How Indie Support Works
The reading-cycle guidelines, timeframes, invitation rules, and principles behind Indie Support.
How does this work?
You can approach me about a beta manuscript, an ARC, or an already-published book. I only accept books I feel I can genuinely enjoy. That being said, I’m aware that even books within genres I like have their own styles. As a reader, I’ll try to respect the artistic direction of each story and read it as I would a book I had consciously chosen from the shelf.
Sometimes that choice might reveal that I’m simply not the right audience. In my opinion, that’s okay.
Not every book is for everybody. Putting a story out into the world means accepting that it might be a hit or a miss with any individual reader. It’s no different in my case, but I can at least be upfront about the genres and styles I know I won’t be able to give the attention they deserve.
I’m not a good audience for:
Hard science fiction · Middle Grade · Romance · Romantasy · Progression Fantasy · Erotica · First-person narrative
To keep this relatively fair and make sure no category is left out, I work through invitations in a simple cycle: ARCs → beta manuscripts → published books.
I generally accept a work in one category before moving to the next. However, because ARC and beta reads can come with tighter deadlines, I allow some flexibility between those two categories. When reading, I may move back and forth between ARCs and beta manuscripts before moving on to published works, which have no reading deadline. Invitations remain open as long as there is at least one available place in the current cycle.
Once every available place is filled, the cycle closes. It does not open again until I have finished every work accepted as part of that round. I may also close a cycle early when life, workload, or other circumstances mean I need to limit the amount of reading I take on.
How availability works
The numbers in each category show how much space is currently occupied and how much is available. The left number shows how many places are filled, while the right number shows the current maximum capacity.
For example, 1 / 2 means one place is filled and one remains available.
The example above, including its color scheme, applies to works that can be read without time pressure. The system is built around a total of six works per cycle: two ARCs, two beta manuscripts, and two published books.
However, because ARCs and beta manuscripts can come with reading deadlines, the current maximum capacity of those two categories may change depending on the urgency of the works I have already accepted. These changes, along with different levels of time pressure, are represented by different colors.
Color scheme
A cyan block represents an accepted work that can currently be read without significant time pressure.
A gold block represents an accepted ARC or beta manuscript whose deadline requires priority in my reading schedule.
Cyan and gold together mean the category contains both a standard and a time-sensitive work. The maximum capacity remains unchanged.
Gold shows a reduction happening in the current cycle: two Gold works in one category can reduce the other category from 2 places to 1. Cyan shows one-cycle protection: if that category was reduced in the previous cycle, it keeps its full capacity of 2 in the next cycle. The same opposing category may still contain two Gold works, but it cannot reduce the protected category again.
Even when capacity is reduced, I keep one place available in the other category so that ARC or beta reading cannot completely push the other out of the cycle.
The impact of urgency on the cycle
A reduced place is reserved for a work without significant time pressure. For example, if I am already reading two time-sensitive ARCs, I may still accept one beta manuscript, but only if its reading timeframe allows it to remain a standard, cyan work. The same rule applies in reverse.
This protection lasts for one cycle only. After the protected cycle closes, the category returns to the normal capacity rules unless a new reduction creates protection for the following cycle.
I accept no more than two time-sensitive works across ARC and beta reading in any single cycle.
If the two time-sensitive works are split between ARC and beta reading—one in each category—both categories retain their normal maximum capacity. However, while filling the current cycle, I will not accept another time-sensitive ARC or beta manuscript. Any remaining places in those categories are reserved for works without significant time pressure.
Published books are the breathing space in my reading cycle. With no deadline attached, they give me room between more time-sensitive ARC and beta reads to slow down and read at my own pace. The aim is to keep this enjoyable and sustainable, rather than turn every waking hour into reading time.
I do not accept published books with reading deadlines, so they never become time-sensitive works within this system.
What counts as time-sensitive?
I require a minimum reading window of two weeks for any ARC or beta manuscript I accept. Invitations with less than two weeks available will not be considered, regardless of the length of the work.
The deadline is measured from the date I accept the work, not from when the invitation was sent. Please take this into consideration when inviting me to read.
The basic formula I use to determine time-sensitivity is: book length + time available + type of read. By type of read, I mean beta or ARC, since each requires a different kind of focus from me as a reader.
For beta manuscripts, the threshold for what I consider time-sensitive is stricter because of the nature of the work involved. I’m aware that the amount and type of feedback each manuscript requires will differ, but both the system and I need some consistent guidelines to keep the reading cycle manageable.
For ARCs, the time-sensitive threshold is more flexible because I’m reading a nearly finished book and the reading experience itself is relatively straightforward. While I’ll try to read around your preferred review or publication timeframe, please remember that all of this is voluntary before pointing any pitchforks at me.
By accepting an ARC into the cycle, I’m committing to reading the book—not creating a review debt. If I choose to review it, I’ll try to do so around publication where possible, but finishing an ARC does not create an obligation to post a review.
To minimize misunderstandings, I recommend having your book available somewhere I can rate or review it when the time comes—Goodreads, for example.
| Length | ARC Time-sensitive Reading time | ARC Standard Reading time | Beta Time-sensitive Reading time | Beta Standard Reading time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ≤50k | 7 days | 10 days | 10 days | 13 days |
| 50–80k | 9 days | 12 days | 12 days | 15 days |
| 80–110k | 11 days | 14 days | 14 days | 17 days |
| 110–140k | 13 days | 16 days | 16 days | 19 days |
| 140k+ | 17 days | 19 days | 20 days | 22 days |
Invitation window: minimum 14 days. The numbers in the table show my reading-time allocation once a work is accepted.
Word-count boundaries fall into the lower bracket (e.g., 80k is treated as 50–80k). For works above 140,000 words, the listed reading time is a baseline. Exceptionally long works may require additional time.
These timeframes are general guidelines, not an exact calculation. Word count alone doesn’t tell me how long a book will take to read. A dense, symbolic slow-burn and a fast-paced action story of the same length can require very different amounts of time and attention. I’ll consider the book’s pacing, complexity, and any additional reading or feedback expectations when deciding whether a timeframe is realistic for me.
How invitations are accepted
Sending an invitation does not reserve a place in the reading cycle. Invitations are accepted into a temporary pool that exists only while the current cycle is open. When a new cycle begins, the invitation lists open with it. I don’t accept invitations in advance or keep submissions waiting for a future round.
The idea behind this is simple: I’m one reader among many. Just as you would when looking for any ARC reader, beta reader, or someone willing to pick up your published book, it is up to you to find me while the cycle is open. If other authors reach me first and fill the current cycle, you’ll have another opportunity when the next one opens.
Within each category, I begin with the earliest invitation and work my way forward in the order they arrived. Being earlier means I will consider your invitation earlier, not that a place is reserved for you or that acceptance is guaranteed.
I consider an invitation based on where the work would realistically fall within the cycle, not only on how much time remains when I first look at it. In other words, I leave a buffer for the reading already ahead of it.
Imagine I already have one time-sensitive beta manuscript in the cycle. The first ARC invitation I consider has 24 days remaining, and I decide to accept it as my second time-sensitive work. The next invitation might have 25 days remaining and technically appear acceptable when viewed on its own. In practice, however, I know I won’t be reading both works at the same time. By the time I could reasonably reach the second one, part of those 25 days would already be gone and the work could become time-sensitive before I even begin.
I won’t accept a work as standard simply because it is standard on the day I look at it. There needs to be enough breathing room for it to remain standard by the time I can realistically get to it.
Because this project is built around support, I don’t want someone to be repeatedly pushed aside simply because the timing of their invitation didn’t work in their favor. The system needs guidelines and measurable limits to function, but I also want to improve the chances of authors whose invitations were previously passed over.
Only one work from the same author can be accepted into a single reading cycle, regardless of category. Once I accept an author’s work, that author will sit out the following reading cycle. After one complete cycle has passed, they are welcome to submit again and will be considered normally.
There is no fixed schedule for the reading cycle. While I’ll finish accepted ARC and beta works within their agreed timeframes, published books are read at my own pace. A cycle takes as long as it takes.
The current status of my reading cycle will always be visible in the Indie Author card, and authors interested in inviting me are encouraged to check it on their own accord. I generally won’t announce when a new cycle opens. What I will never disclose is when I’m getting close to finishing the current one—whether you’re my friend, fan, or lover.
Everyone gets the same information at the same time: when that reading status changes.
Disclaimer
The rules above reflect how I currently manage the reading cycle and are not set in stone. As I gain experience with the system, I may adjust timeframes, capacity rules, or other details if I find that something works differently in practice than it did on paper.
The system may also evolve if Indie Support grows to include other people participating in a similar way. What works while I’m managing my own reading cycle may need to change if the project begins to involve more readers and contributors. Any changes will be made with the same goal in mind: keeping participation sustainable while giving independent authors a fair opportunity to be considered.
Support, not exchange
Indie Support is not a review-trading or purchase system. Money doesn’t buy favor, access, priority, acceptance, feedback, ratings, or reviews. No payment is required or accepted in exchange for any of them. Everything is built on transparency and honesty.
Any support is entirely voluntary—whether for me as an author, my books, the project itself, or any other part of the Indie Support community. My decision to read or review another author’s work is completely independent of whether that author reads, reviews, purchases, promotes, or otherwise supports mine. The same principle applies to everyone participating in Indie Support if the community grows.
Participation doesn’t create debt. Supporting an independent author by reading their books, joining their beta or ARC lists, leaving a review, or helping them in any other way is a conscious decision made by the individual. Nothing given through Indie Support is owed back.
How to invite me
You can invite me by filling out the invitation form while a reading cycle is open. When the reading cycle is closed, the invitation form will be disabled.
The form is connected directly to the current reading cycle and its temporary invitation pool. Because of this, some invitations may be rejected automatically if the current state of the cycle no longer allows me to accept them. For example, if two time-sensitive works have already been accepted, the system will not allow another time-sensitive ARC or beta manuscript to enter the pool.
The information I need depends on what you are inviting me to read. Beta manuscripts, ARCs, and published books each have their own specific requirements, so selecting the type of read will automatically show the relevant fields in the invitation form.
What to include
I don’t need a formal query letter or a carefully polished sales pitch. I need enough information to understand what I’m being invited to read, what kind of reading experience I’m walking into, and whether I can realistically fit it into the current cycle.
Every invitation asks for the same basic information: author name/pen name, email address, title, genre, word count, and up to three quick bullet points describing the reading experience.
For the reading-experience points, think of things such as fast-paced, slow-burn, light prose, dense, symbolic, philosophical, lore-heavy, or intended for rereading*. Don’t try to sell me the book with these points. They help me judge the amount and kind of reading attention the work may require.
*“Intended for rereading” refers to works designed to reveal additional meaning through later context, where earlier scenes, details, or themes may need to be revisited. It does not mean a request for me to read the entire work multiple times.
Email address — required. I need a way to contact you if I accept your invitation. Your email is used for communication concerning your invitation and reading only. Submitting an invitation does not subscribe you to a mailing list.
Please don’t send the manuscript with the initial invitation. If I accept your invitation, I’ll contact you using the email address provided so we can arrange access to the work. The temporary pool contains invitations, not copies of manuscripts I haven’t agreed to read.
Additional fields will appear depending on the type of read you select.
Beta manuscript
Deadline — required. Give me the date by which you need the manuscript read. The system uses this together with the manuscript’s word count and type of read to determine whether the invitation falls within the standard (cyan) or time-sensitive (gold) timeframe.
Areas of focus — up to three main points. Tell me what you would particularly like me to pay attention to while reading. These can be specific concerns or broader elements of the manuscript, such as pacing, character development, dialogue, clarity, worldbuilding, plot consistency, or anything else you’re uncertain about.
The three-point limit exists to keep the invitation and feedback system manageable. If your manuscript needs attention in more areas, we can discuss that privately if I accept it.
ARC
Reading deadline — required. Give me the date by which you would like the ARC read. The system uses this together with the book’s word count and type of read to determine whether the invitation falls within the standard (cyan) or time-sensitive (gold) timeframe.
Existing book listing — required. Please provide an existing public page for the book, such as its Goodreads listing. I won’t accept an ARC without a public listing already in place. The book does not need to have been released yet; I simply need an existing public place where I can reliably find it again later.
Publication date — optional. If a publication date has already been set, please include it. If I accept the ARC, the date will remain attached to the book and may later be used by the system to remind me when its release approaches.
Release locations — optional. If you already know where the book will become available after publication, you may include those locations as well. These can be different from the public listing provided above.
The publication information is there to help me return to the book after I’ve read it. It does not create a review deadline or obligation.
Published work
No reading deadline is required or accepted for published works. Published books are the flexible part of my reading cycle and are read at my own pace.
Where to find it — up to three locations. Please provide up to three places where the book is currently available. If you provide a Goodreads or Amazon listing, you don’t need to give me both; I can find the corresponding listing myself.
When a reading cycle closes, every author whose work remains in the Reading Cycle will receive an email from “Reading Cycle” with information relevant to the type of read. If you submitted an invitation and the website shows that the cycle has closed, please check your spam or junk folder as well as your inbox in case the acceptance email was filtered there.