After all, the information in your Profile is crucial in helping publishers decide whether to approve or decline your request. One of the problems I have is that when I try to post my review on Goodreads, I get a message prompt from them stating that they cannot locate the ISBN#. This was super helpful thank you so much for posting this!! ): The Edelweiss profile has some minor differences. I think linking my Instagram page, where I tend to review books, helped a lot. Any advice on what to put down for company when I am not working for a company? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter for book recs, interviews, and favorites from our editor. Do you run a book club? Join For Free! Become an influencer in your genre and grow your following. The two templates above serve only as a framework, so feel free to add or delete some sentences as you see fit. That does not affect my opinion or the review in any way. It appears that you are stepping up the type of graphic novels you publish. I am also struggling with my NetGalley bio and this helps a lot. When she's not working, Kelly can be found color coordinating her bookshelves, eating Chipotle, and watching way too many baking shows. In my opinion, your Netgalley bio should lean toward the professional over the personal. Ive been using Netgalley for about a year and have been approved for about 70ish books. Im also experiencing a major change in my personal life that is the worst negative possible I suppose. I love using ReadNow to find books I wouldn't have encountered otherwise, I don't mind not getting advance copies of the huge buzzy books because I know my library will buy them anyway, but ReadNow has helped me find some indie or small press authors I've really taken to. r/RomanceBooks is a discussion sub for readers of romance novels. Individual writing samples on different sites can be linked here as well. Do you have a book-related twitter, Facebook, tumblr, youtube or instagram account? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, unconditionally and irrevocably in love with romance books. thanks for the tips. You can find them by navigating to a title's Feedback page or by clicking the purple gear icon on the right-hand side of the Manage Titles page. Very true! Im going to revisit it now! When she's not working, Kelly can be found color coordinating her bookshelves, eating Chipotle, and watching way too many baking shows. While I dont have Netgalley, I want to get it because FREE BOOKS BEFORE THEIR PUBLISHING DATE??? Edelweiss can be a challenge for some, cause its not simply a requesting platform its also a platform where book sellers get books and publishers release their upcoming books catalog! The registration form is pretty standard: username, password, email, etc. This is especially important if youre a bookseller, librarian, or educator who also talks about and reviews books outside of your job. I hope I can get that opportunity. The point of Netgalley is not for non-industry professional readers to be able to read advance copies of books theyre excited about. When a valid ALA, ALIA, ABA or BA member number is added to a NetGalley account, you will see the relevant logo next to their name when they request a title or when you view their Profile. Takes 30 seco Its an exciting time to be a book reviewer. So how do you make a good Edelweiss or NetGalley profile? Just like you. We feel that everyone should love to read, and that that would make the world a better place. Edit: The 4- and 5-stars only is because I'm an author. . Reading should still give you joy rather than it being a chore. Learn more about our use of cookies: Cookie Policy. :). To that end, fill in your bio with past experiences and accomplishments that demonstrate both your enthusiasm and qualifications as a reviewer. Netgalley is a site which is primarily used to get advance copies of books to industry figures so that they can take some action that will sell copies of a book when it comes out (like, writing a review that encourages people to buy books! Simply click Find Titles at the top of the page and youll be taken to a dashboard of recently added titles, as well as dozens of categories to choose from. I enjoyed mangas and graphic humor books (I got a lot of books from comic artists I follow on IG). I use NetGalley. Including not-as-relevant things like that may just distract a publisher from the fact that you are in fact a person who should be given an advance review copy of their book especially if theyre getting 50+ review copy requests via Netgalley every day that they then have to go through one by one. By continuing to use the site, you are agreeing to our. First Second uses Netgalley theyre a galley service that lets people request advance digital copies of our graphic novels (and other peoples graphic novels and prose books). for more insight into what you should include in your Profile based on your member type. However, if you sign up for NetGalley with no reviewing experience whatsoever, its going to take a LOT of work to acquire the books you really want. the internet is wild, the book you rep is most likely just for one region, so seeing some follower regions couldnt hurt, it would be nice to see what books they typically review. Which is fine, I don't have a blog or even Twitter, and I have less than 100 GR friends, it makes sense. (I note that this is a really, really specific set of instructions that will definitely help you out with requesting any First Second requests; possibly not so much with other publishers, depending on their own policies.) Do you review audiobooks as well as print/e-books? Make sure youre opted into receiving those emails in the Account Security section of your Profile, under Subscriptions.. Im getting my MLS now! or Im on the teen selection group at my local bookstore! or I have a blog that has 2,5000 followers!. I saw that your profile picture updated on Instagram, which I really love! tab), so theres no need to list them again in your Bio. NetGalley members are always curious about how they can get publishers to approve more of their requests. Which makes sensepublishers can afford to give out digital ARCs a lot more freely than physical ARCs. Add your school name. This pays off if you track it daily, I snagged ALL SCOT AND BOTHERED by Kerrigan Byrne on a 1-day ReadNow and I tried to alert a FB group I used to be in but it was already gone https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43438815-all-scot-and-bothered, I gave ALL SCOT AND BOTHERED a sincere 5-star review and St Martin's apparently decided it likes me because now publishers have reached out and given me widgets (pre-approved links) to read other historicals. Basically the only place my book love exists is Goodreads, where I have like 3 friends and substandard reviews because I was only really doing it for me before. . If youre not comfortable sharing your own photo, use the official brand logo from your bookstore, library, or school. Make sure to include the date you pulled your stats so its clear to a publisher how recent those numbers are. Set a calendar reminder to revisit your Profile every few months. When youre ready to request a title, click the green Request button next to the book in question. NetGalley reports are an incredibly useful tool for a publisher using the site. Note, those will come to your email from the publisher directly, they've been caught in my email's overactive spam filter a few times :(. While you may think that selecting more categories will increase your chances of picking up books, resist the urge to do so. Your Bio can help to give publishers insight into your role and how you can best work with them. Review Macmillan. I just wanted to make a sort of follow up post after the anti-piracy thread regarding Netgalley. Im going to give several bloggers profiles as examples! Ive also included a bit in mine to say that I make it a point to post reviews prior to publication date or as requested by publishers. As a reviewer, if you have a logo for your blog or social media profiles, you can use that as well. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Both offer a standard listing and email support, and the latter includes a slot in the NetGalley newsletter, which goes out 6-7 times a month. (I believe its only a matter of time though. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. I use NetGalley and have gotten 85 books (not all romance) but I think I've been rejected for every direct request I've made. Do you volunteer at your local library? Where did you go?! You have the option to make this email address hidden or visible to publishers. Thank you so much for this helpful advice , Thank you. Write your reviews on both Net Galley and Goodreads. I also enjoy Historical Fiction, Sci-fi, Dystopian and Short Stories.. Here are a few dos and donts for making your Profile stand out. NetGalley has a feedback ratio, where publishers can see how many books you've read, out of the ones you've received. Now, we're taking a look at how to review our new favorite format: audiobooks! Amazon: Once published, I will post my reviews to Amazon. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2010-2023 NetGalley LLC. Sign up for the the First Second newsletter to receive updates and other information about Macmillan Publishers books, products, and services that may be of interest to you. BRB, editing my NetGalley bio. Its where a lot of book bloggers get good as early as a half a year before they come out! This helps to ensure youre sharing the most accurate information about your job, social media statistics, and reading preferences. Theirs is long. Waterstones:Once published, I will post my reviews to the Waterstones website.. Dont you?). Press J to jump to the feed. Below, I've curated some of the best real professional bio examples I've ever seen on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and the various websites. Book recommendations come in many forms, and its helpful for publishers to see if the books they approve you for may also end up in a listicle, Booktube video, Bookstagram picture, or more! Librarians, booksellers, and educators: make sure to indicate if you are a member of any professional associations. thank you again! Im sure you could sneak on there if you wanted , Nice post, thanks! Do you review audiobooks as well as print/e-books? And while this doesnt mean you need to be a seasoned reviewer to sign up, you may still want to build your portfolio a bit first (more on that later). Do you belong to an organization like SCBWI or PEN? Your Bio is the perfect place to share this information with publishersas long as youre comfortable, of course! (Have you noticed theres a message at the bottom, saying that you should rather leave links in the links section than in the text? [1] [2] Publishers that offer e-galleys include Hachette , HarperCollins Publishers , Penguin Random House , Simon & Schuster , and many others in the US , the UK , Australia . If youre a reviewer, clearly state where your reviews appear. NetGalley is a service that allows authors and publishers to send digital books to readers for review. Do you run a book club? And if you find yourself craving indie books and a little less pressure, Discovery will be waiting right here. Everything you could possibly want to know about using NetGalley, youll find right here in this post. So for every book, carve out some time to read write up your feedback on it. I saw some people saying you can just have a Goodreads account and get approved. but I have about 4 friends on there and have only been using it for reviews kind of to myself, so not exactly quality. This can mean the department you work in, the events or programs you plan, any purchasing youre in charge of, the outlets youve written for, and more. Maybe thats why I get rejected a lot haha. Sign In With Discovery, unlike on NetGalley, you dont have to wait for your requests to be dealt with; once your reviewer application is approved, you can pick up whichever books youd like. And youre done. A picture of yourself on your NetGalley Profile can help show your vibrant personality to publishers. I know my Profile needs some sprucing up and your comments really are very useful. Even with them, I still read the blurb if it's something I know I'll enjoy, rather than pick something just because. This is what comes up: Youve already filled out the overview before, so now just head onto theLinks section and add your social media! Awesome!! Demonstrate your reach through your Profile and your feedback. Your reviews can help an unknown author find their audience. I think they want you to have an 80% review rate? These are our Netgalley watchwords. , Amazing! Thanks for the insight! Publishers make digital review copies and audiobooks available for the NetGalley community to discover, request, read, and review. Your Profile includes a section titled 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 youre employed. . But how does NetGalley work exactly, and is it worth signing up as a reader and reviewer? This is what Ive mentioned before!) I've been using Netgalley for a little more than a year, and I love it! The upshot is that youll start to gain a respectable reputation on those platforms as well, which in turn makes you even more sought-after on NetGalley. To become a NetGalley member, all you have to do is sign up. All that said, only you can decide which reviewing platform is best for you. Publishers make digital review copies and audiobooks available for the NetGalley community to discover, request, read, and review. Thanks again! Welcome! NetGalley reports are an incredibly useful tool for a publisher using the site. And that should cover you! Going to work on my Profiled this weekend. This isnt the best statement to lead with if youre trying to convince a publisher to give you a digital galley. I'm just setting up my profile and feeling a little lost since I don't know what to put for my "company" and definitely don't know what I should put in my Bio. Totally agree with the bit about updating stats regularly and setting it out clearly so it makes it easy for the person at the publisher responsible for approving requests. If you apply for romance books, your preferred categories needs to have romance in it. Change). I have a huge passion for reading. Yes, you can have as many books as youd like! If youve ever wondered how to snag an ARC of a much-anticipated book, or enviously browsed Goodreads reviews of as-yet-unreleased titles, then you may already be familiar with NetGalley. In the Account Security section of your profile, youll find the email address associated with your account. A picture of yourself on your NetGalley Profile can help show your vibrant personality to publishers. Publishers are more likely to accept your requests if your bio shows them how youll publicise their book and increase the outreach of the novel, rather than some spiel about who you are and what you like. , Thanks for the advice. Yes, you can join I suggest clicking those links in the question and simply signing up. But as a publisher, were actually putting our books up on Netgalley so that they get in the hands of people who specifically have a career in loving to read people who have become booksellers or librarians or teachers, and who are in a position to affect the sales numbers of a book. Ive been wondering how I should update my profile since I started a blog. Now Im not saying that my profile is perfect! But sometimes, its a much harder decision. Do you run a book club? If you do have a website even if its just to host the main pieces of your portfolio add a link to that too. Add your school's website. Though its true anyone can sign up to NetGalley as a consumer reviewer, priority book selection is given to bloggers, industry pros, and traditional reviewers at least at first. This bio is sent alongside every single request you make on NetGalley, so it needs to make a very good impression! NetGalley built its business on authors wanting early reviews to: a) solidify their books reputations, and b) help them stand out from the pack. A lot of the time, this is a really easy decision! You may not have a designated blog or publication that assigns you books, but you can still post literary thoughts on Twitter or Tumblr. Provide links to your preferred platforms If you want to cut to the chase and find out first whether Netgalley is right (or should we say write) for you, we recommend taking this quick quiz: Find out which review community is best for your style. One of the top complaints from NetGalley authors is that giving away tons of free copies often only results in NetGalley feedback which may be useful to authors on a personal level, but not so much on a promotional level. It was around this time that both self-published and traditionally published authors came to recognize the importance of reviews, especially of the very first write-ups that a book receives. I need a bio. Ive had an account but had NO idea how to set it upepic fail. Including important stats about your platforms, such as average monthly pageviews to your blog or social media following, is very helpful for publishers. Trust book recommendations from real people, not robots . We think Netgalley is great! If youre a Reviewer, clearly state where your reviews appear. However, you also have to fill out your company (presumably helpful if you work in publishing or for a magazine/newspaper) and your role. To maximize your chances of picking up good titles right off the bat, theres one thing you need to do: write some other stuff before you join. Are you a member of an authors street team? I agree with everything you mentioned here I remember when I started an account last year I was left confused by what exactly to write down in my bio. Thanks so much for sharing with us. Join our powerful community to discover debut authors, future bestsellers, and indie favorites--and help books succeed. When a teacher/librarian/bookseller/reviewer etc. Do: Talk about your member type Are you an OwnVoices reviewer? Inactive reviewers wont be deleted, but low activity will severely damage one's chances of picking up first-choice proofs. Lots of numbers and where I publish and promote the books, and I also had to add that my blog was exclusively English (but thats probably just for those who dont live in an English-speaking country in the first place). Ooh, this is awesome! You may even reach a point of being auto-approved by certain authors and publishers, which means you can read their titles straight away. I actually I struggled when I first decided to get on board with netgalley because I had no idea what to put on my bio I have something similar but in a much smaller scale I still get denied a lot of times but also approved!! First, youll need to wade through a deluge of other titles some interesting, some not-so-much to prove youre a committed and high-quality reviewer. NetGalley helps publishers and authors promote digital review copies to book advocates and industry professionals. I am frequently approved for ARCs and I think this is most likely due to my role as a librarian and person in charge of ordering books for my facility. https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/43524129-bree, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50706457-love-is-a-rogue, https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/readnow, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43438815-all-scot-and-bothered, https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/124102284-megan. Im so excited to start using NetGalley! All Rights Reserved, 2010-2019 NetGalley LLC. I like many genres scifi, speculative fiction, kidlit, literary, nonfiction. Make sure youre opted into receiving those emails in the Account Security section of your Profile, under Subscriptions.. Its also just a guaranteed way to suck all the fun out of NetGalley! Thanks! Subscribe to our monthly newsletter for book recs, interviews, and favorites from our editor. You can withdraw your consent at any time. I just updated it now! Your Bio can help to give publishers insight into your role and how you can best work with them. It works just like a regular book sales platform, but instead of readers buying your books, they receive a free copy in exchange for an honest review. In the past, we've shared general tips for writing book reviewsand advice for writing critical book reviews. Once confined to print newspapers and journals, reviews now dot many corridors of the Internet forever helping others discover their next great read. Thanks for your help and suggestions. Litsy A Bookish Social Network, [NewBloggers] What Tools Can Help Me Be An Organized Blogger? You can read. Finding Your Beauty Queen Dumplin by Julie Murphy, 5 Feel Good Books For When You Have The Lonelies, but you still want to see how many followers the blog has. You will find your profile at the top of the dashboard: And then you just fill it out, copy pasting the text into the text box: The rest you will do when requesting the book for the first time, and it will save your preferences for the next time! document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', (event) => { What you need to keep in mind when requesting, though, isto not let it get out of hand. Publishers can see which genres you prefer to read and review, and by also sharing your favorite authors, you can help provide an even better understanding of the types of books within those genres you most enjoy. Get started by signing in or joining for free. Thanks so much and yes its a shame that NG dont provide more support when it comes to the bio stuff . At the end of this post I will be redirecting you to resources about how to navigate and understand Edelweiss better. Stats I will happily listen to any advice any of you have to offer! My holiday was wonderful, thank you! So if you click request (more about that in Lucys post), this is what comes up: The two important parts here arethe strength of your profileandwhy you are requesting this title. , Glad you could use it to update your bio! Thank you for making this, I have been at a loss for what to write into my NetGalley bio. After being approved for a book, you can either download a protected PDF or send the galley proof to your Kindle. Thank you so much for all the advice! I think a good way to start is check out the READ NOW books. Make sure to include the department you work in, the events or programs you plan, any purchasing youre in charge of, the outlets youve written for, and more. This post describes my position exactly although about a year later xD Thanks for asking the question, and I'd love to be one of your -- probably many now -- goodreads friends. Also, try to review the ARCs you get on Goodreads as well! Plus sub-genre preferences. Your post has given me some help; however, I have no stats, dont have a blog, dont have a website, dont have anything. Im updating my Netgalley right now. Your reviews and feedback are essential to publishers, authors, and other readers! Are you a member of an authors street team? Marking that you listen to audiobooks or are a member of a book club helps ensure you get relevant promotional emailsincluding announcements of newly uploaded NetGalley books, limited time Read Now opportunities, and more. Set a calendar reminder to revisit your Profile every few months. All Rights Reserved. I Review everything I rate 4 or 5 stars. ), I had no idea there was an age thing?! This is especially true if you find yourself requesting books from the same publishers time and again. And you have to handle all of these book requests, that, honesly, probably just drain the life out of you, cause honestly, there are just so many bloggers, you sometimes just feel the publishing industry is sitting on a huge anthill. I Give Feedback on everything else. Based on that, they can decide youre ajuvenile delinquent a person who struggles with their responsibilities, and not grant your request! Dont: List all of your favorite genres Learn more about our use of cookies: Cookie Policy. I blog about all sorts of topics in books empathy, culture, adventure cake. But, I would like to believe that the authors and publishers would be interested in reviews by people that buy or borrow their books and just read for enjoyment. If your bio makes your head swim with the numbers, 99% says its going to make the publicists head swim too! Im Evelina and I blog about books that made an impression on me. Im not sure I can help ya there because my ones seem to format fine? Your Bio is the perfect place to share this information with publishersas long as youre comfortable, of course! Thank you for this useful post My NG profile was long overdue and update ! It can also be a good opportunity for reviewers who already have a platform and want to bolster their reputation even more. Hey, I come from both sides of the perspective, as a reviewer and as an author who hands out ARCs on Net Galley. Update this regularly so publishers can see youre active and that all your stats are up-to-date! Check out our list of 17 sites where you can get paid to read and review. Many of the top Publishers and indie presses list advance digital copies of their upcoming . Great advice as always, Zuky. So, what does a top-notch professional bio look like? Do: Share stats I hope youre doing okay. There are six member types on NetGalley (reviewer, book trade professional, librarian, bookseller, educator, journalist or member of the media) and publishers have different goals for working with each one. Once youve registered with NetGalley and filled out your profile, you can start discovering books right away. Im still trying to figure it all out but Im getting there haha! This can mean the department you work in, the events or programs you plan, any purchasing youre in charge of, the outlets youve written for, and more. As with your preferred categories, it might seem like you should hedge your bets by going big, but its actually better to be selective yes, even as a new reviewer. All Rights Reserved. Maintaining the 80% feedback ratio can also get pretty tiring, especially if you already have a busy schedule. requests a title from a publisher via Netgalley, that publisher has to go through by hand and approve each request. Which is why Im not going to just give an example of my profile. This is very helpful! First Second Welcomes Editorial Assistant Kiara Valdez. Do you write for your school or local newspaper or literary magazine? Thats why we recommend that any Netgalley profiles should be constructed around the thesis that theres something you can bring to the book that can potentially help its sales. Any thoughts on how to get started or what to do? Cause Im going to cover the ways you can make your profile reflect that youre awesomesauce an amazing and responsible blogger who will surely fulfil the publishers needs! Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Consider making it visible so that if publishers ever have a question or want to work with you on a specific campaign, they can reach out. How was your holiday?! On the other hand, if youve never reviewed books before, youll have your work cut out for you. Thanks and yes, they dont really give you much of an indication of what you should put in the bio! . Sunday Summary | 28th 4th June BookBum, How to write book request emails to publishers BookBum, The Mystery Blogger Award, take 6 BookBum, My Experience with NetGalley as a Newbie | Mint Loves Books, How To Order Books By Email JanetWhardy.com. No matter what your member type is, chances are that you write book reviews that you publish outside of NetGalley. Are you a member of an authors street team? Youll still have to go through the anxiety-inducing request process every time, and some people may take weeks to respond. Good luck with all your Netgalley requesting . There are lots of people who request books through First Seconds Netgalley account who I dont personally know. Now over a decade old, this well-known platform lets authors lend new books to readers in exchange for a fair and unbiased review, as the ubiquitous disclaimer goes. It takes some time, but Ive gotten to read so many books I was looking forward to reading! Also does having a profile pic help? Ive revamped my most popular blog post slightly! Are you a blogger? Dont: Forget to update your Profile throughout the year It can be daunting at first, but no worries weve got you covered! If I DNFed, I say why. Use NetGalley for free to request, read, and recommend digital review copies before they are published. Its true that NetGalley is one of very few publicly accessible routes to those precious ARCs (i.e. You should worry if your ratio is lower than 50%. Set your own deadline a week before the publication date if possible, so you wont be scrambling to write a review at the last minute. Edit: putting Self or N/A under company is totally fine. If youre a bookseller whos a member of the ABA, a librarian whos a member of the ALA, someone who the publishing staff person knows professionally, the answer is obviously yes. , No worries, Im glad it was useful for you . I have looked at peoples profiles, and found them pretty much the same as mine, with the one key difference theirs is riddled with links and numbers. What Tools Can Help Me Be An Organized Blogger? Im a newbie to NetGalley.