Ally Carter

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Advanced Reading Copies!

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Hi everybody!

Ally here, and let me tell you, I am FREAKING OUT!

Why? Well, I got word yesterday that Advanced Reading Copies for ALL FALL DOWN (aka Embassy Row, book 1) are now out in the world. They are real. They exist.

THEY ARE ALIVE!!!!

Now, what is an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) and what do they mean, really, for the average reader?

Well, an Advanced Reading Copy is basically what it sounds like. It is a copy of the book that is printed in “advance” of the real books.

But, truthfully, it isn’t really a book. ARCs are printed quite hurriedly and on the cheap and many times–like with All Fall Down–they don’t even feature the final version of the cover. They will often contain typos and other mistakes that hopefully get caught and corrected before they find their way into the finished version.

So they aren’t books.

But they look like books and contain what is hopefully a close-to-finished version of the book itself.

Publishers print ARCs so that people who need to read the book before it comes out can do just that. People like booksellers, reviewers, librarians, and basically anyone you want talking up the book and building pre-publication buzz.

For example, I got an ARC of E. Lockhart’s amazing WE WERE LIARS a few months before the book was released. In fact, a lot of YA authors got ARCs of that book. And we all loved it and talked about it and told all of our readers to read it when it came out, and a lot of you did. In fact, WE WERE LIARS is still on the NYT bestseller list. Because the book is really, really good and E’s publisher made sure there were a lot of people talking about how good it is which made a lot more people want to go buy it.

EulbergARC

Editor David (aka, superman David Levithan) delivering an
ARC of ALL FALL DOWN to author Elizabeth Eulberg in New York last night.

 

So that is the purpose of ARCs. To build buzz. Hopefully.

And now ALL FALL DOWN is out there and people are reading it. This is always one of the most exciting, yet nerve-wrecking, part of the process.

Up until now, our books have lived in a nice little bubble, only read by us and our editors and our friends and our mothers. So people who basically have to tell you it doesn’t suck (even if it does).

But that is no longer the case.

And this author is freaking out about it.

But you guys don’t care about that. If I know you guys, you only care about HOW DO YOU GET YOUR LITTLE HANDS ON A COPY OF AN ARC?

(I know you. I know how your minds work.)

Well, if you work at a bookstore or a library or are an established reviewer, then contact Scholastic and tell them why you think you need one. You might very well get one!

Also, Scholastic will be sharing a limited number of ARCs with me! And Shellie and I are currently devising plans to share a few of those ARCs with you, so stay tuned to all of my online places (twitter, facebook, tumblr, the blog, etc) for details.

In the meantime, keep on reading and have a great weekend!

Ally

 

 

Comments

  1. Wow. I can’t wait to read All Fall Down!! I’m so excited but disappointed that we have to wait until 2015. I hope you are able to give some ARC’s away to a few readers so that some of us can get a sneak peek!

    Reply

  3. I’m so excited for you! This is so cool! When I turn 16 I’m going to try to get a job at Barnes and Noble, but that’s soo far away. I can’t wait for Embassy Row!

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  4. Congratulations about the ARC!!!! I’m excited to read the Embassy Row series starting with the first book All Fall Down. Now I know what an arc is. I’ll be keeping an eye out for a giveway!!!! ;D

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  8. I am super excited for this new book! too bad I can’t receive one cause I would LOVE to get my hands on one!
    Anyway I am sure I will be buying the new book when it comes out!
    can’t wait:)

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  9. That’s so exciting! I cannot wait for All Fall Down! Also, LOVE the title!
    I am the president of my school book club, which means, I get to pick the books. And we will DEFENITELY be reading All Fall Down in February!

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  10. I stopped blogging about two months ago which stinks so much because your books are honestly my favorite ever. I fell in love when I was 11 and volunteering with my sister at the local library. Anyway, I hope everyone who gets the advanced copies knows how lucky they are and I’m sure they’ll love them!
    Xo, Kristi
    PS you can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be entering any and all contests to get my hands on a copy (and then passing it around to my cousin before putting it on my Ally Carter bookshelf (I have almost all of your books in paperback and hardcover))!

    Reply

  11. AHHHHH!!!! Even if we aren’t a reviewer or if we don’t work at a library can we still call Scholastic and ask them for one? I love books and I would just LOVE seeing how a book can improve and develop from an ARC to the finished copy! It’s TOO COOL 🙂

    Reply

  14. SO EXCITED FOR YOU ALLY! I can’t wait for All Fall Down! I know it will be just as good as all of your other books! You have nothing to worry about! 🙂

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  16. Can’t wait until the contests! I neeeeeeddd this book (like 20 other have commented…) but I have a friend who’s grandma works at a library and hopefully? Maybe?
    154 days whoo! Yes I’m counting down the days. Don’t judge me!

    Reply

    • I know you didn’t ask me, but I’m pretty sure there won’t be another Heist Society, at least for a while because she is busy working on the Embassy Row series. Hope that helps!
      Xo, Kristi

      Reply

  18. Those lucky duckys who get an ARC!! I want one!! Lol, but I seriously can’t wait till “All Fall Down” comes out!! Also, I am pretty sure anyone who got an ARC will LOVE it!!

    Reply

  20. I’d love an ARC! I used to get them when I worked for a newspaper and magazine… but now that I teach no one sends me those any more 🙁

    I already have the book pre-ordered on Amazon though… so if I don’t get one, I guess I’ll sit tight until January!

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  21. Oh my god!!!! I’m so excited. I absolutely loved the The Gallagher Girls series and now I can’t wait till I read “All Fall Down”. The Gallagher Girls books started my love for reading. I’m literally freaking out.

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  23. Good question, Etsy! If a book blogger wanted to try and get a review copy, who do we contact at Scholastic?

    Congrats on this awesome news, Ally. 🙂

    Reply

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