Sunday, December 15, 2013

Readers of the Lost ARCs

Ever wondered how the hot-off-the-press book you just snapped up at the bookstore already has reviews on the back cover or inside jacket from newspapers or library critics, not to mention those glowing quotes from other authors? Well, those are thanks to ARCs. The acronym stands for Advanced Reader Copy. These are typically sent out far in advance of the publication date. ARCS give book reviewers a sneak peek at forthcoming titles so that reviews can appear in newspapers and on web sites to coincide with the book’s official publication date. ARCs helps librarians and  buyers for the big book chains determine how many copies they will ordering. To the left is a photo of the ARC for my upcoming novel, The Revenant of Thraxton Hall. While St. Martin’s Press will be publishing The Revenant as a hardcover, but the ARCs are printed in trade paperback format. The price is missing and you can’t halp but  notice the big “Reader’s Copy” notice printed on the cover as well as a “not for resale” notice inside. Somewhat surprising to me is that the text is taken from a version of manuscript quite early on in the editing process. As such, it includes typos and other boo boos that have long since been cleaned up. The ARC is also devoid of artist’s sketches that will (hopefully) appear in the final book. Still, I’m excited that these ARCs of my novel are now circulating and have already elicited the follow blurbs from other famous writers:
"London's gaslights sputter and the game's afoot in The Revenant of Thraxton Hall, a witty atmospheric tale featuring the unique detecting duo of Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde." --Cara Black, "New York Times "bestselling author of Murder Below Montparnasse
 "Entwistle is a talented writer who has written an imaginative story with vivid period details and a compelling plot. I was hooked from the very first page and can't wait to read the next book." --Emily Brightwell, author of the Mrs. Jeffries Victorian mystery series
"The Revenant of Thraxton Hall" is a delight.  It's a treat to meet the Great Detective's creator (Arthur Conan Doyle) as a sleuth in his own right. And partnered with Oscar Wilde--what a bold and wonderful conceit!" --John Lescroart, "New York Times" bestselling author of The Ophelia Cut
"Entwistle gives the man who created Sherlock Holmes his own mystery to solve in this amazing novel. Arthur Conan Doyle proves himself worthy of Holmes's mantle as he and his clever friend Oscar Wilde untangle a decades-old mystery to save a beautiful young woman's life." --Victoria Thompson, author of "Murder in Chelsea"

 "Thrilling, suspenseful and utterly captivating, "The Revenant of Thraxton Hall" ingeniously combines historical fact with creative imagination. Conan Doyle and Wilde are a unique and lively recombination of Holmes and Watson, and once again, the game is most assuredly afoot. Don't miss it!" --Kelli Stanley, Macavity Award winning author of City of Dragons

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