Hey guys, welcome back to my blog! You guys seem to have been enjoying my review copies advice series so I thought I would continue it today by talking about what you should request from publishers.
You can read my previous posts in this series here.
ONLY REQUEST WHAT YOU’RE INTERESTED IN
Only request books you really want to read. Remember: There is a very limited amount of ARCs printed for a book and there are also a limited amount of finished/review copies that can be sent out. Publishers want to make sure that these limited copies are going to readers who will potentially enjoy them. Sure, you’re not obligated to love it and write a 5-star review. But keep in mind, publishers want the best publicity for the book so if you request a book you know you’re not going to enjoy, how does that help anyone?? Don’t request books with genres or authors you dislike and don’t request future books in a series when you haven’t started the series or read the previous book.
E-COPY VS. PHYSICAL COPY
This category is pretty much just Netgalley vs emailing the publisher and requesting a physical copy of the book. If you would rather have an e-arc or e-copy of the book try to request it on NetGalley or you can email them requesting an e-copy rather than a physical copy.
REQUEST BOOKS ONE AT A TIME
Try to only request one book in each email! This depends on the publisher and your relationship with them but, generally, try not to get too greedy. Try not to request too many books in one go so you can get your reviews in asap because you don’t want them to gather dust on your shelves.
allonsythornraxx 
So far I’ve only tried requesting ARCs through publishers that have forms (Penguin, Sourcebooks, and one other one I’m blanking on). They haven’t sent me anything. :p
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You can always try sending an email directly, they might be more inclined to send you a review copy that way! If you’re more comfortable with the forms, just make sure you’re filling out the right form – generally to the media/ review requests side of the company. I already have another post dedicated to writing an email to publishers if you wanted to take a look at that for some help.
Good luck!
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i’m thinking i’m going to reach out to a publisher about a specific book i’m anticipating, maybe?? this series of posts = great inspo
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Yes, Emma! Good luck! 💕
I’m so glad you’ve found them helpful, let me know if you want me to talk about any other topics! ❤❤❤
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Great post!! I’ve reviewed a few through NetGalley and have received a few physical ARCs from smaller publishers who’ve reached out to me, but I think your point about relationships is spot-on. I’ve been working with one publisher for a little over a year now and they’re great about sending me books that align with what I’ve already reviewed! I think requesting ARCs can take a long time, but once you break through and get one, I find it’s easier to keep them coming!!
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Thank you! I think relationships with publishers are so important! Exactly, once you break through, the process is much less daunting!
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