Glad to hear you’re interested in an Advance Reader Copy of one of my books. Here’s the Quick & Dirty:

1. Add [email protected] as an approved sender for your Kindle. Follow Amazon’s guidance here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GX9XLEVV8G4DB28H.
2. Go grab the e-mail address for your Kindle from your Personal Document settings (https://www.amazon.com/hz/mycd/myx#/home/settings/payment; pretty far down on the page). If your device doesn’t have an e-mail address, add it:

3. Send your Kindle e-mail address for your device to [email protected].

4. Read the book. 😉 (I usually send ARCs out early in the morning.)

Types of ARCs

I send out ARCs at several phases of each project for a variety of reasons:

1. Early ARCs are for friends and family (including “reader friends”) who agree to provide general feedback: works/doesn’t work; pacing; likes/hates; etc.
2. Middle ARCs are distributed when I think the book is ready for publication, but I’m trying to sus out issues I missed: pacing; reader fulfillment; missed promises; character inconsistencies & voice; etc.
3. Pre-Pub ARCs are primarily for reviewers–reader reviewers, bloggers, etc. The social contract is this: I’ll give you a free book. You write an honest review. This is one of the ways books get visibility in the modern word. But, if you really believe in the book and want to help me out, you should probably buy a copy of the book before you review it. Reviews from verified purchasers are much more valuable and respected.

How to Get an ARC

All ARCs are delivered in Kindle or ePub format. In rare cases, I’ll deliver print copies to selected readers–like my mom. 😉 I might also be able to send you a PDF.

Finding your Kindle e-Mail Address – Each Kindle device has an e-mail address. I need to know that address to deliver an ARC to you. If you don’t know where your Kindle address is, see the “short and dirty” explanation at the top…or do a web search.

IMPORTANT: You MUST add [email protected] as an approved sender for your Kindle, or you won’t receive the ARC. Follow Amazon’s guidance here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GX9XLEVV8G4DB28H.

Letting Me Know Where to Send Your ARC – If you’ve been invited to receive an ARC, just reply to that e-mail with your Kindle e-Mail Address. If you can’t find that e-mail, send a note to [email protected].

Opening Your ARC – ARCs open like any other Kindle book. They have all the same features too–they ARE full-fledged Kindle books.

Taking Notes in ARCs

You can take notes and highlights in your ARC just as you would any other Kindle book. There are a number of articles that explain how to export and download those notes. This one includes instructions for a wide variety of Kindle readers and devices. I would love to see your notes and highlights. You can mail the file(s) to me at: [email protected]. Please include the ARC Title in your e-mail subject, as I write lots of different books at the same time, and it’ll help me keep things organized.