An eARC (Electronic Advance Reader Copy) is a review copy of your book that readers can access before, or outside of, a store launch. On Sọna, eARC is built for controlled distribution: authors manage who gets access, reviewers read in the Sọna Reader app, and every claim is tracked.
Two Ways to Run eARC
You can use eARC in two main ways:
- Standalone eARC. Create a distribution-only campaign without making a store listing.
- Store-linked eARC. Run advance copies for a book you are preparing to sell on Sọna.
Either way, eARC access is not a purchase or pre-order. It is review-copy access in the Sọna Reader app.
Manage Campaigns
Your eARC workspace lets you create and manage campaigns, pause or resume access, edit the eARC, manage the public listing, and track requests, claims, reviews, and credits from one place.
If you list a campaign publicly, reviewers can discover it from the eARC catalog. If you keep it private, only people you invite or grant can access it.
Invite Reviewers vs Notify Reviewers
Invite Reviewers grants access. You can choose people from reviewer lists, select existing reviewers, or paste email addresses separated by commas, spaces, semicolons, or new lines. Each new granted eARC uses one credit. You can add an optional personal note, up to 500 characters, and it appears inside the invite email after the book details.
Notify Reviewers is different. It tells selected reviewers that an eARC is available, but it does not grant access and does not spend credits. Reviewers still request or add the title depending on your campaign settings.
Reviewer Requests and Auto-Grant
When reviewers request access, you review them in a requests table. You can open their reviewer profile, check their feedback ratio and audience, then approve, reject, add them to your reviewer directory, or add them to Auto-Grant.
Your reviewer directory and Auto-Grant are separate. Adding someone as a reviewer does not automatically put them on Auto-Grant. Auto-Grant is for reviewers you trust enough to receive future access faster.
Claim and Review Reminders
Campaign Emails also includes Claim Reminder and Review Reminder actions. Claim Reminder is for invited reviewers who have not claimed their copy. Review Reminder is for reviewers who claimed an eARC but have not left an advance review yet.
How Credits Work
One credit is used for each granted eARC copy. Direct invites, approved requests, Auto-Grant access, and Read Now claims all use credits when a reviewer receives access.
The first 90-day public Discovery listing window is free. Renewing that public listing after the window ends costs 10 credits. Credit Ledger shows your balance, purchases, and usage history.
Starter credits are only a publishing perk for eligible authors with an approved store book. eARC-only distribution accounts start at zero and can buy a credit pack to begin.
Where Reviewers Read
Each campaign’s author chooses where reviewers read: the Sọna Reader app only, or the app plus the web browser. Either way, copies are not downloadable, which keeps unreleased files secure while giving reviewers a proper reading experience.
Creating a Store Listing Later
An eARC is not sold later as-is. If you want to sell the book on Sọna, you create a store listing from the eARC campaign, upload the final manuscript for review, and submit it through the normal store approval flow. This is only available in countries where Sọna can support paid author payouts.