ARC Essentials: HarperTeen

Since I started ARC Essentials a few months ago, this has been, by far, the most requested publisher to get an interview with. So, here it is. I had a chance to talk with Stephanie and Booki, two amazing publicists at HarperCollins about ARCs and their work with bloggers.

1. What should I include when asking for a review copy (Page view stats? Follower count? All social media accounts)? First and foremost, we absolutely love hearing why you’re so excited about this particular book! Chances are, we are too and we can geek out about it together. Aside from that, it’s great to see a link to your blog and social media pages at the bottom of the email, as well as your most recent stats if you have them handy. That way, we can get a sense for your personal reading taste and blogging style!

2. How long should I be blogging before I ask for a review copy?

We don’t have an experience requirement for bloggers. If you love the sound of a book, it never hurts to ask us for a copy!

3. Who should I contact about receiving review copies?

We have a digital publicist who serves as the main point of contact for bloggers and will be able to help with any galley requests. We also offer many titles on Edelweiss, so you can request digital review copies there as well.  

4. Should I email an author about obtaining a review copy and have them forward my request onto their publicist? Also, if I want to interview an author or ask them to write a guest post for my blog, is it best to contact the author directly? It’s better to contact our digital publicist directly with any review copy requests. Same goes for interviews and guest posts. Authors get a LOT of emails every day, and we want to make sure you don’t slip through the cracks!

5. Do you expect me to review books I never requested, such as an ARC or finished copy I was sent but never asked for? No! We love seeing coverage for our books, but you should never feel obligated to read something you’re not interested in. Take a quick look and if it’s not for you, don’t worry about it.

6. When is the best time to post a review?

Typically, within 1-2 weeks of the on-sale date. It’s best if reviews are posted as close as possible to the date the book is released so that your readers can get excited and go get ahold of the book right away!

7. Where can I send in review links?

Reviews can be sent to the same digital publicity contact that handles galley requests. If at all possible, we prefer to receive reviews and requests in separate emails. That way, we can easily keep everything organized!

8. Do you want to see all reviews I’ve done—positive and negative? We do! We want to hear all of your thoughts, no matter which way they lean. It’s also very helpful if you include a rating or impression of your review within the email next to your review link.

9. Am I more likely to get approved if I request an eARC of a book instead of a physical copy? Not necessarily, but we do have a limited supply of physical copies, so those always tend to go faster.

10. When is the best time to request a book or be asked to be put on a list to receive a review copy? The best time to request is 4-5 months in advance of the on-sale date. Of course, whether we’ll be able to send you one depends on supply, but we’ll try our absolute best!

11. Do you have a catalog available that lists all your upcoming books?
We don’t have a physical catalogue, but you can find our digital catalogue on Edelweiss here (http://edelweiss.abovethetreeline.com/HomePage.aspx?pubOrgID=HC) where you can see all of our exciting new titles!

12. Anything else you would like to add that you think bloggers should/need to know?
We absolutely love book bloggers! Building a strong reading community with you all is one of the best parts about our job and we really do appreciate the work you put into promoting our books. Your enthusiasm and passion is incredible and we look forward to continuing to work with you!

*Because the digital publicist job changes hands occasionally, they did not include the current email address for their digital publicist. Comment below if you would like her email address*

GIVEAWAY:

Stephanie and Booki are letting me host an EpicReads themed giveaway to go along with this post. Here's the thing ... it's a mystery. They will ship you a package of HarperTeen titles - might be ARCs, might be finished copies, could be a little of both. 

*Winner must be over 13 & have a US/Canada mailing address*

a Rafflecopter giveaway