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Resources · Glossaries · Publishing & industry · ARC
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ARC

BeginnerPublishing & industryReference
Advance reader copy, a pre-release edition for reviews and buzz.

Advance reader copy, a pre-release edition for reviews and buzz. Publishing terms describe market-facing documents (queries, comps, and formats), not manuscript interior craft.

As an industry term, it describes professional practice outside the manuscript text.

Why it matters

ARC is industry vocabulary for pitching and publication, distinct from on-page craft.

Common pitfalls

  • Confusing this industry term with an on-page craft move.
  • Using jargon with collaborators who define the term differently.
See also
  • Blurb — Marketing copy on cover or listing. Hook without spoiling the turn.
  • Comp title — "X meets Y" market shorthand. Recent, honest, not vanity comps.
  • Elevator pitch — One- or two-sentence hook for live conversation, not the full query.
  • ISBN — International Standard Book Number, a unique product identifier for editions.
  • Logline — Single-sentence story summary naming protagonist, goal, and obstacle.
  • Query letter — Short pitch letter to agents: hook, metadata, bio. Not the synopsis.
  • Self-publishing — Author-led publication path. The author bears the production and marketing load.
  • Submission guidelines — Publisher or agent rules for queries: format, genre, and timing.
View all connections (9)
  • Synopsis — Spoilers-allowed summary of full plot for industry readers.
Related constellation
  • This term (this term)
  • Blurb
  • Comp title
  • Elevator pitch
  • ISBN
  • Logline
  • Query letter

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