Tracking ARC Reviews & Completion Rates
How to track review submissions, monitor completion rates, and understand ARC campaign performance metrics.
Once your ARC campaign is running and readers are accepted, tracking their progress is critical. This guide covers how to monitor review submissions, understand completion metrics, and identify when to intervene.
What You'll Learn
- How to track reader progress in real-time
- Understanding completion rate metrics
- How automated reminders work
- When and how to assess campaign success
The Campaign Progress Dashboard
Each active ARC campaign has a progress dashboard showing:
Key Metrics
| Metric | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Accepted Readers | Total readers who received ARC access (e.g., 24/30) |
| Downloads | How many accepted readers have actually downloaded the file |
| Reviews Submitted | Number of reviews posted so far |
| Completion Rate | Reviews submitted ÷ Accepted readers × 100 |
| Average Rating | Average star rating from ARC reviews |
| Days Remaining | Countdown to the review deadline |
Progress Bar
A visual progress bar shows your review collection progress relative to the total accepted readers. The bar changes color:
- Red (below 30%) — behind target, consider intervention
- Yellow (30-60%) — on track but needs monitoring
- Green (above 60%) — healthy campaign performance
Reader Status Tracking
Each accepted reader shows one of these statuses:
| Status | Meaning | Action Needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Accepted | Reader has been accepted but hasn't downloaded | Wait — they may be busy |
| Downloaded | Reader has accessed the ARC file | Good — they're starting |
| Reading | Reader self-reported they're reading | On track |
| Review Submitted | Review is posted ✅ | Done! |
| Overdue | Deadline passed, no review submitted | Lost — affects their reputation |
Understanding Completion Rates
Campaign Completion Rate
Specific to this campaign: Reviews Submitted ÷ Readers Accepted × 100
Reader Completion Rate
The individual reader's historical rate across all ARCs they've participated in.
Platform Benchmarks
| Completion Rate | Assessment | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 80%+ | Excellent | Your reader selection was superb |
| 60-80% | Good | Industry-standard performance |
| 40-60% | Below average | Review your acceptance strategy |
| Below 40% | Poor | Tighten acceptance criteria significantly |
Automated Review Reminders
Available on Pro and Business plans, BookAuth automatically sends reminder emails to accepted readers who haven't submitted reviews:
Default Reminder Schedule
- 3 days before deadline — friendly reminder with the book title and review link
- On deadline day — final reminder noting the deadline is today
These automated reminders increase completion rates by 20-30% on average.
When to Intervene
Low Download Rate (Below 50% within first week)
- Your campaign listing may not be compelling enough
- Update the campaign description to generate excitement
- Consider extending the deadline
Low Review Submission (Below 30% at 75% through the timeline)
- This is normal — many readers wait until close to the deadline
- Automated reminders will handle the follow-up
- Consider sending a newsletter to your ARC readers (if they're subscribers)
Post-Campaign Analysis
After the deadline passes and the campaign moves to "Completed":
- Review final metrics — total reviews, average rating, completion rate
- Identify top reviewers — readers who consistently deliver can be prioritized for future campaigns
- Assess timing — was the deadline too tight? Too generous? Adjust for next time
- Compare across campaigns — track how completion rates improve over successive campaigns
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I extend the review deadline for an active campaign?
A: Yes. Open the campaign editor and adjust the deadline date. All accepted readers will see the updated deadline.
Q: Do unsubmitted reviews affect my book's rating?
A: No. Only submitted reviews count. Unreceived reviews simply don't exist in the system — they don't penalize your book.
Q: What happens to a reader's reputation when they don't submit a review?
A: Their completion rate drops, which in turn lowers their overall reputation score and reviewer tier. This creates a natural incentive to follow through.
Q: Can I see what star rating each reader gave?
A: Yes. Once submitted, reviews are visible on your book's detail page and in the campaign analytics view.
Related Articles
- Launching ARC Campaigns
- Managing ARC Reader Applications
- ARC Campaign Analytics & Reporting
- ARC Best Practices — Maximizing Review Yield