Arcan's first novel Putain (2001; English: Whore (2004)) received immediate critical and media attention.

Arcan had recently completed her fourth novel Paradis clef en main (2009; English: Exit (2011)) when she died by suicide.

She also wrote several short stories, opinion pieces and columns for various Quebec newspapers and literary magazines.

[4] She had just finished writing her last book, Paradis, Clef en main, whose narrator is left disabled after a suicide attempt.

Lac-Mégantic's municipal library, assembled from many of the over a hundred thousand books donated after fire destroyed the original library during 2013's Lac-Mégantic derailment, is named « La Médiathèque municipale Nelly-Arcan » in her honour.