Lost Island VIPs

Our Lost Island VIPs receive digital advanced reader copies (ARCs) in exchange for honest online reviews. If you join us, you’ll receive ebooks before they’re available to the public, and your feedback on social media will help the right readers discover our press!

Whether you’re an influencer, educator, bookseller, or an avid reader with a Goodreads account, we invite you to learn more below and apply to join.

How It Works

Step 1: Join our VIP list

We’ll have a link to our application portal at the end of this page.

Step 2: Wait for an ARC reading opportunity

Once you’re officially a VIP, we’ll send you an email whenever we have a new ARC reading opportunity (which could be a few months from now). The invite will include a short description of the story and the deadline for posting your review. If it suits your taste and schedule, click the link in that email to download the ebook.

Step 3: Read the ARC and post your review

After reading through your ARC copy, please post at least one valid review that meets our minimum length requirements. The review must also include an articulated opinion (not just a star rating or summary).

Valid Review Criteria

Valid Review TypeMinimum Length Requirement
YouTube Video*1+ minute
Goodreads Review5+ sentences
Instagram Post5+ sentences
Instagram Reel30+ seconds OR 5+ sentences in the caption
TikTok Video30+ seconds OR 5+ sentences in the caption
Blog Post*5+ sentences
Podcast Episode*1+ minute
*Creating a dedicated video, post, or episode is not required in a YouTube video, blog, or podcast. This means you can include your review as part of a list (ie. “5 Fantasy Books I Read This Summer”) so long as the portion in which you discuss the book meets our minimum length requirements.

Honesty Policy

It’s best practice to include a disclaimer in your reviews, such as:

I received a free copy from Lost Island Press in exchange for an honest review.

Voluntary Amazon Reviews

Amazon’s Community Guidelines prohibit us from providing free ebooks in exchange for reviews, even honest ones. However, you’re always welcome to leave an Amazon review voluntarily!

If you choose to do so, please be mindful that phrases like “in exchange for” may cause your review to get rejected by Amazon. Instead, we recommend using a disclaimer like this one:

I received a free copy from Lost Island Press, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I download a review copy but don’t like the book?

Our reminder emails give you the chance to request a deadline extension or opt out.

Do I need to join every ARC campaign?

No. You’ll be invited to join each campaign, but not required to read the book and leave a review.

Do you accept everyone who applies?

We love welcoming new VIPs, but we do require that your social media platforms (Goodreads account, YouTube channel, Instagram profile, etc.) meet certain criteria. You’ll be asked to share links to them in the application portal below. To better your odds, ensure your account is public and that you often post content related to books.

The most common reason we reject potential VIPs is because they link to a Goodreads account that is private or has no posted reviews.

Apply to Join

Click the button below to visit our VIP application portal.