An advance reading copy, advance review copy, advance reader's edition, advance copy, or reader's edition (ARC or ARE) is a free copy of a new book given by a publisher to booksellers, librarians, journalists, celebrities, or others, or as a contest or school prize, before the book is printed for mass distribution. ARCs are normally distributed three to six months before the book is officially released to reviewers, bookstores, magazines, and (in some cases) libraries. Book collectors often seek ARCs, which may contain text errors or typos that add value, as coins or stamps with errors do.