Getting Started

Review Copy Distribution Services for Indie Authors

A review copy distribution service finds readers for your advance or review copy, delivers the book to them and reports who reviewed it, so you do not have to hand out files and chase readers yourself. Review Copy Club does this for indie authors: you list the book, choose a reader cap from 1 to 100, and it matches readers by genre, format and content level, delivers a watermarked EPUB or PDF stamped to each reader (or your audiobook codes or posted paperbacks), sends reminders, and gives you a live report of review links and private feedback. It costs $29 to list one book ($9.90 a book in a 10-pack, $7.96 in a 25-pack) plus $2.50 for each reader who claims a copy, so a 10-reader campaign is at most $54. There is no subscription, credits do not expire, and most campaigns go live within minutes of payment. You pay for distribution, never for reviews: no review counts are guaranteed and readers are never paid to review.

Below is what these services do, how the main ones price their service according to their own pages, and how to choose.

1

What a review copy service should do

  • Find readers who like your genre and format, rather than whoever clicks first.
  • Deliver the copy safely, ideally with a per-reader watermark so a leaked file can be traced.
  • Remind and report: tell you who claimed, who reviewed and where.
  • Keep it compliant: no payment for reviews, no star-rating requests, and nothing that would make a retailer remove the reviews.
2

How Review Copy Club works

  1. Set up the book. Add the details yourself, by ISBN, or by pasting an Amazon book-page link, then upload the ebook (or choose audiobook codes or posted paperbacks).
  1. Pick a plan and a cap. One book credit publishes one campaign. Choose how many readers can claim it, from 1 to 100.
  1. Go live. A quick automatic check approves most paid campaigns about 10 minutes later; anything that needs a closer look goes to a person, usually within one business day.
  1. Readers claim and read. Readers never pay for books, membership or postage. They may post an honest review, send you private feedback, or close the claim without reviewing.
  1. Follow the results. You see review links and private feedback as they arrive, get weekly progress emails and a wrap-up report.

If a reader has not downloaded the copy within 7 days, the spot and the $2.50 go back to you. Reader names and emails stay private. A mailing-list signup can sit on your campaign page.

Prices: Single $29 for one book; Author $99 for 10 books ($9.90 each); Pro $199 for 25 books ($7.96 each); plus $2.50 per reader who claims, up to the cap you set. Unused claim budget stays in your account for another campaign.

3

Other review copy services, from their own pages (checked 3 November 2026)

  • BookSirens. Its pricing page lists a Promote plan at $10 per ARC plus $2 per reader BookSirens finds for you, charged when a reader downloads the book, with books promoted to its readers for three months; an Author plan promotes unlimited ARCs for $100 a year. Books must meet its acceptance criteria. It states that you are not paying readers for reviews.
  • NetGalley. Its plans page lists a six-month Digital Review Copy listing for $575 on the pay-per-title plan, recommended for 1 to 4 books a year, and a week-long Featured Title promotion for $150. NetGalley says its members include reviewers, bloggers, librarians, booksellers, educators and media; publishers approve each request, and reviews are not guaranteed.
  • Hidden Gems Books. Its ARC Program page says it sends your book to its list of reviewers matched to your genre, and makes no guarantees about the number or quality of reviews. Pricing and deposit terms are on its own site.

Each service has its own strengths, and many authors use more than one over a launch.

4

How to choose

  • Budget for a single book: compare the total for the number of readers you want, not the headline fee.
  • Who the readers are: consumer readers who post on retailer sites, or trade reviewers such as librarians and booksellers.
  • Copy protection: per-reader watermarks deter sharing.
  • Kindle Unlimited: if your ebook is in KDP Select, make sure the service supports a delivery method you are allowed to use. Review Copy Club accepts Amazon promo links, print copies, audiobook codes or other author-confirmed permitted access for those books.
  • Compliance: walk away from anyone promising a number of reviews or a star rating.

Related: compliance-friendly book review programs · how authors get honest Amazon reviews legally · how Review Copy Club compares · author pricing

Frequently asked

What is a review copy distribution service?
A service that finds readers for your advance or review copy, delivers the book and reports who reviewed it. Review Copy Club matches readers by genre and format, delivers watermarked copies, sends reminders and reports review links, for $29 per book plus $2.50 per reader who claims.
How much does it cost to send review copies to readers?
On Review Copy Club, $29 lists one book ($9.90 or $7.96 a book in 10- or 25-packs) plus $2.50 per reader who claims, up to a cap you set from 1 to 100. A 10-reader campaign costs at most $54. Readers never pay.
Does a review copy service guarantee reviews?
No legitimate one does. Review Copy Club, BookSirens, NetGalley and Hidden Gems all say reviews are not guaranteed. Paying for reviews, or for a rating, breaks retailer rules.
How fast does a Review Copy Club campaign start?
Most go live within minutes of payment, after a quick automatic check. If anything needs a closer look, a person reviews it, usually within one business day, and you get an email with the link once it is live.