NetGalley...how to...?

[ElaineB]

I'm not even sure what to ask, but through my membership in SFWA I applied for and got my book listed on their NetGalley page for January. (My publisher doesn't use NG.) But now I don't know what, if anything, to do in terms of promoting that. I looked on Mastodon and all NetGalley mentions seem to be reviewers posting their reviews. I don't see authors saying their book is now available there. I'm not on NetGalley myself since I don't do reviews like I imagine you need to to get on there. So it's kind of a black hole for me. Anyone used this?

 

[lizmonster]

I'm not even sure what to ask, but through my membership in SFWA I applied for and got my book listed on their NetGalley page for January. (My publisher doesn't use NG.) But now I don't know what, if anything, to do in terms of promoting that. I looked on Mastodon and all NetGalley mentions seem to be reviewers posting their reviews. I don't see authors saying their book is now available there. I'm not on NetGalley myself since I don't do reviews like I imagine you need to to get on there. So it's kind of a black hole for me. Anyone used this?

I used Netgalley for my last release.

Can you be more specific about what you mean by "got my book listed on their NetGalley page for January"?

What I did was this:

- joined Netgalley
- listed my book
- advertised in 2 newsletters
- advertised in 2 (or 3? I honestly don't remember!) banners on NG category pages

All of this was done over ~4 months.

What did I get for this? Not sure. I had a few hundred people request the book. I had a scattering of reviews on Netgalley, some (but not all) of which also ended up on Goodreads. This gave me a nice bump for preorders. Essentially I was buying a shot at being part of the general SF pre-release buzz, but it's hard to know specifically what it did for my sales. I'm convinced enough, though, that I'll be doing it again for my release this year.

Are you self-publishing this book, or is it going out with a trade publisher?

 

[Gramps]

Are you self-publishing this book, or is it going out with a trade publisher?

Lizmonster, did you self-publish or are you going through an agent?

 

[lizmonster]

Lizmonster, did you self-publish or are you going through an agent?

I self-published this book, but I have three trade published books still in print. (This affects my marketing choices.)

Netgalley is an ARC portal, and can be a good tool to get advanced reviews.

But there's one big difference between trade and self publishing here: Amazon won't publish pre-release reviews for self-published books.

Given that not everyone shopping on Amazon is on Goodreads, that's a pretty big limitation, and one a self-published author should consider before shelling out the $$$ for Netgalley. (I don't know what kind of a deal, if any, the OP got through the SFWA, but Netgalley can be pretty pricey.)

 

[Gramps]

I self-published this book, but I have three trade published books still in print. (This affects my marketing choices.)

Netgalley is an ARC portal, and can be a good tool to get advanced reviews.

But there's one big difference between trade and self publishing here: Amazon won't publish pre-release reviews for self-published books.

Given that not everyone shopping on Amazon is on Goodreads, that's a pretty big limitation, and one a self-published author should consider before shelling out the $$$ for Netgalley. (I don't know what kind of a deal, if any, the OP got through the SFWA, but Netgalley can be pretty pricey.)

Thanks.

 

[ElaineB]

Can you be more specific about what you mean by "got my book listed on their NetGalley page for January"?

SFWA has a program where for a cheaper price than we could alone, using their membership, I guess, books can be available on NetGalley. I've never used NG before, so not sure how it works or if it's worth mentioning anywhere (since I have absolutely no reach on SM as it is--I'm hoping just being on NG will get it some eyeballs and reviews.

I am with a publisher, but they are small and don't have a presence on NG. So it's an experiment.

SFWA will send me stats on it at the end of the month, but I don't think there's a way for me to see if it's gotten any attention other than seeing the votes on the cover.

 

[Introversion]

SFWA will send me stats on it at the end of the month, but I don't think there's a way for me to see if it's gotten any attention other than seeing the votes on the cover.

Unless this path to NG doesn’t include the ability for readers to review your book, you should be able to see those too.

 

[ElaineB]

It looks like you have to be a member to see more.

 

[lizmonster]

SFWA has a program where for a cheaper price than we could alone, using their membership, I guess, books can be available on NetGalley. I've never used NG before, so not sure how it works or if it's worth mentioning anywhere (since I have absolutely no reach on SM as it is--I'm hoping just being on NG will get it some eyeballs and reviews.

I am with a publisher, but they are small and don't have a presence on NG. So it's an experiment.

SFWA will send me stats on it at the end of the month, but I don't think there's a way for me to see if it's gotten any attention other than seeing the votes on the cover.

I found the SFWA page for this program, and it is indeed thin on details. The price is right, but without the ability to access your title (and Netgalley's other tools) it's a bit hamstrung.

I don't know if the SFWA has some kind of page of their own on Netgalley, and if so what kind of traffic it gets. But to creep back toward your original query - I don't think social media amplification is required. People looking for ARCs already know to look on Netgalley. Social media might help? But most Netgalley reviewers already have accounts, and know what they're looking for.

 

[JaffaK]

I'm not even sure what to ask, but through my membership in SFWA I applied for and got my book listed on their NetGalley page for January. (My publisher doesn't use NG.) But now I don't know what, if anything, to do in terms of promoting that. I looked on Mastodon and all NetGalley mentions seem to be reviewers posting their reviews. I don't see authors saying their book is now available there. I'm not on NetGalley myself since I don't do reviews like I imagine you need to to get on there. So it's kind of a black hole for me. Anyone used this?

Hi, bumping this thread because I'd be really interested to know how NG turned out for you? I feel like we might be in a similar position (published traditionally by a small publisher, lots of promo on shoulders of authors!) I'm willing to put some funds behind marketing, but want to use it where it'll do the most good. Any tips or suggestions much appreciated

 

[ElaineB]

Hi, bumping this thread because I'd be really interested to know how NG turned out for you? I feel like we might be in a similar position (published traditionally by a small publisher, lots of promo on shoulders of authors!) I'm willing to put some funds behind marketing, but want to use it where it'll do the most good. Any tips or suggestions much appreciated

Good question. I feel like it was a good experience. As a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Assoc., I was eligible for a month's exposure on NetGalley for $50. NG sent a report at the end of the month with some stats, including 52 clicked to read, 6 reviews. But, since the reviews kept coming after the month, I ended up with 14 reviews and all of them ended up on Goodreads (I have just 9 Amazon reviews). I also just noticed looking at the report again that they ask the readers why they chose the book: Author, Cover, Description (my highest), I Keep Hearing About the Book (no one, ), and Book Title.

I don't know what it would cost if I didn't have the SFWA perk. If it'd be worth it. It also didn't get listed till several months after it came out because I didn't know about the program. Next book I'll put up earlier and see if that helps drive interest more.

 

[Cobrav]

Based on the topic I think this can still be considered a live thread. I wanted to pass along my experience. When my self-published book went live, I wanted to get reader reviews. NetGalley was recommended. I signed up for 3 months member ship and bought another feature where it would be spotlighted in the 4 most popular categories. Both items were a little over five hundred bucks. I had slightly over eighty downloads which resulted in two reviews. After a month I sent a note to NG asking if this was the typical ratio for reviews. Crickets. I was not impressed with NetGalley.

 

[lizmonster]

I wouldn't recommend NetGalley for self-published books most of the time. It's a good place if you've already got some name recognition, and/or you've got a publisher who's spreading your name around via other channels. But because it's a voluntary pull model, you're not likely to get a ton of engagement on your own.

(For what it's worth, I still had reviews dropping now and then long after my book was released.)