How I Manage My ARC TBR…
ARC stands for Advanced Reader Copy.
When I first signed up to NetGalley, I had to create a profile explaining a bit about myself and where my main “audience” comes from. My immediate reaction was: “What audience?!” At that point, I had no real platform to speak of. I was only posting the occasional review on Goodreads and Fable, so I genuinely thought I’d be lucky to get approved for maybe 2 out of every 10–15 books I requested.
To my complete surprise, I ended up being granted most of the books I asked for. Now, for someone who got into reading later in life, 41-year-old here, hi 👋 and who gets a very real dopamine hit from little wins like that, it was incredibly exciting. But once my ARC TBR started to grow, I quickly had a second reaction: “Holy hell, what have I done?” Did that stop me requesting more books? No. No, it did not. Because getting approved to read and review books you’re genuinely excited about before they’ve even been released is, frankly, a bit addictive. And yes, as mentioned, my brain loves that dopamine rush.
At the moment, I have 29 ARCs on my list and that’s just my ARC list. My personal TBR is well over 100 books, because, as I said, I came to reading a bit later than most and your girl has a lot of catching up to do.
Not only is that quite the mountain, but my brain, which loves focusing on absolutely anything other than what I actually want it to focus on, can make reading a challenge at times. The pile is always there. Unlike Everest, which I have zero desire to climb whatsoever (seriously, I hate walking up my own stairs), I do actually want to tackle and conquer this TBR skyscraper. Granted, it will only grow again as I request more books and new titles get released, but that’s beside the point.
At the heart of it all, I simply love getting stuck into a good story. Reading helps calm my mind and keeps the random mental clutter at bay, so naturally I’m always on the lookout for new titles that catch my interest. I also want to keep sharing my thoughts, reviews, and bookish finds with other readers, which is ultimately why I started ReadingEraByEmma.
The key difference between my personal TBR and my ARC TBR is that one of them comes with a deadline and I’m sure you can guess which one.
For anyone unfamiliar with ARCs, they exist to help provide early feedback to authors and publishers, while also building interest and hype before a book’s release. Those early reviews really matter, especially for indie authors, so getting your reviews readied, shared, and posted before publication day can make a real difference.
So, back to my ever-growing TBR that will only keep expanding because I clearly cannot help myself. Here’s my current process for requesting and managing my ARC TBR:
I log on to NetGalley and check the newly added titles.
If something catches my eye, I check the release date first so I can decide whether I can realistically fit it in.
Once I get approved, I download it to my Kindle straight away and add it to my notes in publication date order.
I then add a calendar reminder for the release date so I remember to post my review on retailer sites.
Is this the most advanced or sophisticated system in the world? Probably not. But it works for me, and it helps me make smarter decisions based on what I already have coming up. I may have originally signed up to NetGalley mainly because I wanted more books to read and was happy to leave a review in return, but I now fully understand how important ARCs are, and once I’m approved for one, I make it a priority.
