I collect Advance Reading Copies, better known as ARCs. ARCs are uncorrected proofs or galleys printed prior to the publication of a book for promotional purposes. You may also hear them referred to as an Advance Copy, Advance Readers Copy, Advance Review Copy or Advance Reader’s Edition. Either way, I find them intriguing and seek them out whenever I buy.
Advance Reader’s Editions are great because they’re scarce (print runs are very small) and you can often get the book well before it’s actually available to the general public. Better yet, they’re in soft cover format instead of a bulky heavy hard cover book. To top it all off, they’re generally cheaper than a First Edition.
An Advance Readers Copy usually has a letter from the editor in the preface and includes marketing and publicity information on the back cover. The cover art on an ARC may be completely different and sometimes there are real differences in the content, though that seems more the exception than the rule in my experience. There are frequently typographic errors in the text, though I don’t find that it detracts from my reading of the book. In fact, it’s a sort of sleuthing that I enjoy. It enhances the feeling of privilege – that you’re getting a sneak peek at the author’s work.
Collecting ARCs isn’t really mainstream, but it is acknowledged by bibliophiles and I highly recommend reading the esteemed Ken Lopez’s take on the topic. There’s also a bit of controversy about the subject from a publisher perspective, exacerbated by the used books market on the Internet. Every Advance Reading Copy is labeled as ‘Not For Sale’ on the cover, plain as day. Never mind that pesky ‘possession is nine tenths of the law’ axiom.
Scribner went so far as to put a letter on the cover of Stephen King’s Lisey’s Story that essentially pleads and browbeats recipients into not reselling the book. In this letter EVP Susan Moldow cites previous experiences in which Advanced Reader’s Editions showed up on eBay shortly after being distributed. I find it a bit shocking that a publisher is worried about such a small rounding error.
Instead, I’d like to think Scribner isn’t that shortsighted, that perhaps this was a bold, sly move to encourage people to sell copies on eBay and increase the buzz on the book. I mean really, what better way to get folks to sell these on eBay than to actively campaign against it right on the cover. Talk about a collector’s item! Fine Books & Collectibles has a nice article on the subject, including a stance on the unenforceability of the ‘Not For Sale’ language.
Unfortunately, publishers are concerned about the resale of Advance Reader’s Editions. A few times a year Alibris would get threatening letters from publishers or their lawyers demanding that we remove certain ARCs from the site. With that in mind I actually held off on my review of Zeroville until it was published. I’d purchased it as an ARC well before the release date, another great addition to my collection which includes (among others) Fluke by Christopher Moore, Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem, Jennifer Government by Max Barry, Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff and Th1rte3n by Richard K. Morgan.
Thing is I gave Zeroville a great review which might have helped the hype and sales. In my mind, Advance Reading Copies are to books what private Beta sites are to the Internet. What do you think? Are you a reader who likes the idea of an ARC? If you’re an author, what’s your take? Any publishers nosing around the blog, jump into the fray! Booksellers, have you gotten those nasty-grams from publishers? If so, what did you do?
I’ve received two e-mails from authors before about the sale of ARC’s. We sell about 1 or 2 ARC’s a week…always, of course, after the book is published and usually a year or two later that we’ve picked up at thrifts or in bulk online. I completely ignored the e-mails…there is absolutely nothing wrong with selling ARC’s provided the book is already been published and is print.
Hope you enjoyed JG.
If you’re interested in an author’s perspective, I wrote about ARCs a little while back:
http://www.maxbarry.com/2005/11/24/news.html
Max.
Max,
Thanks for stopping by and yes, I very much enjoyed Jennifer Government. (Wincing a bit regarding my Company review now.)
I hope you get the film adaptation made soon, I think JG would work well on the big screen. Kidman over Garner eh? Split the difference, maybe Jessica Alba? Sort of a Dark Angel revisited type of thing, right?
First of all, I think that one of the major points of ARCs is so you can write an early review – so no need to hold off – publishers usually ask that any “quotes” be verified against the final version –
but the whole issue of selling them becomes a non-issue when looked at logically –
first of all, yes, it is true that publishers do not make any money from their sale; the production of ARCs is a form of advertising – of publicity for the book – so do publishers make any money if a copy of a magazine with their ad in it is sold? Of course not –
Any ARC which is being sold is being sold as a “second hand book” – authors do not make any money from the sale of second-hand books – nor, by the way, do they make money from remaindered copies.
If an ARC becomes a “hot” item, it just might keep the number of remaindered copies down –
In terms of publicity, it is better for both the author and the publisher is the ARC is sold and read again (assuming, of course, that the book is worth reading) – if the ARC can command a high price, that is almost always an indication that the real first printing is either “huge” (like Steven King’s books) or will sell out (like “The Kite Runner”)
Therefore for good books, selling an ARC can be a benefit, and for mediocre books, it is irrelevant – it is hard to even give away some of those ARCs –
The other side of the issue is what should happen to ARCs after they are published –
Basically, there are 3 choices:
1. destroy them – since ARCs are sometimes bibliographically significant (representing the earliest published version of the book, sometimes different from the final version, and sometimes including information about the size of the print run, comments from the author, etc) this is certainly not a good option (although I’m sure many are destroyed)
2. give them away (which, of course, makes no money for the publisher or author and so has all the drawbacks of selling them and none of the benefits)
3. sell them – which has the added benefit of showing that the author’s work is “valued” – perhaps even collected….
I look at ARC’s and related advance printings purely from a collector’s point of view (i.e., a pristine, mint, unread copy of the earliest uncorrected proof is the most desireable). From this perspective, I do not believe it is much of an issue about the purchase affecting retail sales. A hard cover first edition copy is just as important to me as a collector as a mint uncorrected proof copy is. I think an Advance Reading Copy is LESS desireable than an Uncorrected Proof simply because an ARC is intended to be read for purposes of publicity and review whereas a Proof, if it is truly an earlier printing, provides a serious collector or researcher additional insight into the thinking of the author and editor as the book approaches its formal release into the marketplace.
Steven Williams
I had an Op Ed piece published in the Small Publishers Assoc. of N. America’s SPAN Connection Nov 07 magazine with a contrary view provided by Steve Weber of PlugYourBook.com. It was a reprint of my Oct 5 blog entry. Anybody Want to Buy a Hot Galley?
The last thing we need is yet one more law that cannot really be enforced. Besides, why should anyone care if those ARCs are sold? If sales of what should be a relatively small number of ARCs are going to significantly decrease your sales, you need to rethink your entire marketing plan.
Once you have given or sold the book to me, it is my property. I can do just about anything I want with it, short of making unauthorized copies (violating copyright). There is nothing illegal about it, nor should we try to make it so.
Although some publishers do send out hundreds of ARCs, for most books that is a foolish waste of money (IMHO). We send out ARCs to the big pre-pub reviewers (all six of them) and a carefully selected list of people whose endorsement on a book might make people look twice. (Although there is reason to doubt that celebrity or expert endorsement truly increase sales for most books, but that’s a different topic.)
If those ARCs find their way into the marketplace, rather than going in the trash, I am happy about it. More people to see and read it. More possibilities for some word-of-mouth and viral marketing.
We always make sure our ARCs are as close to final product as possible, so we don’t worry about the negative effects of an unedited book having a negative effect on our image.
We frequently send out promo copies of the final book to bookstores and other retailers. I always tell them to feel free to put it on the shelf and sell it with no obligation to ever pay for it. When it sells, they may decide to order more for stock.
Here’s the last paragraph from my Op Ed/blog entry:
“There are a lot of shady practices, archaic standards, and inherent inequities in the whole idiotic publishing industry. To shift the focus of our ire to something as trivial as reselling ARCs seems shortsighted and a waste of time, energy, and resources.”
And that’s the view from my knothole as a micro-publisher and author.
Walt Shiel
http://SlipdownMountain.com
http://FiveRainbows.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/waltshiel
Wikipedia lies! All I said was that the producers floated the idea of Nicole Kidman to play Jennifer Government, and that sounded good to me. My “primary choice” would probably be Naomi Watts.
But writers don’t get to pick these things.
I will stop derailing your comment thread now.
*chuckling* Wiki does lie. Naomi Watts … I can see that. A King Kong meets 21 Grams like performance would fit Jennifer Government.
True, writers don’t get to pick these things. or … hey, maybe that can be part of the newly negotiated WGA contract!
No worries about thread tangents. Though, returning to the original theme, I actually sought out and found a Syrup ARC. I’m assuming you’ve got one by now but if not I can pass it along to you once I’ve read it.
I’ve been trying to find out whether or not it truly is illegal to sell ARCs (after the book has been published and released to the public). I keep seeing that it is, but I want to find the law that actually states this. Does anyone know what or where it is? If so, do tell.
I have TONS of these ARCs lying around. I NEED to start getting rid of them, but I really don’t know what to do with them. I generally like to obey the rules, and you aren’t supposed to sell them (presumably because the book is forthcoming) but in most cases, my ARCs are YEARS old, and anyone who was going to buy or read the book already has.
This is complicated by the fact that I don’t even know where to sell them. I tried taking them to a used book dealer and they didn’t want them.
This is very frustrating because some are by well known authors, and I know there are collectors out there who would want them…
I’d be interested in knowing whether ARCs are legal to sell, too. I’ve been giving them to a barber shop near home that has an informal lending library. Somebody’s probably selling them! Same with the tons of CDs I’ve collected. What say you? Because they’re about to take over…Help!
Meridien,
I’m no lawyer but I believe it is legal to re-sell ARCs, particularly if it is after the book in question has been released.
Advanced Reading Copies are created and distributed to generate interest and sales. They are a marketing tool. Yet, once the marketing benefit wears off I see no reason why they should just sit around collecting dust.
Frankly, I see no real problem with selling them before either since it would again create interest around the book in question which … is what the objective of an ARC. So what’s the big deal?
In my opinion, this has more to do with the publishing industry’s general dislike of the used book market overall. They don’t like that someone else is making money on the item, particularly one in which they didn’t actively make money on the first sale. Never mind that they’ll make back that money on the additional sales generated via ARC reviews and word-of-mouth.
At the end of the day, if you didn’t sign a contract, I believe it’s legal.
I’VE BEEN TRYING TO FIND HOW TO GET PUBLISHERS TO SEND THESE TO ME SO I CAN REVIEW THEM ON MY BLOG.
ANY IDEAS?
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beebe,
Well, one new way is to join the Early Reviewers group on LibraryThing.
Thank-you! I’ll try it.
Doesn’t anyone care about authors and their royalties? How can you love and collect books without caring about their authors?
It’s one thing if the author is rich, or famous; but most authors are struggling people who dream (vainly) of being able to make enough money from their writing to give up their day jobs.
I personally never buy books from Alibris anymore because they sell ARCs — as you can see from the comment proudly saying they ignore the two letters they get every week from other authors who feel the same way.
Whether or not it is illigal, I think it is unethical to sell an ARC before the book’s release. For me, the issue is not about money. Instead, I see this as a violation of the author and publisher’s intent. The release of a book is a carefully timed and crafted event. Every aspect of who, what, and where is thought out. In the case of Steven King’s book — I am quite certain that Scribners plea had more to do with some unscrupulous buyer/blogger getting a hold of the book and then revealing critical information before it even hit the shelves. Some may argue that that would create buzz — perhaps it would. But there are better, less risky ways to do that.
Hi!
I am looking to purchase an ARC of Twilight or any of the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. Can anyone help with this? If so, please email me at jasmineravenpaul@gmail.com
Regards, Jasmine.
Thanks for this insighful take on the advanced copy sales issue. Makes perfect sense to me…
Question: If one is weary of ebay, do you have any suggestions for other places to sell them? I don’t know the secret cabal of book dealers just yet, so I’d like to get rid of my collection online.
Thank you, Brent
I have quite a few ARCs…..I used them when I worked in retail—had the reviews ready when the book issued. But, then the publisher often brought by ARCs after the fact, sort of as a reward for booksellers.
I’m happy to part with any that I still have for small amounts ($$).
I have both fiction and nonfiction…..and people were allowed to pick through these copies, more or less in order of seniority.
I forgot to add: once the book is out, an ARC is another collector’s item.
Hi Janet. Would you mind sending me a list of the advanced reading copies you would like to sell and approx price. I would be very interested. You can email me at jasmineravenpaul@gmail.com
And anyone else who would like to sell can do the same.
Much appreciated.
Hi, as I understand the rules as stated on Wikipedia, it is not illegal to sell ARC’s second hand, even before the release date, as long as it is not in a retail store, such as Barnes and Noble, etc. Is this how you understand it?
So, technically, those letters can be ignored, and they may be sold on the internet, ebay, etc.
I’m not aware of any judicial precedent (and this is not legal advice!) but authors wondering about the legality of reselling ARCs (as opposed to the manners and politics of doing so) might want to read up on the “first sale doctrine.” The entry on Wikipedia is pretty informative.
I recently heard an author state that because ARCs say “not for resale” on them, it is illegal to sell them. This is almost certainly wrong. If the ARCs were distributed with something like a license agreement (e.g. by opening this shrinkwrap you agree to not redistribute this book, etc.) there would be applicable precedent, but my suspicion is that reviewers would be unimpressed and simply decline to open the ARCs–and possibly resell them still wrapped!
Authors have a right of first publication, but publishing ARCs to a general audience without some kind of licensing arrangement likely subjects them to the first sale doctrine–a legally created copy can be transferred without the permission of the copyright holder. So not only are cease-and-desist letters counterproductive from a public relations perspective, my guess would be that they are also unenforceable.
I am also looking for ARCs, purely as a collector. If anyone would like to sell sci-fi/fantasy ARCs, please email me at ifritahlady@gmail.com, use “ARC” as the subject. Thank you!
Where does one sell ARCs? I tried listing several on Amazon and Amazon closed my listings and threatened to close my account if I try to sell any more on their site.
If anyone has answers, please let me know at bluflame321 at yahoo dot com.
Thanks.
There are a number of booksellers on the internet (Alibris is one) who list books as ARCs. The pricier pristine copies from desired authors are usually listed with rare book dealers. They are worth more with an autograph.
You cannot sell an ARC before the release of the book in a retail operation.
Maybe I’m an abnormal reader but I have a hard time making a book last more than a couple of days. If I could get my favorite authors to send out a steady stream of text I would be in heaven. I haunt their websites waiting for word on the next book in a series. Some tease with snippets, some with three or four chapters. Some just make random comments about books they’ve completed, depressive tendencies and then the site gets reset and nothing new is added for months. I’m lucky in that most of my favorite series are published by Baen and they have a site which sells e-ARC’s of books months before they come out. For the others I try to buy the arcs of any book I can as soon as I can. I’m impatient. I’ve already got my purchase in with one of the online retailers for the hardcover I just don’t want to wait to read it the first time. If I like the series enough to pay $250 for the ARC I’m going to read it again and when I do I want the final version without all the typos, though I have noticed quite a few sneak through. I do wish that all the publishing houses would imitate Baen and publish their books electronically as well as on paper. I hit that site everyday hoping for another ARC. I’ve even repurchased books in an electronic format just for the convenience of having it on hand. I have over 400 books on my smart phone and read them whenever I feel like it. And they take up so much less space that way. I don’t want a kindle, but I’m glad they’re out there. Hopefully more publishers will e-publish and more e-arcs will be forthcoming. If I could find a way to work second job reading ARCs I would. I’d correct them, review them, if I could I’d write them. I guess you could say I’m an avid reader. If anyone needs a reader here I am.
Hi Everyone,
I too have loved and collected ARC copies for a long time. However I have to sell many of my collectibles now because of space, and to help with tuition. I’ve gone back to college!
I put my ARC’s on eBay but that was not a good forum for them, and my pricing was probably too high.
The ones I have left can be viewed if you search my seller page (my eBay name is davdi) and under completed auctions you will see them. Unsold, lol. If anyone would like to buy one or all, just make me an offer that is remotely fair, and I’ll happily sell them to you. I plan to bring all of my books to the flea market next month, so please follow up if you are interested.
Hi Diane, A former bookstore owner has donated hundreds of ARCs and uncorrected proofs to our non-profit organization for sale at our semi-annual fair. Can you give us some idea of the response you got to you Sept 25th email offering your ARCs for sale? Did you end up taking them to the flea market? Any of your ideas about selling ARCs would be so helpful to us. Please respond!
HI Dorie,
Not much response; one email but no follow up, and then I put several on eBay. I sold 4 or 5 I think, for an average price of $7 ea (some higher some lower). I would rather keep mine than get $1 a pc. at flea market (going price for books of any kind at our flea market). eBay is probably your best bet or maybe Craigslist. You have so many, I’d weed out the very popular authors and any signed ones (much more value) then maybe sell some in groups.
Hope this helped, and good luck!!
Diane
ARCs for sale..moan, moan…book publishers are always complaining about something or another
If you want a good laugh about uncorrected proofs..(Steven’s right, ARCs are the poor cousin of uncorrected proofs)..read Louisiana Alba’s revealing and satirical, laugh out loud novel about writing and publishing and others quirks of the creative mind – ‘Uncorrected Proof’
LiteraryMinded’s pick of novels over the last twelve months..
http://elephantearspress.com
http://www.spdbooks.org/ (in the U.S.)
I’ve just won an ARC of Stephen King’s new novel ‘Under The Dome’ as part of Hodder’s promotional campaign (although the prize was described as a ‘limited edition printers proof). It is numbered as 16 of 200, softback in a clear plastic cover. There is a picture here: http://img510.yfrog.com/i/viq.jpg/
I have no intention of selling it but would like some idea of what it might be worth. If it has no real intrinsic value then I will read it myself, otherwise I’ll put it somewhere safe for the future. Anyone got an idea of what it might be worth?
[... - usedbooksblog.com is other good authority of advice. Car insurance claims [... -
You can sell them openly on Alibris which is where we sell all our ARC’s. They are a big no-no on Amazon and Ebay.
Hello there, Several years ago I happened upon a large box of such books (about 35). The say Advance Reader’s Copy on them, as well as a tag that says “not for sale”.
I love books, especially used books, and I’ve been slowly reading them. However, being paper back they seem to be pretty fragile, and the last one has some light cover damage. I don’t believe in keeping books after I have read them.
Should I keep these books and hope that they are one day worth money? Is it a good investment?
Or should I simply read them and then pass them on to friends?
Or should I try to sell them? Do you want to buy them or know anyone else? Please comment or leave me any advice.
-Sarah
Any links or advice as to how to get on the lists of publishers to begin receiving ARCs for review on a website?
I just bought an ARC on eBay. I was kind of unsure about the ethics regarding this, but this blog and it’s comments really opened my eyes. I will be reading the final copy of the book as well, but I love getting a glimpse into the Author’s writing before it’s actually 100% polished. This author is my absolute favorite and I own everything she’s published thus far. And I think ARCs add something a little different to my collection
I am a new seller on ebay. I have come into contact with someone in my area that has 1000′s of ARCS. I have bought them all. I just noticed that the fronts say xyz pages in the book and see some missing? Are these books incomplete or condensed? I am afraif if I sell these on eBay and not complete that I will be asked for a refund and or get negative feedback
I have a Advance Reader’s edition by Stieg Larsson of The girl who played with fire. I’m trying to get a value on it. I’m considering selling it. I have a few lookers But need a value. Any help would be appreciated. The book is in pristine condition, like it’s never been read. Hell, I haven’t even read it. Thanks
I have nine ARC/ARE and I want to sell them. They are books that were set to publish from April2009 to April2010. If anyone is interested I’ll list the titles.
babyhuey121795@yahoo.com I want ARCs.
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As stated above my non-profit organization has about 1000 ARCs to sell. We would consider any offer for the lot. The books are pristine, published in the last 10 years by Little, Brown, Doubleday, Viking and other top publishers. Two are Ian McEwan’s Atonement and The Known World, signed by author Edward P. Jones. Interested parties may email me at dorie@bicknell.net
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I’m not an attorney, but in my opinion, as a bookseller, I think selling ARCs AFTER their release date… especially years afterward, only adds to the perception of value not only to the particular title, but the author, as well.
As an author also, I understand the role ARCs play in the process and would not have a problem with the reselling of them, either… for the same reasons stated above.
There’s my two-cents worth… for free!
Thanks for the article, and all the comments! All my questions have been answered!
Though I gather it’s not illegal (US or state law) to sell ARCs, I think that if a website specifically says NO ARCs (like Amazon and PBS) you have usually agreed when signing up to obey the rules, so I can’t send off my ARCs there… but I’m happy to know eBay is an option for me. I recently donated a stack of ARCs with some other books because I didn’t know what else to do with them.
Oops — I mean Alibris!
(Though eBay remains an option for anything….)
Hello,
I’m a middle school teacher and in desperate need of books for my classroom. I have voracious readers, and cannot keep up with buying books for my classroom library. Like most libraries, ours is out of date and understocked. I would like to have any ARCs you don’t want. I will gladly pay for the shipping!
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I’ve got an Advance Reader’s Edition of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (the U.S. version). It was read by me, and is not in perfect condition – I dog-eared several pages, and there’s some minor staining on the front cover. I was just going to donate it to the local library since I didn’t like the book, but then realized a collector might be interested since it’s a rare copy of a big title. Feel free to email me if you’d like to buy it.
oops – you’ll need my email – michellelsolomon@gmail.com
I’ve been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this site. Thanks, I’ll try and check back more often. How frequently do you update your web site anyway? It don’t It doesn’t Matter I’ll be back just the same keep up the nice work..
Really nice. I like it!
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