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Do ARC Readers Actually Make a Difference? Two Real Indie-to-Trad Stories
Last Updated on July 11, 2026 by Sierra Richard
If you’re an ARC reader and you’re wondering whether what you do actually makes a difference for indie authors, let me just tell you: it makes a huge difference. Today I’m sharing the stories of a couple of authors I’ve met or worked with in some capacity who went the indie published route and then switched into the world of traditional publishing, and some of that is thanks to ARC readers.
The Short Answer: Do ARC Readers Make a Difference?
Yes, ARC readers make a huge difference. When early readers champion a book through reviews and word of mouth, those sales can help indie authors land agents, audiobook deals, and even traditional publishing contracts. I have watched it happen to two different authors, and ARC readers were part of both of their stories.
Sarah Marie Page and the Illusion of the Stars Story
The reason I’m doing this post this week is because Sarah Marie Page, who you may or may not have heard of, just announced that Illusion of the Stars is now getting traditionally published. This book was originally published a couple of years ago under an indie label. At the time, Sarah was working full time as a paralegal.
My best friend Meg, who runs our bookish account Scribes Quadrant together with me, read the book and absolutely loved it. She told me I needed to pick it up, so it went on my TBR. And it sat there for a while, because as anyone who has seen my shelves knows, there are a lot of books on my TBR.
But when Sarah Marie Page announced she was getting an audiobook, I moved it up the list. As bookstagrammers, Meg and I had made a promise to each other: if there was a book one or both of us loved and there was an opportunity to promote it, we were going to promote that author. So I said, hey, this new audiobook is coming, I’ll be one of the first to grab it, listen to it, and review it. And I did. I made a video about it on my YouTube channel because I really enjoyed it. The audiobook* is fantastic. That was over a year and a half ago now.
All this time, Sarah has been working toward getting traditionally published. Now, I want to be clear that I’m specifically talking about the indie-to-traditional route here. There are plenty of indie authors who have no desire to go traditional, and that is totally valid. I could make a whole other video about those authors, because so many of them are doing amazing things. But in Sarah’s case, her goal was to hopefully have her book picked up by a traditional publisher.
Since both Meg and I had read Illusion of the Stars, anytime Sarah Marie Page reached out and asked us to please promote something, we did, willingly. We loved the book and we’re so excited for the second one. We kept noticing delays in the second book, and then there was a request for those of us who had helped promote the first book to be in the acknowledgments of the second one. That turned out not to be exactly true, because we’re actually going to be in the acknowledgments of the traditionally published book, which I think is really awesome. She definitely didn’t have to do that.
Here is the important thing that sometimes gets missed about how ARC readers are beneficial to authors. I see a lot of posts talking about how few reviews are up on publication day, or that the reviews aren’t always stellar, or that there are issues with the money that goes into ARC readers and readers not actually reading the books. Those are all real problems, and I could do an entire other video on that. But what I’m showing you here is different. My friend was an ARC reader. I’m also a reader. She recommended the book to me, and while it was probably over a year after that original recommendation that I actually picked it up, but I did pick it up.
So the benefit of that one ARC reader, my friend Meg, resulted in a sale of the audiobook a year later. That is what makes the benefits of ARC readers so hard to track. And Meg wasn’t the only ARC reader or later reader who championed this book. Many of them did, and that is what led to the success of this book not only getting traditionally published, but also getting picked up by a Big Five publisher, which is huge.
That series is just one story where ARC readers championing and promoting a book kept the sales coming, which led to an agent, which led to audiobook rights, which then led to auctioning the rights for the written book and getting it traditionally published. It’s a really long process and it’s hard to go through, but she isn’t the only one who’s done it.
Paula Lafferty and The Once and Future Queen Story
I got to meet Paula Lafferty at a local book event, and The Once and Future Queen is her book. She independently published it under a different name, and her process, while similar, was a little different.
While she was writing, she was documenting it. She took videos of herself writing each chapter and physically printing it out, then putting the printed chapter down on the table as she finished it. That video blew up when she did the final one and finished that last chapter. She got a lot of notice for her indie published version and sold a lot of copies, and then she was picked up by a traditional imprint as well.
ARC readers were a part of this too. Aside from the fact that she went viral, she then had people who were interested in ARC reading who did reviews. It got more popular on TikTok and other areas of social media, and then more readers picked it up, and more readers picked it up. Eventually somebody from the publishing company saw the video and just swept it away. Not only did she get traditionally published, she is now getting to work with an absolutely amazing narrator, Julia Whelan, for the audiobook.* Just a dream. ARC reviewers were part of her story too.
Why ARC Readers Are So Hard to Track (and Why They Still Matter)
For both of these authors, there were many aspects that got them to the point where their book could go from indie published to traditionally published. Part of that was ARC readers.
If you’ve been on the fence about whether you want to be an ARC reader, let’s be honest about what it involves. You’re going to spend time reading these books before they’re released. They aren’t going to be perfect books, because they’re still in the editing process. It takes a lot of time, and there’s no compensation other than getting the book for free. If you start adding up how much the books cost versus the amount of time you spend reading and reviewing, you’re not making a good hourly wage. I mean, you’re not getting paid at all. You’re just getting a product.
But the benefits of what ARC readers do make a huge difference in the publishing industry. It gives authors who maybe didn’t have anyone championing their book before a whole group of people who are championing it. It’s why posting a review on Goodreads, and making a good, detailed review rather than just a star rating, actually matters. You’re helping somebody make their dream come true and bring more really awesome stories into the world. To me, that has been totally worth it.
Want to Get Started as an ARC Reader?
If you’re interested in becoming an ARC reader or reviewer, I would love to hear from you down in the comments. What are your biggest hurdles and what are you worried about?
I also want to give you my free guide on five ways I’ve gotten ARCs and how to get started. You can grab the free guide here. It walks through the different methods I’ve used to become an ARC reader and reviewer so you can find one that works for you.
And if you want to skip the trial and error I went through, the ARC Reviewer Bootcamp walks you through the whole process in five days.
Books and Resources Mentioned
If you want to champion these authors who went the indie-to-traditional route, here’s where to find their books. I highly recommend Illusion of the Stars. It’s a no-spice romantic book about a girl who’s going to try to be a spy for her kingdom, except she has absolutely no training and is a terrible, terrible spy. She ends up falling in love with the man she’s supposed to be spying on, and he ends up pretty smitten with her too. There’s quite a plot twist at the end. The traditionally published version will be available in February of 2027, with the second book following shortly after in May 2027.
- Watch my Illusion of the Stars review
- Illusion of the Stars by Sarah Marie Page (traditionally published February 2027)
- The Once and Future Queen by Paula Lafferty*
- Keeper of the Grail by Paula Lafferty*
Some links above are affiliate links (marked with a *), which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase. I only recommend books and products I genuinely use and love. Thank you for supporting Happy Pharm Life!
Frequently Asked Questions About ARC Reading
Do ARC readers actually make a difference for authors?
Yes. ARC readers create early reviews and word of mouth that keep a book’s sales going after release. Those sales can help an indie author land an agent, sell audiobook rights, and eventually get picked up by a traditional publisher. The impact is real even when it’s hard to trace back to one reader.
Do ARC readers get paid?
No, ARC readers are typically not paid. The only compensation is a free copy of the book. When you add up the cost of the books against the hours spent reading and writing a thoughtful review, you’re not earning an hourly wage. People do it because they love books and want to champion authors, not for the money.
Why do detailed reviews matter more than star ratings?
A detailed review gives other readers real reasons to pick up the book and gives the author a group of people actively advocating for their story. Posting a thoughtful review on Goodreads or Amazon is one of the most helpful things an ARC reader can do for an author.
Are ARC books finished, polished copies?
No. ARCs are advance copies that are still in the editing process, so they aren’t the final, perfect version of the book. You might find typos and there may be small, editorial changes to the final text. That’s part of the deal as an ARC reader. You’re reading early, before release, which is exactly what lets your review and word of mouth help the author when it counts most.
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