This Month — Send ARCs and Build Relationships
- Send ARCs to your reader list 4–6 weeks before publication
- Include specific questions, no star-rating pressure, honest feedback only
- Build relationships with book bloggers — respond to their content, provide value before asking
- Create a system for thanking reviewers appropriately
- Private thank-you, not public response — and never argue with a review
- Develop perspective on negative reviews before you need it
- Every bestselling book has negative reviews. Your worth is not determined by star ratings.