In recent years, as I have shopped and shopped on Amazon.com I have come across something that should simply not be done and that is selling an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of a book on there. This instance comes from back in 2012 when I bought a book expecting it to be a hardcover copy but only for me to get an Advance Reader copy. This is not Amazon's fault. It is the fault of these sellers without scruples and this needs to stop. When this happened my first guess was that it was likely a book blogger since book bloggers usually get early access to books, but this could easily apply to people who attend these BEA events where ARCs are given out. And another thing is that it could occur from a person having won an ARC from a book blogger's book giveaway which is also bad. None of these parties are entitled to sell an ARC.
ARCs are promotional tools and even before that they are given freely out of the purpose of being used for review purposes. Gaining profit from it is distasteful and deplorable.
That is the truth of it and I urge all of you out there who notice this ugly habit going on via Amazon, Ebay, or any other shop, to try to stop it by reporting this to Amazon or the required company. So hear that unscrupled ARC sellers if I catch another instance of this happening again on Amazon and I get an ARC rather than what I expect you will get reported on Amazon. There is just no way you are getting away with taking advantage of an author's work or of a book publisher.
Regardless, while this is most unsavory, I should disclose that giving away a book ARC for a book giveaway is not unsavory because there a book is still fulfilling some role of promotion and in any case it isn't like the book blogger who is holding the giveaway is making money off of this. If anything a book blogger is increasing the likelihood a book gets noticed.
One just needs to realize that there are things that can be done and others that just cannot be done.
About the blogger
A blogger at Book & Movie Dimension a Blog for years. I, Cassandra, pride myself on finding the next hottest thing in Entertainment wherever it may hide: books, movies, music, you name it. Huge reader, anime watcher, and huge appreciator of TK from Ling tosite sigure music and Ling tosite sigure music.
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