DRC Access Mode: Access Now
Access Now is Covered's open-access DRC mode. Users can read the title the moment they find it. No request, no wait, no friction. Use it when your goal is maximum reach and you want the book in as many qualified hands as possible, as fast as possible.
What is Access Now?
When a DRC is set to Access Now, eligible readers see a Read Now button directly on the title card. There is no requesting, no queue, and no approval step. A bookseller or librarian who discovers your DRC on Covered can be reading it within seconds.
The DRC appears in the DRC browse page like any other listing with its cover, description, metadata, and expiry date. The only difference from Request Only is that users skip the request step entirely.
Who is eligible?
Access Now means anyone with a Covered account will be able to access a title. Be assured, however, that not just anyone is getting their hands on your content. Covered users are either verified through their ipage account or are onboarded directly by Covered staff. We know who each user is before they can access the site and have already confirmed they are legitimate industry professionals.
What publishers do
Setting up a DRC in Access Now mode
- From Manage DRCs, create or edit a DRC listing.
- Set the Access Mode to Access Now.
- Set an Available until (expiry) date. This is the date after which the DRC is automatically deactivated.
- Save. Eligible readers can now access the DRC immediately.
There is no invite list to build and no requests to approve. Your job is setting it up and deciding when to end availability.
| Access Now | Request Only | |
| Eligible readers get access | Immediately | After approval |
| Publisher sees each reader | No (aggregate data) | Yes (per-request review) |
| Best for | Broad handselling pushes | Curated or high-stakes titles |
| Discovery | Maximum | High |
DRC Expiration
Even in Access Now mode, you are always in control of when the DRC ends.
- Expiry date: Set this when creating the DRC. Once the date passes, the file is deactivated and readers can no longer open or access the file, even if they previously had access.
- Manual deactivation: You can switch the DRC to a different access mode or deactivate it entirely from the Manage DRCs page at any time. Deactivation takes effect immediately.
Tip: Use the “Expire on Pub Date” box to have a DRCs expiration automatically update if the pub date updates.
Quick reference
| What | How it works |
| Who gets immediate access | All Covered users |
| What readers see | A Read Now button |
| Do you approve individual requests? | No |
| Is there an expiration date? | Yes |
| Can you pull the DRC early? | Yes, at any time |
| Can you switch modes later? | Yes |