What a launch team is for
Two things, in this order. First, reviews in the first days, because a product page with zero reviews converts badly no matter how good the blurb is, and Amazon’s strongest new-release visibility comes in roughly the first 30 days. Second, release-day noise — a few dozen genuine readers posting about a book they have actually finished is worth more than any amount of your own shouting. Everything else (feedback, typo-catching, cover votes) is a bonus.
You will hear three names used loosely: an ARC team reads advance copies and reviews; a street team shares and promotes; a launch team is the honest name for the overlap most indie authors actually run. This guide treats them as one group.
How many readers do you need?
| Team size | Expected reviews by week 2 | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| 20–30 | 7–15 | A first launch, built from a small list. |
| 50–75 | 18–35 | A series launch with a warm list. |
| 100+ | 35–50+ | Established authors; needs a delivery tool and a helper. |
Roughly a third to a half of a well-run team leaves a review. Those numbers assume you remind them; without reminders, halve them.
Where to recruit
- Your newsletter. One email, eight weeks out: “Want to read the next one early? Reply and I’ll send it.” Readers who reply are the best team members you will ever have, because they already like you. If your list is small, this is the moment you find out why a reader magnet should come before a launch.
- The back of your last book. A line in the back matter — “join my early-reader team” — with a link to a signup form. Slow, steady, and the readers who arrive have just finished a book of yours.
- Genre reader groups and ARC platforms. BookSprout, Booksirens and NetGalley (the last at a price) connect books to reviewers. StoryOrigin and BookFunnel have review-copy features. Useful for topping up; weaker than your own readers, and some platform reviewers never come back.
- Swap partners’ readers. A partner author in your lane can mention your ARC signup in their issue; you return the favour. How that works: the newsletter swaps guide.
Delivering the book safely
Do not email a naked file. Use BookFunnel (the indie standard — watermarked delivery, expiring links, side-loads to any device) or BookSprout, which also tracks who has reviewed. Both handle the “how do I get this onto my Kindle?” support so you don’t. Send the ARC 4–6 weeks before release — long enough to be read, short enough that the release is still in view — and state the release date and the ask in the delivery email.
What to ask for (and what not to)
- Ask for: an honest review on Amazon in release week (and Goodreads or BookBub if they use them), and one share on release day. Say “honest” every time; three-star reviews from real readers are fine and look real.
- Tell them the rule: Amazon asks reviewers of advance copies to disclose it — a line such as “I received an advance copy and am leaving an honest review” is the accepted form.
- Never offer money, gift cards, or anything that looks like payment for a review; Amazon removes reviews it believes were bought and can act against the book. Thanks, early access to the next ARC, a signed paperback draw open to the whole team — fine. Cash for stars — never.
- Don’t demand. Readers who don’t review this time often do next time. Remove only people who take ARCs repeatedly and never review.
The release-week schedule
| When | Send |
|---|---|
| 6 weeks out | ARC delivered via BookFunnel/BookSprout; release date and the ask stated plainly. |
| 3 weeks out | Reminder #1: “Halfway! Here’s the release date again.” Include a one-line share they can copy. |
| Release day | One email with the live Amazon link (reviews can only be posted once the book is live), a pre-written share, and a thank-you. |
| Release day + 4 | Reminder #2, gentle: “If you’ve finished and have a minute…” |
| Week 3 | Thank-you and first look at what’s next. Invite them to stay on. |
Keep the team separate from your main list in your email tool (a group, tag or segment) so the reminders never hit readers who didn’t sign up for them. If you use MailerLite, a dedicated group is enough; if you manage the team inside BookSprout or StoryOrigin, they handle the reminders.
Keeping a team between books
A team that hears from you only when you want something evaporates. One note every couple of months — a chapter, a cover in progress, a question about the next blurb — keeps it alive, and makes the next launch’s ARC email land on warm readers. Put those touchpoints on the calendar alongside the runway in your author marketing plan; the team’s lead times are one of the reasons a launch runway is twelve weeks, not four.
Perfect Year HQ puts the team on your launch calendar
Perfect Year HQ’s Launch tab runs a 30-day countdown with a phase checklist where each step has a one-press Power Play, your Plan calendar holds every deadline and promo send in one place, and the Money tab syncs your real KDP sales hourly so you can see what release week actually did — so the ARC send, the reminders and the release email are dated work, not things you meant to do.
See the Perfect Year →Questions authors ask
How big should a book launch team be?
Twenty to thirty readers is a solid first team; fifty to seventy-five is typical for a series launch with a warm newsletter; a hundred or more needs a delivery tool and a helper. Expect roughly a third to a half to leave a review if you remind them twice.
Where do I find readers for my launch team?
Your own newsletter first, with one 'want to read it early?' email about eight weeks before release. Then the back matter of your last book, ARC platforms such as BookSprout, Booksirens or NetGalley, and swap partners in your genre who will mention your signup to their readers.
How do I send ARCs to my launch team?
Use a delivery tool rather than emailing a file. BookFunnel is the indie standard for watermarked, expiring ARC links that side-load to any device; BookSprout also tracks which readers have reviewed. Send four to six weeks before release and state the release date and the ask in the delivery email.
Can I pay my launch team for reviews?
No. Amazon removes reviews it believes were paid for and can act against the book. A free advance copy in exchange for an honest, disclosed review is accepted; money, gift cards or anything that reads as payment for a review is not. Thank-yous, early access to the next book or a signed-copy draw open to the whole team are fine.
When should my launch team post reviews?
As soon as the book is live on release day, which is why your release-day email must contain the live Amazon link. Reviews cannot be posted before the page goes live. A gentle second reminder about four days after release catches readers who finished but forgot.