Yes, that's hyphenated correctly: I've gotten two offers for a non-existent book on my Wish List!

It's a paperback that won't be published until October. A few weeks ago, I got a Wish List offer on it. Skeptical, I PMed to see if it was an ARC. It was, the member just hadn't noticed the NOT FOR SALE label on the front and back. So back I went onto the list.

Today, I got a Wish List offer on the same book, and I again asked if it was an ARC. This time, it was the hardback version. The poster said it was too hard to input the little ISBN numbers, so she'd just posted it by title and hadn't noticed the cover was different. She said a book shouldn't have an ISBN number if it hadn't been published yet. So I accepted the offer, she canceled it, I went back onto the list, and I'm hoping she listed it as a hardback.

I've gotta think that two offers on a book that won't exist for six months is getting near the record. On the other hand, I'm glad it hasn't been published yet, or I'd have two copies of it RWAP!

You could but that book on hold until it is published to avoid dealing with the postings of future ARCs. It doesn't solve the issue of members posting books that can't be posted but it at least saves you from dealing with it.

Wow!  "... too hard to input the little ISBN numbers ..." ? That is amazing.

And, yes, ARCs can have ISBN numbers.

I've got quite a few Wish List books that aren't due out for some time, though. It's pretty coincidental that one of them came up twice. Putting them all on hold and then watching them again as their publication dates nears to revive them in time would be pretty time-consuming, and I might miss one. I'd rather deal with the occasional ARC post than try to monitor that. But I am now in the habit of clicking on the Buy From Amazon link for the book before I accept a book to make sure it's been published.

The second poster was just lucky that the paperback wasn' t out yet. Not inputting by ISBN or paying attention when the cover looks different is a recipe for problems.

I once got an offer for a WL book that wasn't yet released...in the US. When I PMd the sender to ask if it was an ARC, it wasn't.  Turns out that she had been traveling abroad, picked up the book in Europe, where it had already been released, and then posted it here when done.

And every ARC I've ever received has had the ISBN of the final published book.

Just curious, why is an arc undesirable. I'd be thrilled to get a copy.
 

I've gotten British versions of books, but usually those have their own ISBN number and they come through as a different version, so it's not a problem. I just got one of those, in fact, for a book I'm way down the list on for the regular version. The new Wish List expansion let me put every variation onto my WL, which is great (especially since some people aren't using it).

Mary, ARCs are undesirable because they're uncorrected proofs, so there could be typos and other changes before the final version is produced. I don't know how significant the changes can be, but they usually say that it's not the book in its final form. They send them out for reviewers, who often then take them to used bookstores. There's a Forum where ARCs can be posted for anyone interested.

"Just curious, why is an arc undesirable. I'd be thrilled to get a copy."

From the Help Center:
ARCs cannot be Posted to a PBS Bookshelf for swapping, since the ARC cannot be depended upon to contain the same story/text as the published book.

Here is a link to Help Center doc for What is an ARC?

as a book reviewer sometimes I get the paperback copy of the book before published and it is NOT an ARC. 

recently I received a copy of a book to review and it was a hardback and the author wrote inside it (in a pink highlighter no less) was an ARC...ummm, why are your ARC published in hardback?  makes no sense!