ARC Reader Policy

This policy sets out what you agree to when you receive an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of any Wholespire title.

What you receive

An ARC is a free, pre-publication copy of a book provided for the purpose of writing an honest review ahead of its official release date. ARCs may contain minor errors, formatting issues, or content that changes slightly before final publication.

Acceptance is not guaranteed

Submitting an ARC application does not guarantee you will receive a copy. We select ARC readers based on fit, review history, and the number of copies available for a given title.

Review expectations

We ask that you post an honest review on Amazon and/or Goodreads by the agreed deadline. Reviews do not need to be positive — we only ask that they are genuine and based on having actually read the book. We do not pay for reviews, and receiving an ARC does not obligate you to give a favourable one.

Confidentiality and embargo

ARCs are provided in confidence ahead of public release. Please do not share, resell, upload, or distribute the file in any form, and do not post detailed spoilers, quotes, or your review publicly before the book's official release date, unless we state otherwise.

Personal use only

Your ARC is for your personal reading and reviewing use only. It may not be shared with other readers, posted to file-sharing sites, or used for any commercial purpose.

Your information

Information you provide in your ARC application, such as your name, email, and review platform links, is used only to manage the ARC programme and will be handled in line with our Privacy Policy. We will not share your details with third parties beyond what is needed to send you the ARC.

Ending participation

We may decline to provide future ARCs to a reader who does not deliver a review after repeated opportunities, breaches confidentiality, or shares files without permission. You may also withdraw from the ARC programme at any time by emailing hello@papermoonbay.com.