First and foremost: Fill out your Profile!
Think about your NetGalley Profile like a resume. The information in your Profile is what publishers see when deciding to approve or decline your requests (but other members do not), so make sure to keep your Bio professional and succinct. A love of books brought all of us to NetGalley, so don’t worry about expressing that passion to publishers. Instead, focus on relevant information about how you use digital review copies and explain your role as an industry professional. If you’re a Reviewer, clearly state where you review books (including important stats about your platforms, such as average monthly pageviews to your blog or social media reach) and share any book-related extracurriculars (like if you run a book club). Librarians, booksellers, and educators: make sure to indicate if you are a member of any professional associations. Click here for more insight into what you should include in your Profile based on your member type.
Here's a few Do and Don'ts for your NetGalley profile, and 10 Things You Should Include in Your NetGalley Profile -- brought to you by We Are Bookish, NetGalley's editorial blog for members.
Provide important links
Your Profile includes a section “Where I Share Reviews.” This is a crucial place to provide links to any websites or social media where you share your book reviews, the media outlets where you cover books, or the bookstore, library, or school where you’re employed. List all relevant links, and revisit them in a few months to make sure they continue to represent the platforms you’re most active on. Pro tip: Set a recurring reminder in your calendar to update the stats and links in your Profile.
Share what Categories & Topics interest you
In the Categories and Topics sections of your Profile, indicate categories you’re most interested in or are assigned to cover professionally and give publishers more information about your reading habits. These preferences help NetGalley tailor the types of books you’ll be notified about in email newsletters and other alerts from publishers.
Follow publishers’ Approval Preferences
On publisher pages, press View Approval Preferences to learn more about what a particular publisher is looking for when approving requests. Since publishers utilize NetGalley in different ways, these preferences can give you insight into how they want to connect with specific member types and what information they want to see in member Profiles. If you frequently interact with a specific publisher, make sure to read through their preferences to ensure you become a valuable contact for them. Pro tip: Adding publishers to your Favorites allows you to easily find them again if you want to remind yourself of their preferences or see what new books they’ve added most recently.
Avoid the request spree
It can be tempting to request every book that appeals to you when you’re first browsing through NetGalley. Before you request, make sure your Profile is as strong as possible. Then only request books you truly hope to read and review or consider for your store, library, or classroom. NetGalley members are expected to provide Feedback for the majority of books they access, in exchange for getting free digital review copies. Keep in mind that if you’re unable to keep up once approvals start rolling in, it’ll have a negative impact on your Feedback Ratio, which can be tough to quickly recover from. Start slow and steady.
Learn from declined requests
Publishers have a wide range of criteria for approvals, which can vary by imprint and type of book, and they often cannot approve all requests that are received. Publishers and authors use NetGalley to help accomplish a variety of goals, and incorporate NetGalley into their overall marketing and publicity efforts in different ways—so if your request is declined, use it as an opportunity to learn from their specific preferences.
Utilize ‘Read Now’ books
Aptly named, Read Now availability means you don’t need to request publisher approval before accessing the book—so you can immediately start reading and reviewing. Take advantage of Read Now books to help build up your Feedback Ratio, which is one of the key stats publishers consider when approving requests.
Stay organized
Your NetGalley account can help you organize and prioritize: Your Shelf tracks books that are ready for Feedback, and the weekly NetGalley Checklist email can provide helpful reminders (so be sure to subscribe to the Checklist in the Account Security section of your Profile). Many members also choose to organize their reading schedule using spreadsheets or bullet journals.
Read, review, repeat
If you’re new to NetGalley, there’s a chance you’re also new to the world of book reviews. Please refer to our NetGalley Review Guidelines, our tips for writing a good book review to help build your platform as a book advocate, and our Book Advocate Toolkit - designed to have everything you need to succeed! Valuable reviews are crucial to publishers and authors, as are the star ratings, Opinions, and industry list nominations that you submit via NetGalley. Increase the visibility of your reviews by sharing to your blog, social platforms, and retail sites—with just one click right within your NetGalley account.
Check out these Additional Resources on We Are Bookish!
New to NetGalley?NetGalley Newbie: Tips for Getting Off to a Great Start
A Book Advocate's Guide to Signing Up For NetGalley
Everything You Want to Know About Requesting Books on NetGalley
5 Ways Members Can Make the Most of NetGalley
A Beginner's Guide to Audiobooks
Tips for Reviews:
Review Tips
Tips for Writing a Good Book Review
How to Write a Critical Book Review
Tips for Battling Reviewer Writer's Block
Your Profile:
Dos and Don'ts for Your NetGalley Profile
10 Things You Should Include in Your NetGalley Profile