ARC question

[LizW65]

Hopefully one of the published authors can answer this one: 

I've been hearing a lot lately about Advance Reading Copies (ARCs) and I'm wondering if these are the same as the free copies of a newly published book given to a writer by his/her publisher, which traditionally were given away to family and friends.  If they are, are writers now expected to use them instead for promotional purposes, by sending them for review to professional critics and/or other writers in the same genre?  Is there some sort of professional etiquette writers are supposed to follow in this regard?  Thanks.

[Yeratel]

I've been hearing a lot lately about Advance Reading Copies (ARCs) and I'm wondering if these are the same as the free copies of a newly published book given to a writer by his/her publisher, which traditionally were given away to family and friends.  If they are, are writers now expected to use them instead for promotional purposes, by sending them for review to professional critics and/or other writers in the same genre?  Is there some sort of professional etiquette writers are supposed to follow in this regard?  Thanks.

No, they're not promo copies sent to the author, ARCs are sent by the publisher to book reviewers and book buyers for the chain bookstores to generate orders and (hopefully) positive reviews and word-of-mouth buzz before the official release date.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

I've been hearing a lot lately about Advance Reading Copies (ARCs) and I'm wondering if these are the same as the free copies of a newly published book given to a writer by his/her publisher, which traditionally were given away to family and friends.  If they are, are writers now expected to use them instead for promotional purposes, by sending them for review to professional critics and/or other writers in the same genre?  Is there some sort of professional etiquette writers are supposed to follow in this regard?  Thanks.

wearing my "married to a professional writer" hat:

ARCs, your publisher's publicity people send out to you, though you may get a couple if someone happens to think it would be cool. Author free copies, you get about the time that edition of the books is actually released; IME, both hardbacks and paperbacks show up and then slowly fill your wardrobe until you auction them off to cover a trip to Worldcon or something some years later.

[LizW65]

Ah, okay.  Thanks to you both for clearing this up.

[bookivore]

ARCS are often large paperbacks with promotional stuff on the covers identifying them as ARCs, saying when they will come out, etc if they are for hardcovers.  I expect the publisher has less expense than for the hardcover but doesn't have to reformat the text like they would have to do for a MM paperback.