So today the UPS truck arrived bearing gifts — ABMs (Advance Bound Manuscripts) for EVE OF DARKNESS!
Aren’t they lovely? I’ve never received ABMs before. ARCs (Advanced Reading Copies), yes. But not ABMs.
What’s the difference? Well, a bound manuscript is just that — the original manuscript bound into book form. This is often done before edits or copy edits for quote solicitation purposes and for certain media/distribution outlets that require far advance notice. An advance reading copy, on the other hand, has usually been edited and sometimes copy edited.
The ARCs for my other publishers look similar to these ABMs — text-only covers (in various colors) and bright white pages. Tor ARCs are prettier, usually bearing the cover art and sized to match the actual book. (These ABMs are trade-size, but the actual book and ARCs will be mass market.)
So now I’m faced with a unique dilemma. What to do with them? One copy is earmarked for the winner of the Brenda Novak auction (a lovely and generous person who paid over $300 for it.) I’ll keep one for me. That leaves me with four copies. Ideally, they should help to promote the book in some way, but it’s way too early to send out to booksellers and review outlets. However, hanging on to them until it’s time to send out ARCs would be silly. By then I’ll have actual ARCs with covers on them and I’ll be sending those out instead.
As far as dilemmas go, this isn’t a bad one to have. Still I’d love to do something with them that serves the purpose of making them. Hopefully, I will think of something… 
In the meantime, I’m happy to hold them!
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