Du Livre: [Discussion] ARC Preference

ARCs. Whether you love them or hate them, they play a big role in the big blogging community. Now I don't want to start a big debate about the impact they have in the community No, today I just want to know, which do you prefer? Physical ARCs or digital?

I know physical advanced copies are seen as the pentacle of being a book blogger. And I understand, believe me, I do. Nothing is more exciting than getting surprise book mail for a book that doesn't come out for another 5 months. Not only that, but you get to take pretty bookstagram photos of them. But I think I'm more of an e-ARC girl. Why? I'm glad you asked!

So let's break this down, shall we?

Even though you've requested the ARC, that doesn't mean that you're going to love it. I'd say it's probably 50/50 for me. So you've requested this physical ARC, you've read it and it was only meh. Now it's on my bookshelf taking up the space that a more beloved book can take. Sure you host a giveaway or donate it a good cause, but it's hard to keep up at times. So with an e-ARC, I don't have to worry about giving up precious book space. Along with that, most e-ARCs are only available for 60-100 days which makes me plan around it more. If I were to get a physical ARC, I may shelve it and forget about it. But the constant countdown that I see in adobe editions always fills me with anxiety and the need to read the book.

Now let's say it was an ARC that I read and absolutely adored. Welp, after that's expiration date it's gone forever. Becuase it's so temporary, I'm more likely to buy the physical book. If I had a physical ARC, I wouldn't feel that need.

And lastly, I can download the e-ARC from the internet. Some people are on blogger lists where you get instant access to ARCs, even if you aren't, publishers usually review requests within a month of waiting. That's typically less time than it takes the publishers to gather their physical ARCs, decide who gets one, and then mails them out. I'm impatient, no thank you.