Do you match authors for newsletter swaps?

No. If a swap board is the job, StoryOrigin is built for that. We do not match you with other authors by an algorithm, and we do not score you for promoting someone else's book. A swap is useful when both lists actually want the same kind of book. A magnet is a file someone asked for. Start there if you do not already have a list worth swapping.

ReaderMagnet

Free until January 1, 2027 — no credit card

Real Readers. Brighter Books.

Honest answers for authors and readers: how ReaderMagnet connects people who finish books, what a free copy asks of you, and why reviews stay optional. No card until January 1, 2027.

How to run an ARC on ReaderMagnet

Five steps. The longer version is the ARC campaign guide.

List the book

Open List Your Book and enter your name, email, and title. We email a dashboard link. There is no password, and we do not collect a card until January 1, 2027. Cover and description can wait.
1
Upload a finished file

Add the cleanest EPUB or PDF you have when the file is the book, not a sample that stops mid-chapter. Keep a PDF ready for readers whose device will not open an EPUB. Every reader's copy is watermarked with their name and email when they download it. Your uploaded file is never changed.
2
Say what you are asking

Tell readers this is a free advance copy, that reviews are optional, unpaid, and honest, and that they owe you nothing if they do not finish.
3
Share a private page

Send the campaign URL to readers you can name. Open a public claim only when you can answer mail if a download fails. Do not paste a public Drive link into a group.
4
Close the window

Deliver the file once, wait, then send one mid-window note. Close new claims when you can no longer support them. Leave existing download links live for people still reading.
5

ARC campaigns

An ARC is a short, private reading window. ReaderMagnet gives you the page and the file delivery. It does not pick your readers or post their reviews.

What is an advance reader copy?

An advance reader copy, or ARC, is a pre-publication or early-publication file you share on purpose. It is usually an EPUB or a PDF. The reader might be someone on your newsletter, a genre reader who found a public page, or a person you already know. The point is a short reading window: they can read the book before it is widely available, and they may leave an honest review if they finish and want to. The copy is access. It is not payment for a star rating.

How do I run an ARC on ReaderMagnet?

List the book with your name, email, and title. We email a dashboard link. There is no password, and we do not collect a card until January 1, 2027. Upload the cleanest EPUB or PDF you have when the file is actually the book. Share the private page with readers you can name, and open a public claim only when you can answer mail if a download fails. Send the file once, wait, send one mid-window note, then close new claims. Leave existing download links live so people still reading are not punished. The longer checklist is on the how-to guide for running an ARC campaign.

What does the private ARC page do?

It is one URL for that campaign. Readers enter an email to claim a copy instead of downloading from a public folder. You can see who claimed, and you can replace the file on the page when you find a typo. Tell people who already downloaded the old file. The page does not choose your readers, and it does not post reviews for them.

How long should an ARC window stay open?

Match the window to the book. A novella can be ten to fourteen days. A 70,000 to 90,000 word novel usually needs four to six weeks. A long fantasy or dense nonfiction often needs six to eight weeks, and you should say so up front. Close new signups when you can no longer answer support mail. A public claim page left open after you have moved on is how a broken download becomes a one-star review.

Will ReaderMagnet guarantee reviews?

No. Reviews are optional, unpaid, and honest. A private page can deliver a file. It cannot invent a reader who likes the book. If twenty people download and three post, that is a normal range. Many readers finish, mean to post, and then get a work week. One last note after the window is enough. Another reminder after that is how you lose the next book.

What should I ask ARC readers to do?

Ask after they have the file. Ask once in the delivery note, once in the middle of the window, and once when you close the campaign. Say that an honest review on the retailer page or Goodreads helps other readers, that there is no required star rating, and that a two-star review they mean is more useful than a five-star review they do not. Do not offer another book in exchange for a screenshot. Do not tell them which quotes to use. Do not ask them to edit a review because you disliked the tone.

Can I keep BookFunnel or StoryOrigin while I try ReaderMagnet?

Yes. Finish the campaign you already opened. Test one book here. Cancel the old tool only if the new page actually works for you. BookFunnel's public First-Time plan is $30 a year and does not include Secure ARC. That starts on Mid-List at $200 a year. StoryOrigin's review-copy and mailing-list tools sit on the $10 a month Standard plan. We do not undercut BookFunnel's First-Time price. We include the private ARC page, and we do not ask for a card until January 1, 2027.

How do I keep an ARC file from becoming a public download?

Share the campaign page, not a public Dropbox link and not a Google Drive link pasted into a Facebook thread. A per-reader access link is easier to support and easier to stop. Every copy is also watermarked for the reader who claimed it, so a leaked file shows whose copy it was. A watermark cannot stop someone from sharing a file. If a file leaks, revoke the campaign if you have to, tell the readers who were mid-book, and keep writing.

Are ARC files watermarked?

Yes. Every digital ARC delivered through ReaderMagnet is watermarked for the reader who claimed it. When a reader downloads the EPUB or PDF, reads it online, or sends it to Kindle, ReaderMagnet stamps that copy at download time. That includes copies shared through the Private Vault, which are stamped with the email the reader enters before downloading. A small line with the reader's name and email, the date, "Advance Reader Copy. Not for distribution." and a copy ID appears on the notice page and on every chapter or PDF page. Each copy also carries hidden marks that tie it back to that reader. Your uploaded file is never changed. ReaderMagnet accepts EPUB and PDF only, because other formats cannot be stamped per reader.

When is an ARC the wrong tool?

Skip it if the book is not finished. Skip it if you cannot answer mail for the length of the window. Skip it if you only want addresses for a vanity count, or if you want guaranteed stars. Hire an editor or wait. A reader magnet, or a simple note that the next book is coming, is enough when you are still months from launch.

Readers

Readers browse open copies, claim a private page, and read. A review is welcome when you mean it. It is never required, and readers do not pay.

How do I get a free book on ReaderMagnet?

Browse Free Books and open a campaign that is still accepting readers. Claim a copy with an email you actually check. Some books are private and only available from a link the author sent you. Ended public campaigns are listed on Past ARCs. An ended public page does not mean an old private download link stopped working.

Do I have to leave a review?

No. The free copy is for reading. A review is optional. If you do not finish, you do not owe a post. If you finish and want to say what you thought, an honest review helps the next reader. There is no required star rating, and there is no penalty on ReaderMagnet for staying quiet.

Do readers pay or need an account?

Readers stay free. You do not need a credit card, and you do not need a password to claim a copy from a campaign page. Use an email you can open, because that is where the access link goes when the campaign sends one.

Can my review be critical?

Yes. A one-star review you mean is more useful than a five-star review you do not. Authors on ReaderMagnet are not allowed to demand a rating, pay for a positive review, or punish you for a negative one. We are not Amazon, and we do not control whether a storefront shows your review. If a retailer asks you to say that you received a free copy, do that.

What if my ARC file will not open?

Use the ARC Support page. Tell us the book, the device, and what happened. Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, a phone, and a computer all fail differently. You can also email support@readermagnet.com. A PDF is often the fallback when an EPUB will not sideload onto an older Kindle.

Can I keep the ARC after I download it?

The author is giving you a reading copy. Keep the file they sent unless they tell you the campaign was revoked because the file was replaced or the link leaked. Your copy is watermarked with your name and email, so please do not share the file. Do not upload it to a public pirate site, and do not forward the private link to a group. That link is for you.

Where should I post a review?

Use the place the author named on the campaign page, often the retailer listing and sometimes Goodreads. If the book is not on sale yet, wait until that page exists. ReaderMagnet does not promise to email you a review link later. Check the book's current retailer listing, or the instructions already on the campaign page.

For authors

Authors list a book, share a private page, and meet readers who asked for that book. ReaderMagnet does not pick your readers. It can pass a signup to the email tool you already pay for.

How do authors grow an email list on ReaderMagnet?

A reader magnet is a free story, sample, or bonus you leave up so a stranger can join your list on an ordinary Tuesday. They enter an email, get the file, and that address can sync to the email tool you already pay for. An ARC is the time-boxed campaign. Use the ARC page for the launch window. Use a magnet landing page for the file that stays up. Mixing them is how a free-book page becomes an expired file.

What is the difference between an ARC and a reader magnet?

An ARC is time-boxed and usually tied to a launch or a relaunch. A reader magnet is the evergreen extra. If you only have one short story, you can use it as a magnet after the ARC window, but change the copy so new readers are not promised a review-copy experience. A newsletter swap is a third thing: you borrow someone else's list for a day. We do not run a swap board.

Which email tools can I connect?

Connect Resend, MailerLite, or SMTP you already pay for. New readers who claim a copy or a magnet can be added to that list. ReaderMagnet does not replace your email company. You still write the mail, and you still pay the provider you chose. We do not promise a native drip sequence or a swap marketplace.

Can I import BookFunnel or StoryOrigin subscribers in one step?

No. We do not pull another platform's list into ReaderMagnet for you. If those addresses already live in MailerLite or another tool you connected, they stay there. You can export readers who signed up on ReaderMagnet as a CSV from your dashboard so you have your own copy. That export is not an importer for BookFunnel or StoryOrigin.

What does free until January 1, 2027 mean?

We do not collect a credit card to use the working author tools during open beta. It is not a promise that the tools stay free forever. It does not mean every idea on an old roadmap is included. It does not mean you will receive any particular number of reviews. On January 1, 2027, the public paid plans begin unless we publish a different date. Readers stay free after that.

What do author plans cost after open beta?

From January 1, 2027, the tentative public prices are Starter $9/month or $7/month billed annually, Pro $19/month or $15/month billed annually, Publisher $49/month or $39/month billed annually. Starter includes unlimited pen names, reader campaign setup, private reader pages, and reader magnets. Pro adds the fuller ARC and beta-reader tools plus the email connection you already pay for. Publisher is for more than one author or imprint. We do not promise those prices include features we have not shipped. During open beta every working feature is unlocked, and we do not ask for a card.

Who do I contact if something breaks?

Email support@readermagnet.com. Readers with a broken download should start at the ARC Support page so we know the book and the device. We answer the campaign you opened here. The honest-review rules live on the Honest Review Policy page.

Questions: support@readermagnet.com. Related: ARC Support, Honest Review Policy, BookFunnel alternative.