ARC (advance reader copy) Defined.
Definition
An ARC (advance reader copy) is a free copy of a book given to reviewers, bloggers and early readers before it is published, so reviews and word of mouth are ready at launch. It is usually close to final but may still change. Amazon allows free copies to readers as long as no review is required in return.
Sources checked 20 October 2026.
How it works
Authors send ARCs as ebook files or printed proofs a few weeks before publication and ask readers to post an honest review once the book is live. KDP's reviews page sets the limits: free or discounted copies are fine if you don't require a review or try to influence it, while offering anything more, such as a gift card, invalidates the review and Amazon removes it. US law adds a duty to disclose: the FTC's Endorsement Guides count a free product as a material connection, whether or not a review was required.
An example
Three weeks before launch, an author emails twenty readers an EPUB of the near-final book. The note asks for an honest review after publication day, says plainly that a positive one isn't expected, and asks reviewers to mention that they received a free copy. Nobody is offered anything else, so every review stays within Amazon's rules.
Common mistakes
Requiring a review, or a good one, in exchange for the copy. Adding a thank-you gift card or entering reviewers in a prize draw, which Amazon treats as compensation. And not asking reviewers to disclose the free copy, which the FTC's guides expect when a connection might affect how readers weigh the review.
