Galley vs ARC vs Proof Copy: What Each One Is and When It’s Used

A galley is an early copy of a book’s typeset text (the manuscript laid out in its book design), used to catch errors before publication. An advance reader copy (ARC) is a near-final copy sent to reviewers before release. A proof copy is a test print ordered to check the finished product. Their jobs differ: correction, promotion, and quality control.

What Is a Galley Copy of a Book?

A galley, also called a galley proof, is an early copy of a book’s typeset text: the manuscript set out in the font and layout the finished book will use. Today it usually arrives as a PDF, and many authors print it out to check the text on paper before the book goes on sale. The name comes from hand-set letterpress printing. Printers locked lines of metal type into long trays called galleys, then pulled a rough print from each tray to check the text before dividing it into pages.

Strictly speaking, a galley shows typeset text that does not yet have page divisions. Once the text flows into numbered pages, the correct term becomes a page proof. Page proofs in a plain paper cover, produced for publicity, form a bound proof (sometimes called a book proof). The HarperCollins UK publishing glossary keeps these distinctions. It notes that US publishers often say “galleys” for what UK publishers would call page proofs. In US trade practice the word has stretched even further: reviewers routinely call any pre-publication copy a galley, including a paginated PDF. Australian usage generally follows the UK pattern.

In a professional workflow, the galley stage survives as the first paginated proof PDF the formatter (the person who typesets the book) sends back for review. The trays of metal type are long gone, but the purpose is unchanged: the author and proofreader read the typeset pages and mark corrections before anything goes to print.

What Is an Advance Reader Copy (ARC)?

An advance reader copy, usually shortened to ARC and also written as advance review copy or advanced reader copy, is a free pre-publication copy of a book sent to people outside the production team: reviewers, book bloggers, librarians, booksellers, and media contacts. Its job is promotion. Reviews take time to write and publish, so ARCs go out early enough for coverage to land around launch day. ARCs can be printed books or digital files; publishers often call a digital ARC an eARC.

In traditional publishing, IngramSpark’s ARC guide describes an advance review copy as primarily a book marketing tool that publishers usually produce and distribute three to six months before the final book goes on sale. The long lead time exists because trade review journals work far ahead of publication. Publishers Weekly, for example, requires publishers to submit a digital galley through its GalleyTracker system. Submissions must arrive at least three months (preferably four) before the first day of the publication month, and it also asks for two print galleys when they exist.

An ARC goes to print before the final corrections land, so it carries a disclaimer. IngramSpark recommends labelling the cover “Advance Uncorrected Proof / Not for Sale” and adding a note that the price and publication date may still change. Reviewers who quote from an ARC should check the wording against the finished book, because passages can change between the ARC and the published edition. Distributing ARCs and collecting reviews is a campaign in its own right; we covered the mechanics in how to set up an ARC campaign for your self-published book.

What Is a Proof Copy in Self-Publishing?

A proof copy is a test print of a book. The author or publisher orders it to check the manufactured product before it goes on sale, and nobody outside the project sees it. Where a galley checks the text and an ARC promotes the book, a proof copy checks the object itself: the trim (the page dimensions), the binding, cover alignment, margins, paper, and how images and colour actually print.

How KDP, IngramSpark, and Draft2Digital Handle Proof Copies

Print-on-demand platforms (services that print each copy as orders come in, such as Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and Draft2Digital) follow the same pattern. Each asks you to approve an on-screen digital proof before the book can go on sale. Each also lets you order a printed copy at print cost to check the physical product. The printed copy is optional on all three platforms; the on-screen approval is the required step.

What the printed copy looks like varies by platform. On Amazon’s KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), a proof copy is a distinct product. You order it while the book is still in draft (not yet published), after approving the file in Print Previewer (KDP’s on-screen preview tool), and KDP limits proof orders to 5 copies. Each proof arrives with a “Not for Resale” watermark on the cover and a barcode that contains no ISBN (the 13-digit identifier retail books carry). Author copies are the opposite: retail-identical copies of the live book, sold at print cost in quantities up to 999 per order, which you may sell or give away.

IngramSpark has no separately watermarked proof product. You approve an eproof (a screen-rendered PDF of exactly what the printer will produce, normally ready within 3 business days), and a printed proof, if you choose to order one, is simply an ordinary single copy of your own book at print cost. Draft2Digital follows the same pattern: approving its digital proof unlocks author copies and store distribution, and a printed proof (one at a time, with no watermark) is there if you want one. How many proofs to order, and what to check on each one, is a separate question from what a proof is; we answered it in how many proof copies you should order before publishing.

Galley vs ARC vs Proof Copy at a Glance

A galley, an ARC, and a proof copy differ on purpose, stage, audience, and whether the text is final. Much of the confusion comes from the word “proof”: a galley is a proof of the typesetting, an ARC often carries the stamp “Advance Uncorrected Proof”, and a print-on-demand proof copy is a proof of the manufacturing. Same word, three different checks. The table below compares them side by side.

Which Copies Does a Self-Published Author Actually Need?

Almost every self-published author produces a galley in some form, ARCs are optional, and a printed proof copy is a small investment compared with the production work it protects.

The galley stage happens whether or not anyone uses the name. If a formatter typesets your book, the proof PDF they send back is your galley: you check their work and return corrections for implementation. If you format the book yourself, the same check simply happens on screen as you work. Printing the pages out is a matter of preference. Reading on paper can help with judgements a screen distorts, such as how the type size feels. The word itself rarely appears in self-publishing because no print-on-demand dashboard offers a product called a galley; the stage happens all the same.

ARCs are optional and depend on your launch plan. If you want reviews waiting on launch day, you need copies in readers’ hands weeks or months early. Most indie authors send digital ARCs rather than printed ones.

The proof copy is the step most self-published authors skip. Many end-to-end publishing services include a printed proof in their package. Authors who have invested in editing and formatting are wise to order one: a single copy costs a fraction of what those services cost. It is also the only check that happens on print-quality paper and ink rather than pixels. Authors taking the fully DIY route often publish and simply order a finished copy of the book.

Where Do Authors Distribute Digital ARCs?

Three widely used distribution services publish their prices openly (all figures as checked in August 2026).

NetGalley, whose membership includes librarians, booksellers, educators, and media, charges $575 for a single title listed for 6 months. It recommends that route for authors who publish 1 to 4 books a year.

BookSirens, a reader community focused on indie ARCs, charges a $10 listing fee plus $2 per reader who downloads the book, or $100 per year for its author plan.

StoryOrigin bundles review copy management into a marketing toolkit at $10 per month or $100 per year, with a free basic plan. It recommends giving reviewers at least 10 days before publication.

The three serve different audiences at different scales; none of them is the “right” choice for every book.

The three checks run in a natural order: galley first, ARC next, proof copy last. Correct the typeset pages while changes cost nothing but time, send ARCs once the text is stable enough to represent the book, and order a printed proof from the final files before anything goes on sale. The labels matter less than the checks: correct the text, promote with a clearly labelled advance copy, and prove the print.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “uncorrected proof” mean on a book?

“Uncorrected proof” means the copy went to print before the final round of corrections, so the text, price, cover, or publication date may differ from the finished book. It does not mean the book is unedited; most uncorrected proofs are fully edited and typeset, with only late changes outstanding.

Can you sell an ARC or an uncorrected proof copy?

Publishers mark ARCs and uncorrected proofs “Not for Sale” because they exist for review, not retail. Most authors consider reselling them poor practice, since the author earns nothing. US copyright law generally lets the owner of a physical copy pass it on (the first sale principle). However, platform terms and review agreements can restrict this, and a digital ARC is a licence to read, not a copy you own.

What is the difference between a proof copy and an author copy?

A proof copy is a pre-publication test print used to check the book, and on KDP it carries a “Not for Resale” watermark. An author copy is a copy of the published book bought by the author at print cost rather than retail price; on KDP, author copies are retail-identical, carry no markings, and the author can sell or give them away.

What is a bound proof?

A bound proof, also called a book proof, is a UK publishing term for uncorrected page proofs bound in a simple paper cover and used for publicity before publication. It is the UK’s closest equivalent to what US publishers call a galley or an ARC.

Do self-published authors need printed ARCs, or are digital ARCs enough?

Digital ARCs are enough for most self-published books; they cost little to distribute and reach reviewers instantly through services like NetGalley, BookSirens, and StoryOrigin. Printed ARCs matter mainly when targeting trade review journals, some of which still request bound copies alongside a digital galley.