So, you want to be one of my early (advance) readers.
Fantastic!
Whenever I have a new book publishing and start posting photos on social media of the advance reader edition of my books in the months leading up to publish date, it’s inevitable that I get these questions from my Facebook and Instagram followers:
- Can I get an advance copy of your book?
- How do I become one of your early readers?
Before I answer these questions, let me address what an advance reader’s copy is not:
It is NOT a free book.
There’s a very specific reason publishers print advance copies for an author, and/or the author’s publicist, to distribute: TO OBTAIN EARLY REVIEWS TO INCREASE READER AWARENESS.
Basically, it’s to build book buzz.
Book bloggers, reviewers, and bookstagrammers read a book before publish date in exchange for posting their honest thoughts about the book on their favorite review sites. These sites can include, but are not limited to: Goodreads, LibraryThing, NetGalley, personal blogs, Facebook pages and groups, Instagram, etc. (Please note: Reviews cannot be posted to Amazon until the date the book publishes.)
If the story resonates with these early readers, they share their love of the book with their followers and friends across their social media platforms, thus, further spreading news of the book.
Got it? Great.
Back to the questions…
Can I get an advance copy of your book?
Yes.
How?
Several ways, none of which are guaranteed.
- Create a free NetGalley account. NetGalley is a place where readers of influence discover and recommend new books. When my publisher uploads the advance copy of my book, you can request to read. Join NetGalley HERE.
- Join a review crew. Publicists, authors, and book influencers build their own teams of reviewers. Lake Union Authors (not affiliated with Lake Union Publishing), has a review crew. You can search for other crews on Facebook. My publicists have networks of book reviewers and Instagrammers. If you frequently review books and have a large following on Instagram and/or Facebook, feel free to reach out to my publicist. Contact info HERE.
- Request access to the Tiki Lounge. I source my personal advance reader team from the Tiki Lounge, a secret group on Facebook of my top readers.
Which brings me to your next question…
How do I become one of YOUR advance readers?
Easy. Join the Tiki Lounge, which you can do HERE.
The Tiki Lounge is not only the place where I source my early readers, but it’s a place where you can get the inside scoop on my works in progress. Tikis always know first about what’s going on with my writing journey: projects I’m working on, deals signed, and sneak peeks inside upcoming books.
However, being a Tiki does not guarantee an early read, nor does it guarantee you get the paperback version over the NetGalley digital version if you are selected as an early reader.
Whether you’re an early reader or not, the Tiki Lounge is a great place to hang out with me.
Still interested in helping me spread the good news about my books? Join me inside the Tiki Lounge.