Frequently Asked Questions

New readers start with a limit of 3 open claims at a time. Your trust score rises from reliable follow-through — finishing a book or honestly closing a claim without reviewing both count equally — and higher trust unlocks up to 8 concurrent claims. Posting a review is never required to build trust.

When you claim an ebook, you can download it as a PDF or EPUB — whichever the author uploaded, or both if they provided both formats. Your copy is watermarked with your email and date, a traceable stamp that protects the author's work. Audiobooks and paperbacks use delivery methods the author specifies, such as codes or direct shipment.

The reader budget is a pre-funded balance authors maintain to cover per-reader claim fees ($2.50 each). When a reader claims your book the fee is drawn from this balance automatically. Campaigns pause for new claims when the balance runs out, and you can top it up at any time.

Yes. One account supports both roles. Set up your reader profile to start claiming books, then start a campaign to act as an author. A dashboard switcher lets you move between your reader shelf and your author campaigns at any time without needing separate accounts.

Yes. We support launch ARCs, newly published books, backlist revival, series starters, audiobooks, and paperbacks.

Authors must confirm they have the right to distribute each review copy. For KU-sensitive ebooks, we prefer approved delivery methods such as Amazon promo links, print copies, audiobook codes, or author-confirmed permitted access.

Authors buy book credits — one credit publishes one campaign — starting at $29 for a single book, down to $7.96/book in larger bundles. On top of the credit, you pay a flat $2.50 for each reader who claims your book; you set a cap up to 100, so your total spend is predictable before anything goes live.

After payment, your campaign enters a short admin review — usually within one business day. Once approved it becomes visible to matched readers and you will receive an email with a link to your live campaign.

If our team spots an issue — missing content, a compliance question, or a delivery detail that needs clarifying — we will send your campaign back to you with a note explaining what to fix. You will receive an email, and the campaign stays in your author dashboard so you can update it and resubmit. Most issues are minor and resolved in one pass.

Your campaign does not end the moment the cap fills. You will get an email letting you know the reading phase has begun, and claimed copies keep moving through downloads, reviews, and feedback. About two months later, once readers have had time to finish and review, you will receive a full wrap-up report and the campaign completes.

Yes. Review Copy Club supports ebooks, paperbacks, audiobooks, launch ARCs, series starters, and already-published titles. The author chooses the delivery method and confirms they have the right to provide each review copy.

Yes. If you have a SelfPublishing.pro account with the same email, your books appear in a dropdown when you start a new campaign — title, author name, genre, cover, and file all fill in automatically. You can also pull details by ISBN or by pasting an Amazon book-page URL, or just type everything in manually.

The Campaign Fit Check is a free intake form at /campaign-fit where authors share their book stage, genre, reader cap, delivery format, budget range, and timeline. We review it and recommend the right campaign setup — or flag when a different approach would suit the book better. It is a good first step before paying for a campaign, especially if you are unsure about reader cap size or delivery rights.

Auto-reload is an optional setting on your reader budget page. Save a payment card and choose a threshold — when your balance drops below it, we automatically top it up so your active campaigns never pause mid-run for lack of funds. You set the reload amount, the trigger level, and can turn it off at any time from the budget page.

From your author dashboard, click "Add reader budget." Choose a preset amount ($25, $50, or $100) or enter a custom amount — the minimum top-up is $5. Pay by card and the balance is applied immediately, resuming new reader claims on any active campaigns. Unused budget never expires.

No. Reviews are honest and voluntary. Readers can submit a review URL, private feedback, or close a claim without reviewing.

No. Authors pay for campaign setup, reader matching, delivery, reminders, and reporting. We do not sell reviews, stars, or positive language.

The platform separates payment for campaign services from review outcomes. Authors pay for setup, reader matching, delivery, reminders, and reporting. Readers are never paid for stars, positive wording, or a guaranteed review.

No. Reader emails and identities are private by default. Campaign messages, reminders, review URLs, and private feedback stay inside the Review Copy Club workflow so readers are not pressured by direct author follow-up.

Readers get matched with free review copies in the genres and formats they choose, with no requirement to leave a positive review or any review at all.

Go to /reader/join, pick your favourite genres, choose your preferred formats and content rating, then enter your email address. Your account is created in that one step and your matched books appear immediately — no password is required upfront. A link to set your password for future sign-ins is sent to your email.

Invitation links are sent to readers from partner book platforms with your reading preferences already filled in — genres, formats, and spice level — so joining takes one click instead of filling out a profile from scratch. Review and adjust the pre-selected options, accept the honest-review pledge, and you will land directly on your matched book shelf with no separate sign-up form needed.

Readers choose genres, formats, content preferences, and review platforms. Campaigns are shown to readers whose profiles fit the book, so authors are not sending broad cold requests and readers are not asked to claim books outside their interests.

Yes. Your reader profile can include your website, Instagram, TikTok, X (Twitter), and Facebook links. These are visible to authors when you claim a book and help them see you as a real, engaged reader community member.

Your reader shelf tracks your reading impact — books finished, authors helped, and genres explored — and awards badges as you hit milestones: First Finish (1 book), Avid Reader (5 books), Genre Explorer (3 genres), and Reliable Reader (3 completed claims). Badges reflect reading and follow-through, not how many reviews you post, so closing a claim without a review counts the same as submitting one.

Yes. Readers may submit a public review URL, share private feedback with the campaign, or close a claim without reviewing. Honest participation matters more than forcing a public review.

Yes. Readers receive a gentle reminder if a claimed book has been sitting unread for a couple of weeks, and another nudge a few days after marking a book finished to help remember to leave feedback. Authors receive a weekly progress email for each active campaign summarising new claims, downloads, and review actions, plus a final wrap-up when the campaign closes.