Pros & Cons of ARCs

One of the first things you learn when you start book blogging is what an ARC is. ARCs are Advanced Reader Copies of books that have yet to be published. Ebook ARCs are hard to come by, but a lot more common than physical ARCs.

Obviously the biggest draw to obtaining an ARC is being able to read the book first, before the general community. But I want to look at some more pros and cons of ARCs today. Are they necessary? Could publishers do away with them potentially??



PROS: 
-Being able to read before coming across any spoilers
-The book is new and shiny. Who doesn't love new and shiny??
-Coveted in the book community: others often sit up and take notice when you are getting high profile ARCs. Often readers with the newest ARCs have more followers on IG and their blogs.
-Not having to wait for your anticipated release! No one likes waiting
-Being apart of the hype for the book. It is a good way to support authors; it creates a lot of buzz

CONS:
-Can be so hard to obtain
-They can instill jealousy in other readers (aka ARC drama)
-Some readers may not take a blog seriously unless they are receiving ARCs. This one really bums me out
-There are constantly new books and if you are always pursuing the shiny, you may miss out on some oldie but goodies
-Can be so hard to keep up with it all, which can cause it's own stress. (Aka drowning in ARCs)
-Blog tours and blitzes can accomplish the same buzz. waiting creates anticipation

What would you add to these lists??


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Further Exploration:
-Why do people search for ARCs when the book is already published? Why are they still a coveted item?? Is it just a collectible at that point?
-What about blog tours and blitzes? Why are bloggers against those when they could accomplish the same amount of hype as an ARC?

FURTHER READING:
"Should ARCs be a Thing?" from All Books Considered. Maybe just for smaller, less known books?
"Why I am NOT giving up on ARCs"from It Starts at Midnight
"Are ARCs the Reason Behind Blogging" from Latte Night Reviews