Familiar

For authors

ARC campaigns for authorsReviews waiting on launch day

List your book for advance readers, choose who gets a copy, and see the reviews they post on Amazon and Goodreads. Every copy carries the name of the reader it went to.

Get startedSee the reader side
  • Included in every author plan
  • No charge per reader or copy
  • Runs in your own one-person publisher workspace

An ARC campaign without the spreadsheet

Finding readers, sending files, chasing reviews: Familiar keeps the whole campaign in one place, so you can get back to the next book.

Reader program

Readers find your book while browsing their genres.

Familiar runs an ARC reader program. Readers sign up, pick the genres they read and browse the listings in them. Make your listing public or approval required and it shows up there, alongside the readers you invite yourself.

  • Listed under your book’s genres
  • Readers can wishlist it for later
  • Private listings stay out of the catalog

Approvals

Approve each reader, or open it to everyone.

Choose for each listing. Public gives a copy to any reader who applies, up to the number of copies you set. Approval required puts every request in front of you with the reader’s track record. Private is for readers you invite.

  • Verified reviews, completion rate and time to review on every request
  • Invite readers by email, CSV, saved list or link
  • Block a reader once and they’re blocked from all your listings

Traceable copies

Every copy is made out to its reader.

Upload your PDF or EPUB once. Each approved reader gets their own copy: the PDF carries their name at the foot of every page, and the EPUB opens with a page prepared for them. If a copy turns up where it shouldn’t, you know whose it was. The page shown here is real output from Familiar’s formatting engine.

  • PDF and EPUB editions
  • Readers can send the EPUB to their Kindle
  • See who has downloaded and who hasn’t

Reviews and reminders

See who reviewed, and remind who hasn’t.

Readers send their review link when they post. Familiar checks Amazon and Goodreads reviews against the reader’s profile and your book, then rechecks them weekly. Reminders go out on their own when a reader hasn’t downloaded the book or the review deadline is close.

  • Automatic checks on Amazon and Goodreads
  • Reminders 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before the deadline
  • A campaign report for each listing

How an ARC campaign runs

  1. Create a listing

    Add your book, then set how many copies to give out, a review deadline, and upload your PDF or EPUB.

  2. Choose your readers

    Pick public, approval required or private, and invite your own readers by email, CSV or link.

  3. Readers get their copies

    Each approved reader downloads a copy with their name in it, or sends it to their Kindle.

  4. Collect reviews

    Readers submit their review links. Familiar checks them and reminds everyone else before the deadline.

ARC campaign FAQ

Works with the rest of Familiar

An ARC campaign is one part of a launch. These are the parts around it.

Running ARCs for a whole list? See ARC programs for publishers or find out how readers apply for free ARCs.

Have reviews waiting on launch day

ARC campaigns come with every author plan, from $15 a month. Set up your first listing today.

Get startedSee author pricing