How we compare
An honest look at Review Copy Club next to other legitimate review-copy services. No paid reviews anywhere on this chart — just how the services price access, find readers, deliver copies, and report outcomes.
| Review Copy Club | BookSirens | Hidden Gems | StoryOrigin | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per-book + $2.50 per reader who claims | $10/book + $2 per reader found (or $100/yr) | Per-reader tiers + $20 deposit | $10/mo or $100/yr (tools only) |
| Cost to list a book | $29 for 1 · $9.90/book at 10 · $7.96/book at 25 | $10/book, or $100/yr unlimited | Bundled into reader price | Basic free · Standard $10/mo or $100/yr |
| Per-reader charge | $2.50 — only for readers who actually claim | $2 per reader found | $20 covers the first 10; $3 each after | You bring your own readers |
| Minimum order | None — start with 1 | None | 50 readers | — |
| Availability | Admin review, normally within one business day | Submission and acceptance required | Limited availability — book well in advance | Self-serve tools |
| Finds readers for you | Yes — matched by genre, format & platform | Yes | Yes | Author-directed through swaps and group promos |
| Honest, voluntary reviews (never paid or guaranteed) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Per-reader watermarked PDF & EPUB | Yes — every copy stamped to the reader | No | No | No individualized watermark |
| Built-in mailing-list signup on your campaign | Yes | No | No | Via swaps |
| Reporting (claims, reviews, private feedback) | Yes — full report + weekly updates | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Flexible, compliance-first campaigns — and series/backlist authors who run many books | Single ARCs on a budget | Big launches that can wait for a slot | Authors with their own list |
Why authors choose Review Copy Club
- Predictable, capped spend. Authors pre-fund $2.50 per claim and choose a cap from 1 to 100. Readers never pay, and no charge is tied to whether a review is posted.
- No minimums, no deposit, no waitlist. Submit today and set any cap from 1 to 100; campaigns go live after the compliance review.
- You only pay for readers who actually claim. $2.50 per real claim — not per review, and never for a rating. Unused author claim budget never expires.
- Cheaper per book the more you run. $7.96/book across 25 books makes us ideal for series and backlist revival, not just one-off ARCs.
- More built in. Per-reader watermarked PDF & EPUB delivery, genre/format/platform matching, a mailing-list signup widget on your campaign, and full reporting — included, not bolted on.
- Compliance built in. Reviews are never paid, requested with pressure, or tied to star ratings. See our Compliance page for the full policy and how we stay on the right side of FTC guidelines.
Competitor pricing and policies are summarized from the official BookSirens pricing, Hidden Gems ARC FAQ, and StoryOrigin pricing pages, checked July 2026. Terms may change. All services listed describe reviews as honest and not guaranteed.