BookSirens vs Pen Pinery: Which ARC Platform Is Right for Romance Authors?
If you write romance and you've been trying to figure out the best way to get ARC readers before your launch, chances are you've come across BookSirens. It's one of the most established ARC platforms out there. But a newer option called Pen Pinery has been getting attention, specifically built for romance authors, and the differences are worth understanding before you spend a dime.
Here's an honest breakdown of both platforms so you can decide which fits your book, your budget, and the way you like to work.
What Is BookSirens?
BookSirens is a well-established ARC distribution platform that connects authors with vetted reviewers across multiple genres; romance, mystery, thriller, sci-fi, fantasy, and more. They have a reader base of 51,000+ and a solid track record with indie authors.
Their pricing works in two ways. The Promote Plan charges $10 per book listing plus $2 for every reader who downloads your ARC. So if 20 readers download your book, you're paying $50 total. If 40 download it, you're at $90. Costs can climb depending on how many readers engage. Their Author Plan is a flat $100/year for unlimited ARC listings under two pen names, a much better deal for prolific authors.
BookSirens is genre-agnostic, covers a wide reader pool, and offers useful analytics, review tracking, and automatic review reminders. It's a solid, mature platform.
What Is Pen Pinery?
Pen Pinery is a romance-only ARC platform built specifically for indie romance authors. Instead of a large general audience, every single reader on the platform is there specifically for romance; no filtering required, no wasted exposure to readers who aren't your audience.
Pricing is straightforward: $10 for a single book listing or $10/month for unlimited listings. No per-reader fees. Ever. However many readers apply to your ARC, the price stays the same.
The platform also actively promotes listed books to its 1,400+ social media followers on Threads, giving authors an extra layer of reach beyond the reader pool itself.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| BookSirens | Pen Pinery | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre focus | All genres | Romance only |
| Reader base | 51,000+ | 1000+ active romance readers |
| Single book cost | $10 + $2/reader | $10 flat |
| Unlimited plan | $100/year | $10/month |
| Per-reader fees | Yes ($2 each) | No |
| Social promotion | No | Yes (1,500+ followers on Threads + Reddit posting) |
| Romance targeting | Broad matching | Built-in: everyone is a romance reader |
| Best for | Multi-genre authors, large established catalogs | Romance-focused indie authors |
The Cost Question
This is where the two platforms diverge most clearly for romance authors.
On BookSirens' Promote Plan, a successful campaign with 25 readers costs $60. With 40 readers, you're at $90. That's not unreasonable, but it's variable, and if your book performs well, you pay more for that success.
On Pen Pinery, you pay $10. Full stop. Whether 5 readers apply or 50, your cost doesn't change.
For authors publishing multiple books a year, Pen Pinery's $10/month unlimited plan means you could list every single release without ever worrying about per-reader costs adding up. BookSirens' $100/year Author Plan is also a strong value for prolific authors, but it's a larger upfront commitment.
The Romance Targeting Question
BookSirens serves a broad audience across many genres. When you list a romance novel there, the platform uses matching to show your book to readers most likely to enjoy it, but the overall community isn't exclusively romance-focused.
Pen Pinery's entire reader base signed up specifically for romance ARCs. There's no matching algorithm needed because the audience is already pre-filtered. Every reader on the platform wants to read romance. For romance authors, that's a meaningful difference, it's the difference between finding your audience and already being in front of them.
The Social Promotion Question
BookSirens distributes your listing internally to matched readers via their platform and emails. That's it.
Pen Pinery does that, but also promotes your book to 1,500+ social followers. For an author who's already grinding away at their own social media presence, having the platform actively put your book in front of more people, without extra cost, is a genuine added value.
So Which One Should You Choose?
Choose BookSirens if:
- You write across multiple genres, not just romance
- You want the established platform with a large, proven reader base
- You're comfortable with variable pricing per reader
- You value detailed analytics and review tracking features
Choose Pen Pinery if:
- You write romance exclusively (or primarily)
- You want a flat, predictable cost per campaign
- You're publishing multiple books a year and want an affordable unlimited option
- You want social promotion included with your listing
- You'd rather every reader who sees your book already loves the genre
BookSirens is a legitimate, well-run platform with years of happy authors behind it. If you write across genres or want a large established reader pool, it's a strong choice.
But if you're a romance author, especially an indie publishing regularly, Pen Pinery was built for exactly your situation. The romance-only focus, flat pricing, and social promotion make it a compelling option that didn't exist until recently.
At $10 a listing, it's low-risk enough to try alongside whatever you're already doing.
Ready to let romance readers come to you? List your ARC on Pen Pinery →.
