On ARCs, Pre-Orders, and the Mysterious Machinery Behind Books

A stack of ARCs at the publisher's office. My book is right up on top.

The Advance Reader Copies for The Reel Life of Zara Kegg are officially done. Somewhere in America—possibly in a warehouse the size of Rhode Island—boxes of early, not-quite-final versions of my book are sitting on a pallet, waiting to be shipped to me. This is the stage where the book feels both real and unreal at the same time. Real, because it now exists in physical form. Unreal, because I haven’t actually held it yet. It’s like being told you have a new puppy but it’s still at the breeder for a few more weeks.

For those who don’t traffic in publishing jargon, ARCs (Advance Reader Copies) are the early bound books sent out to reviewers, librarians, booksellers, bloggers, teachers, and the occasional friend of a friend who “loves YA.” They’re the rough draft dressed up for company. There may still be a typo or two—the publishing equivalent of having spinach in your teeth—but they’re close enough to give readers a real sense of what the book is.

And while I’m waiting for those boxes to land on my porch, Zara Kegg is now available for pre-order. This is the part that feels a little like time travel. You haven’t read it yet, I haven’t held it yet, but suddenly the book has entered the world’s bloodstream and begun whispering to distributors and possible readers, “Pay attention to me.”

This is where I want to give readers a peek behind the curtain, because pre-orders aren’t just a marketing gimmick. They’re one of the most concrete ways a book can get early traction.

Here’s what happens: distributors like IPG (the folks who get books into bookstores, libraries, and retail chains) look at pre-order numbers. Those numbers tell them whether to pitch the book harder to stores, perhaps whether to increase the print run, and whether it might be one of the lead titles they talk about in their seasonal meetings. Booksellers—both independent and big-box—also look at those numbers when deciding how many copies to stock. It’s one of the few early signals they get about reader interest.

In short: pre-orders are how a book clears its throat and stands up tall before walking into a crowded room. They help it be seen.

And I know that sounds like something a publisher might say, but I promise you it’s true. I’ve been at this long enough to have watched pre-orders influence whether a book gets slotted face-out or spine-out on a shelf, whether it’s included in a bookstore newsletter, or whether a librarian orders seven copies or one. It’s not about hype; it’s about visibility. And for a new book—especially from a smaller independent press—visibility is oxygen.

So yes, ARCs are finished. They’re on their way to me, and then on their way to early readers. And the book itself is stepping out into the world through pre-orders, small signals that tell the industry: this one matters to people.

I’m excited for you all to meet Zara soon. Until then, thank you for being here, for reading, for following the journey, and for helping a book find its footing long before it ever hits the shelves.

If you’re inclined to pre-order The Reel Life of Zara Kegg, thank you in advance. Yes, you can get it anywhere, from Amazon to your favorite indie. But if you want to help the book in the way that counts most on the publishing side, the pre-orders that truly register are the ones placed through my publisher. Here’s the link: https://regal-house-publishing.mybigcommerce.com/the-reel-life-of-zara-kegg/