ARCs...ooooh ARCs. They are a touchy topic of the blogging community in my opinion. I have heard some ridiculous stories of ways people have tried to get ARCs and one of them is just by simply starting a blog. 

First of you, you must understand what an ARC is. It is a way for publishers to get early reviews on the book and to gain attention and publicity for that book so when it finally releases, sales do well. ARCs don't go to everyone and they're not meant for every blogger. One important thing I have come to realize pretty early on in my blogging journey and that a blogger is not entitled to an ARC. Just because you have a blog and sent in an ARC request to a publisher does not mean that a week later you will have an ARC sitting in your mailbox. As a blogger of almost 2 years now, that is something newbies need to realize. ARCs, followers, and page views (I feel like) is basically the West of American Expansion. (Comparison brought to you by the fact that I am currently learning about Manifest Destiny in school. Interesting concept by the way.)  People stopped at nothing to get more land, to own more land and in some ways, people stop at nothing to get an ARC that they want, or just any ARC. 

I'm pretty sure you have heard me or other people say this: "Don't blog for ARCs." If you haven't heard this yet, you might as well. "Don't start a blog for ARCs."

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Sure, I will admit, ARCs are kind of like free books, but not really. Publishers don't get money when they send out ARCs and us bloggers have now made a commitment to read and review these ARCs. Both sides of the situations pay in some way. 

So why shouldn't I start a blog for ARCs? I mean, I love books and I want to be able to read books before everyone else. No harm right?

Mistake one, right there.

Starting a blog for ARCs is like building a treehouse on a skinny tree. There isn't enough support for the treehouse, just like ARCs won't give you enough motivation to keep blogging. Let me tell you one thing, ARCs don't come easy. They really don't. Ask anyone in the blogging community and I am pretty sure 99% will tell you they didn't get ARCs until they starting blogging for a good amount time. 

Okay, so you start a blog and hope that sooner or later, you can get an ARC of that one book you have been having your eyes on. You make that blog, get that name, and start messing around with the posts and design. Maybe you try to find some posts on how to get ARCs. This is where the person finds out you have to provide page views, followers, and that fun junk.

A possible mistake two in the making.

If you're anyone who knows a moderate amount about ARCs and have read up to this part of the post, then you will know that ARCs don't come like free stuff at a carnival. If you have 3 blog followers and about 60 twitter followers then there is a pretty good chance the publisher isn't going to send you an ARC, I am not going to lie. So if you reeeeally want this book then you either build up your following orrrr....lie about stats. 

If you followed that path of lying, boom, game over, mistake two.

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Finding the easy way out never works as well and publishers will know if you're lying. You started this blog a week ago, have one "Hi, Welcome!" post and already have 500 twitter followers and 300 blog followers. Yeah publishers aren't stupid, so you shouldn't be too. Lying doesn't work well and in the end, it will catch up with you. 

Okay, rewind, (If you thought of Satisfied just because of the word rewind then high five to you) let's say this person decides to quickly build up some followers and page views. They become hell-bent of getting these people to follow them and view their blog. Worse case and laziest scenario: they refresh their blog a couple hundred times, make a few hundred twitter accounts, etc. If you're that desperate on getting an ARC, you might as well do #BooksForTrade because, people that is a lot easier and less time consuming. Or *gasps* how about we wait for the book to come out!?!? Like all the other people who don't have ARCs of the book! 

But then you also have these people who follow a whole bunch of people and then TWEET or DM them telling them about their blog and to check it out and blah blah blah. (And you what is even better?? When they unfollow you because you haven't followed them back within the last 39 hours!) If you want to use that as a marketing tool, you do you but puh-lease do not tweet or DM me every 20 minutes telling me to check out your latest post.

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Yeah, no one likes that.

The whole problem with people starting a blog for ARCs is that usually, they start to become impatient for ARCs. They started for ARCs and they become disappointed when they publishers don't have ARCs flooding their mailbox. I'm not saying that all people and bloggers are like this, but this is usually what happens. If you walk into a store intending on finding one thing but they don't have it or you have to order it, you're most likely going to leave. (Or you end up buying something else. In that case, that person may have started a blog for ARCs but later find they enjoy sharing their thoughts more than getting ARCs.)

So people either stop blogging because they don't get what you want or they become more desperate. Yep, I'm talking buying ARCs, annoying publishers, buying followers, frauding #BooksForTrade, and those are only a few ways a desperate person can get ARCs.

Don't be that person that blogs for ARCs. People, if you want ARCs or are thinking of starting a blog for ARCs, I want you stop and think for a second. Blogging takes time and effort and you will lose sleep. If you're not willing to give that up for ARCs then don't start a blog for ARCs. Publishers don't send ARCs to everyone. Loving blogging and having a passion for it is only one of the things that makes a great blogger/blog. If I can see someone is trying to get ARCs by blogging, publishers definitely will definitely be able to as well. 

Moral of this whole post, blogging solely for ARCs does not work out because ARCs don't come easy and they take time. People who blog for ARCs can get impatient, desperate, and just not really be blogging for themselves and what I see blogging as, a way to share a love for books and connect with other readers. 

So tell me: What are your thoughts on this matter and have you heard stories of someone starting a blog for ARCs? I would love to know!