Fans always have a pretty good idea of what to expect from an upcoming Star Wars book or comic release thanks to fansites posting reviews on or before release dates, which is only possible when publishers send ARCs, aka Advanced Reader Copies, for these early reviews. Receiving ARCs is a privilege and something not to be taken lightly, as it requires trust from the publisher, and I’ve been lucky to have access for the Manor but never expect it. But how does one get on the list or start receiving ARCs? Recent excitement around seeing fellow fans with the books early (before even the authors!) has brought up this question, so I’ve put together a little article diving into how I got started here in the US and how you can as well!
I’ve been running Mynock Manor for 10 (!!) years now, but I had to start from scratch for getting ARCs despite writing for a different fansite beforehand, though the process has largely been the same, just where and who to contact has changed! So what should you do and where can you reach out? If you’re looking to primarily receive physical copies early, in my experience this is an expectation one needs to keep in check, as this isn’t always the case and might be more difficult if you’re a non-US reader. With that in mind, based off my experience and from what I learned, here are ways I know of how to get ARCs, including ways to contact publishers directly!
For starters, it’s best to create a NetGalley account. This is primarily where I’ve been receiving ARCs from both Random House Worlds (née Del Rey) and Disney Books releases, as they come digitally first from the publisher, followed sometimes by a physical copy closer to the release date. Often times, upcoming titles are listed on NetGalley and you can request them without ever having to contact the publisher directly, just make sure your profile is updated and filled out, including how and/or where you plan on covering reviews of the content you’ll receive, while also submitting feedback for any title you receive.
When it comes to ARCs for novels from Random House Worlds (so the adult novels), I originally reached out to this email: swbooks@prh.com. I’m not sure if this is still a functional email or the best one to contact them with anymore, as that was nearly four years ago now and this was back when they were still Del Rey. I’d then suggest following the instructions on the official Penguin Random House site, which has a section about media inquiries which includes an email: DelRey@randomhouse.com. If you’re in the UK/Europe, the email is: CornerstonePublicity@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk. As for audiobooks, be it originals or just the audio version of an upcoming novel, email: audio@penguinrandomhouse.com.
As for novels through Disney-Lucasfilm Press releases (Young Adult and middle-grade books) it’s Disney Books you seek to contact! On the Disney Books’ site page for media inquiries, they list this email: dpw.publicity@disney.com. I wasn’t sure if there was one for anywhere that’s not the US but might as well start with this one and they can direct you if there’s another option.
As for the comics, with Dark Horse Comics their press/media inquiry email is press@darkhorse.com and they have a great team who is very responsive, sending both individual issues and even the trade releases for early review, but again, these are all PDFs and won’t be physical copies. As for Marvel Comics, I’ve been given a direct contact but never received any responses, while I just finally found this press-related email, Ms-comms@marvelstudios.com, and have reached out in attempt to be put on any list, even if it’s just press releases. I’m not entirely sure they do ARCs of their comics, but if you have any better luck than I have, please give me a heads up with what you did!
Now you know where, what about how to reach out?! When writing up your email, be kind, confident, and specific, as it’s a team made up of individuals like you and me who will be parsing through this and responding. Kindness is the easiest part of it and I only say be confident because, in a way, you’re auditioning for the role of reviewer so show off what makes you, your site, social media follower base, etc., a prime candidate to offer early coverage. The last part, being specific, seems obvious, but make sure even in the subject of your email you mention this is for Star Wars novels or comics, that way they know your focus from the start.
So how to put that all into practice? I’ll walk you through my usual email I send out, but feel free to add more to spruce up sections depending on your preferences. There’s no one way to reach out, no perfect recipe, as it often takes persistence rather than tons of substance.
For the subject of my emails, I’ve typically titled them something like this: “Star Wars {Books/Comics} Advanced Reader Copy Program Request.” It’s to the point and specific enough, so they know exactly what you’re looking for, and while one might think to start with only introducing themselves before jumping right into the request, I’m sure these teams receive tons of requests all the time so might as well get right to it and put your general introduction in the body of the email. I always start the email, after a friendly greeting (often “Hello there” because of course), by introducing myself and how I am the Owner of the Manor, so use this opening line to get your brand out there, even if it’s Goodreads, Netgalley, social media accounts, etc. where they’ll be able to see your work. After this opening line, I do a general check-in, something pleasant, then I get right to it, saying I’m requesting to be part of the advance reader copy program for books/comics. The opening looks something like this:
Hello there,
I’m Ryan Malin, owner of Star Wars fansite Mynock Manor (mynockmanor dot com). I hope the week has been well for you so far! I’m reaching out to request being part of the advanced reader program for Random House World’s Star Wars line.
After this opening, this is where I dive into what I enjoy most about what I’m requesting, so for the books via Del Rey/Random House Worlds, I talk about a particular trilogy/book or two I’ve really enjoyed, maybe even name a character who has stuck out to me and I can’t get out of my head, express interest in any upcoming releases announced, and lately I especially mention my love for The High Republic era and all that’s come from it. Show why you care about their content so they’ll know why to care to send something to you. After this section, I’ll dive into the Manor itself, what we cover, how long we’ve been covering content, mention any metrics I’d wish to share about the site’s growth (so would be a great place to put follower counts/influence reach, specifics like that), and I finish it off with the truth of how I cover content with an honest opinion, though if I’m going to be harsh I try to be as fair as possible. Afterwards, I usually wrap it up with something similar to: “I appreciate your consideration of my request.”
As I said earlier, there’s no one best way of doing this and it’s just the way that’s worked for me more times than it hasn’t, so you can iterate and build on my suggestions for your own eventual email. Be prepared for rejection or no response, and in both cases, don’t be afraid to send another request in the future (I’ve done it as early as two weeks, but typically I wait a month). And in case you aren’t receiving ARCs anymore from any particular publisher after already getting set up to do so, reach out to your last contact or the media inquiry email again and explain the situation.
Regardless if you get ARCs for the books and/or comics, it’s always important to show your support for authors and writers/artists for the books or comics, as well as the local comic shops or independent book stores near you, as a positive review is great, but sales are even better for the things we love. Plus, authors often have special pre-order bonuses or signed copies to procure, and there are some amazing variant covers to enjoy out there for comics, so even if you’re getting early copies, physical or otherwise, showing support is vital still.
In the end, there’s no guarantee for any of this to work, but it’s how I got started in most cases and it worked over these past 10 years for the Manor, so I wish you the best of luck and leave you with one last piece of advice: the worst they can say to you is no (or not say anything at all), so always worth shooting your shot!
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Bluesky, Twitter @MynockManor, and Instagram @mynockmanor.