Hidden Gems Books on the BookBird Author Score
Author Score · aRC reviews & reader building · #8 of 9
Best for: Authors booking a one-off ARC run for a launch, priced per reader
47 of 100 points = 4.7 out of 10. How this score is calculated
Author jobs, from Hidden Gems Books’s own pages
- Yes: Sends advance copies to reviewers
- Not stated: Delivers a free book for email sign-ups (not stated)
- Not stated: Connects to your email provider (not stated)
- Yes: Reviewers are screened
- Not stated: Protects the files (not stated)
- Not stated: Group promotions (not stated)
- Yes: Clear price per book or plan
Hidden Gems Books pricing
One-time licence. The plans as Hidden Gems Books’s own site listed them on October 7, 2026, in US dollars:
- ARC deposit: $20 one-time (non-refundable; holds the date and covers the first 1-10 readers)
- Additional readers: $3 one-time (per reader beyond 10, up to 140; 50-reader minimum order, billed only on actual sign-ups)
- MAX: $400 one-time (flat; the book goes to every reader who reserves a copy)
Prices dated 'as of Sept 20, 2018' on the FAQ. Deposit refunded if a book gets no sign-ups. Canadian authors pay GST/HST.
What Hidden Gems Books offers
From Hidden Gems Books’s own pages, checked on October 7, 2026:
- ARCs sent to a reviewer list matched by main genre and sub-genres
- List cleaned of readers who request books but do not review
- States an average review rate above 80%
- Authors pick review sites from Amazon, Goodreads, Kobo, B&N, BookBub, Google Play
- Already-published books accepted
- Separate Author Ad Engine tool and consulting services
Runs on: web. Launched: 2015.
Who Hidden Gems Books suits, and what its pages do not say
Best for: Authors booking a one-off ARC run for a launch, priced per reader.
Not confirmed on Hidden Gems Books’s pages when we checked: delivers a free book for email sign-ups, connects to your email provider, protects the files and group promotions. That is what the vendor states, not a test; a feature can exist without being described, and the score only credits what is.
About 390 people a month search Google in the US for “hidden gems books”, up 15% over the past year (Google Ads data via DataForSEO).
Hidden Gems Books alternatives
| Software | Score | Price from | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| StoryOrigin | 8.4 | Free plan; paid from $50 a year | Authors building a mailing list and review team on a small budget |
| BookSirens | 8.0 | Free plan; paid from $10 one-time | Authors who want pay-per-reader ARC promotion or free private ARC delivery |
| Prolific Works | 7.8 | Free plan; paid from $20 a month | Authors growing a mailing list through free and group giveaways |
| Booksprout | 7.1 | Free plan; paid from $9 a month | Authors running regular ARC campaigns who want reminders and reviewer tracking |
| BookFunnel | 6.6 | $30 a year | Indie authors delivering reader magnets, review copies and direct-sale ebooks |
Compare: All aRC reviews & reader building · All software for authors
Hidden Gems Books questions
How much does Hidden Gems Books cost?
$20 one-time. Hidden Gems Books lists 3 plans; the full list is under Pricing above.
What does Hidden Gems Books run on?
web, according to its own site.
How the score is computed: the formula, step by step. Prices and features were read from Hidden Gems Books’s own site on October 7, 2026; nobody pays to be listed.