Publisher’s Guide to Jellybooks ARC

safe and environmentally friendly distribution of online review copies

Jellybooks ARC is an affordable, multi-format, easy-to-use online platform for distributing review copies, digital proofs, galleys and advance reading copies to readers, reviewers, influencers and book sellers.

ARC is an environmentally friendly and flexible one click access digital solution solving the challenge and costs of distributing review copies for upcoming releases.

Review copies are accessed thanks to a stand-alone link (URL) to the Jellybooks Cloud Reader, a secure and intuitive browser-based ebook reader with no file download or app installation required, offering convenient access across a broad range of devices.

With no limit on usage in each 90-day period, it’s possible to reach out to a wider range of media, booksellers and influencers than ever before and personalise each invite email.

The service is easy to use, secure and a proven money saver for publishers.

Top Ten Benefits and Features of the ARC online review copy access service

1 - Affordable and Multi-format

With prices starting from as low as twenty pounds per title, publishers can afford to use this service across their entire front list of narrative books, illustrated books and audiobooks.

2 - Easy-to use and accessible

The service is easy-to-use with one-click-and-read access for reviewers, bloggers, influencers, bookshops and the book trade. Review copies, proofs and galleys are accessible with a single click via the Jellybooks Cloud Reader and can be read on any browser-enabled device, be it smartphone, tablet, laptop, or PC.

3 - Secure

Jellybooks ensures secure distribution with no possibility of files being downloaded or printed. Access for readers expires automatically after 90 days, eliminating the risk of physical review copies being sold online as well as on second-hand book sites and cutting into future sales.

4 - Cost Savings

Major savings can be achieved in postage and printing costs when using the ARC service compared to distributing physical copies of proofs to reviewers.

5 - Ideal for Remote Working

The ARC service is ideal for publicity, marketing, sales and editorial teams working remotely. No risk of ever running out of review copies again!

6 - Time Saver

Have Jellybooks nudge those laggards who haven’t started or finished their review copy or online proof yet!

7 - Audience Insights

Develop detailed audience insights as to whether your review copies and proofs are actually opened, read, finished and reviewed by recipients.

8 - Early Campaign Planning

Great for securing advance quotes, reader blurbs, peer recommendations and more.

9 - Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly

Be friendlier to the environment by reducing physical printing and distribution and avoiding unnecessary waste using ARC.

10 - Intuitive Reading Experience for End Users

All the accessibility and user benefits of ePUB including variable fonts, night/day mode, bookmarking, highlighting and more.

Features and Benefits of the ARC Service

Reader Features and Benefits

  • One click access for readers.
  • Superior user experiencecompared to PDF-based galleys.
  • Instant and personal access, similar to playing a YouTube video, where play starts instantly with no files to download, no app to install, and no registration required.
  • All the accessibility and user benefits of ePUB including variable fonts and night/day mode, without the drawbacks of static PDF and HTML based excerpts and snippets.
  • Browser-based reading system leveraging the Jellybooks Cloud Reader.
  • Accessible on any browser-enabled devices such as smartphones, tablets, PCs, laptops, Internet kiosks, and similar.
  • Supports narrative books (re-flowable EPUB), illustrated books (fixed layout EPUB) and audiobooks (MP3).
  • Use in conjunction with the Jellybooks sister service – Jellybooks PREVIEW – for driving pre-publication consumer awareness and pre-orders with super-sized (XL) samples, excerpts and audio snippets.

Marketing Benefits for Publishers

  • Reviews are critical to sales; ARC can help you secure more reviews.
  • Enjoy the benefits of digital review copy distribution for all your titles and integrate into your existing print and digital review copy distribution systems. Especially useful when other routes might not be cost effective or affordable.
  • Widen the reach of your existing proof mailings and create bespoke distributions for each title by leveraging contacts right across the business.
  • Provide instant access review copies to booksellers, media and other contacts across international markets, including the major English language markets such as the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, India and South Africa.
  • The ARC service is also a great service for collecting quotes, blurbs and recommendations.
  • Avoid advance reading and review copies (in print) showing up on second-hand book sites and claiming the Amazon buy box.

Workflow Features and Benefits for Publishers

  • Cloud-based access to the platform for publishing team members working remotely.
  • Low cost makes it affordable to distribute digital review copies more widely for any front-list title.
  • Detailed reading and engagement analytics system supports an automated and personalised system of nudging reader to read and review the proofs and galleys.
  • Fully automated nudge system for reminding users to start, read, finish and review copies they have received.
  • Reader access is terminated automatically after 90 days.
  • A more environmentally sustainable way of working.
  • Send samples to users using the sister service – Jellybooks PREVIEW – in cases where requesters do not qualify for review copies.

Cost Benefits for Publishers

  • Reduce the postage and printing cost of creating and distributing physical review copies.
  • Save staff time spent hunting for review copies and posting them.
  • Lower costs when compared to other digital review copy services, especially if your main focus is on reaching out to contacts you already know.

Environmental Benefits for Publishers

  • Eliminate the waste of printing and shipping unrequested review copies to book sellers by introducing a request-only system with immediate approval and access.
  • Reduce the waste of printing and distributing physical review copies by sending physical copies only when absolutely necessary.

Audience Insight Benefits for Publishers

  • Track which books are opened, read, finished and reviewed.
  • Collect insights into how recipients rate content, cover and description.

Pricing for Jellybooks ARC

Try out the Jellybooks ARC service with your first five (5) titles in any format.

Number of New Titles added each year Fee per title Total Annual Fee
up to 5 review copies £80 £400
up to 10 review copies £75 £750
up to 20 review copies £70 £1,400
up to 50 review copies £65 £3,250
up to 100 review copies £60 £6,000
over 100 review copies < £60 bespoke
out of plan cost £200

Pricing is per unique title (file) added to the service during a contract year, with each format (or unique edition) requiring its own sample, if the master file changes. For example, a change in cover means the master file has changed. The indicative cost per book assumes the full capacity is used and represents the lowest cost per sample achievable under the respective plan. We will host review copies for the duration of the contract (i.e. indefinitely if you continuously renew your contract). All prices are exclusive of VAT.

We also have a special value deal for using ARC + PREVIEW pre-publication value pack for the same titles.

Number of New Titles added each year to ARC + PREVIEW Fee per title Total Annual Fee Annual Fee if bought separate Annual saving
up to 5 review copies £90 £450 £750 £300
up to 10 review copies £85 £850 £1,400 £550
up to 20 review copies £80 £1,600 £2,600 £1,000
up to 50 review copies £75 £3,750 £6,000 £2,250
up to 100 review copies £70 £7,000 £11,000 £4,000
over 100 review copies < £70 bespoke > £11,000 bespoke
out of plan cost £250

Publishers enjoy an unlimited distribution period for each title. There is no need to “archive” titles, but you can limit access at any time.

End-user access automatically 90 days from the day they registered for a review copy.

White-label and publisher-domain options are available under special enterprise plans.

All prices are exclusive of UK VAT (Jellybooks VAT registration number is GB-128-7769-67).

Technical specifications for Jellybooks ARC

Supported Formats

The Jellybooks ARC service supports narrative books, illustrated books and audiobooks.

Territorial Restrictions

Territorial restrictions are based on the IP address of the user’s device. Users reading outside the designated territory see their access blocked.

Reader Registration

Readers and reviewers wishing to read a review copy need to register with Jellybooks. Registration is free and requires first name, last name and email address only. Registration and log-in is supported as part of the standard access flow already.

Data Collection and Reader Analytics

We collect detailed reading data on how readers progress. Unlike other services we advise readers of this practice and provide them with a dedicated page (“My Data”) for seeing their own reading data.

We use this reading data to nudge recipients who have not started reading to do so. We also nudge them if they have not finished the book or there has been no reading activity for 14 days without finishing the book (“stuck”).

We provide publishers with aggregate statistics how many recipients have opened and finished their book. Jellybooks also provides a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of how far readers have progressed (the “completion chart”).

In-Book Surveys

We also add an in-book survey to all review copies asking readers how they liked the book, if they would recommend it, if the cover matched the content and where they posted a review. The results of these surveys are also displayed in Candy.

Jellybooks is an associate member of the following industry associations:

The Jellybooks DISCOVERY service was developed with financial support from Innovate UK and Arts Council England.