How Readers Can Use NetGalley to Read More Books
As an author, NetGalley has been instrumental in my books reaching new readers around the globe. I go through every profile of reader requests to decide who receives a NetGalley ARC, and I’m here with some insider advice for you—so hopefully you can get more of the books you’re excited for on NetGalley! If you’ve been wanting to get into ARC reading, then this is a great way to better understand what matters on this particular platform.
Honestly, NetGalley is a bit intimidating when you start, and it can be frustrating when you request books but never get approved for a copy. I want to talk a bit about what I’m looking for as an indie author when I go in and approve people for an ARC. Obviously, I can only speak from my experience, but this advice will help you become a more appealing candidate to other authors and publishers when you want to get an ARC.
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NetGalley for Beginners: What is an ARC, and What is NetGalley?
If you’ve never heard of ARCs or NetGalley, you might be wondering how does NetGalley work in the first place. ARC stands for Advanced Review Copy or Advanced Reader Copy. Theses are free copies of the book, often distributed before the publication date, that hopefully result in Goodreads reviews, social media posts, and exciting buzz. If you want to learn more about ARC reading in general outside of the NetGalley ecosystem, check out my post all about ARC reading and the best practices!
NetGalley is simply a platform where publishers and authors share ARCs of upcoming (or even already published) books. It’s a chance for book lovers to get their hands on a copy of a book they’re interested in…yes, completely for free! Authors and publishing houses provide free copies of their books to eager readers in hopes that they’ll leave reviews online and generate buzz, and I can say that it’s some of the best marketing I do for my books.
Is NetGalley worth it? Well, there are a few different ARC platforms out there, but NetGalley is well-known, respected, and widely used. Being an indie author, it feels really validating to have my book offered there along with Big 5 published books. I also like seeing the members who are librarians, booksellers, and journalists who want access to my book. But more than anything, I love connecting with reviewers who may not have found me otherwise.
How NetGalley Works
NetGalley is deceptively simple for reader accounts.
Do a NetGalley sign up as a reader/reviewer and fill out a profile
You browse upcoming titles and request the ones that call to you
Publishers decide whether to approve you
You read the book
You leave an honest review
You can see how, for avid readers, this is an absolute dream.
How to Get Approvals on NetGalley
So far, you might be thinking that this is too good to be true. Free books? Well, the truth is, for most NetGalley ARCs, you have to be approved by the powers that be (either the author themselves, their personal assistant, or the publisher). True, there are some that offer “Read Now” immediate access—more on that in a minute—but the majority of books are distributed only after you are approved. This isn’t so much a “gotcha” as encouragement to make your profile as appealing as possible to authors and publishers.
And that’s where it helps to understand what, exactly, we’re looking at when we’re deciding whether or not you get an ARC.
What Do Authors & Publishers Look for in NetGalley Requests?
There are some key factors that I personally look at when I’m reviewing requests. Again, I can’t speak for every author or publishing house out there, and not for every book—my ARC strategy was different for my first book than my second. But this should help you understand what matters in your NetGalley profile.
Feedback Ratio
This one is really important, and it’s at the top of your profile so it’s the first thing we see. The feedback ratio is the percentage of books you’ve requested and actually left feedback for. It’s recommended to keep this number pretty high at around 80% if you want to really look appealing. If you consistently request books and don’t leave reviews, this number will be lower and potentially hurt your chances.
I’d agree that the feedback ratio is important, although I don’t always stick to the 80% rule. I feel pretty good approving people over 70%, especially if they read contemporary romances like mine or have some form of social proof, like an Instagram account. I’ve also been known to distribute ARCs to newbie NetGalley users who have no feedback ratio at all—again, if they have something else to prove that they will be a good candidate. That’s usually a history of liking books like mine and book review activity on another platform (Goodreads or social media).Average Star Rating
If you’re an overly critical reviewer, you’ll be selected for fewer ARCs. Since ARCs are all about generating buzz, giving a book to someone who never rates books above 3 stars is risky. As an indie author, I’ve been advised to look for readers with an average star rating of 3.75 or higher, sometimes even 4.
Honestly, I do get nervous approving people with an average under 3.7 or so. I’ve done it when they have a history of liking comp titles to my book, but it honestly feels risky otherwise. For readers, this doesn’t mean that you have to be dishonest and fake a bunch of five-star reviews—it simply means that you should really be doing research before requesting books so that you have a higher chance of having access to books you’ll genuinely like.Most Recent Activity
I’m able to see when you last posted a NetGalley review, and if that isn’t super recent, then your chances of getting approved go down. I don’t personally have a number here, but activity within the last 3 months looks great. If you’ve been giving radio silence for a year or more, I’ll need to see if you’re active elsewhere, like on Goodreads, before I consider approving.Your Bio
I love a NetGalley bio that has a few paragraphs and gives me a sense of what genres you like to read. Bonus points if you mention some of your favorite authors!
This second round of NetGalley approvals, I’ve seen more than one bio obviously written by AI. That’s an immediate no for me. I don’t need the bio to be long, but getting a sense of you, the books you enjoy, and why you like reading ARCs is really helpful.Your Past Reviews
I’m able to view all of your reviews posted on NetGalley, so I can get a sense of the kinds of books you like and your review style. If I see past reviews for romance books, then I know I’m in the right place!
I’m also looking at the content of your NetGalley ARC reviews. I have seen accounts that basically copy+paste their 5-star review for all the books they receive, and that feels spammy, so I probably won’t approve you. I’m looking ideally for thoughtful reviews that will help readers understand why they should pick up the book. A vague 5-star review that just says “Loved it!” is less valuable than a thoughtful 4-star review that points out the books highlights and who it’s best suited for.Your Links
If you link to Goodreads, Fable, Instagram, TikTok, or anywhere else you like to yap about books, I’m definitely checking it out.
You don’t have to have a large following, promise! That is never a reason for me decline someone. If you do have a large following, it can make other aspects of your profile forgivable…for instance, if you have a lower feedback ratio but an Instagram with a few thousand active followers, that can tip the scales in your favor. But those numbers aren’t honestly too important to me, and I’m always looking for genuine engagement on posts vs. high follower numbers.How Many Books You’ve Currently Requested
This isn’t super important to me, unless you’re totally new to the platform. I can see how many books a new member has requested, so my NetGalley tips for beginners are, first and foremost, to not request too many right off the bat. If your request number is super high, I’m going to be nervous that you can’t follow through on your promises. If you’ve got a smaller number, I’ll feel a bit better that you’re curating your first few NetGalley requests, and I will be much more inclined to approve you.
Easy accounts to approve for me have a high feedback ratio, a fair star rating, recent activity, and proven history of reading romance. Accounts that I typically decline without much thought have a low feedback ratio, critical star rating, no recent activity, and little evidence of reading romance.
But if there’s one thing I’ve learned during my time sharing ARC romance books on NetGalley, it’s that accounts rarely fall into these two categories so neatly. So if you’re disheartened by not getting approved for a book you want, know that there will be a moment where you are the obviously ideal reader for someone. And, in the meantime, you can work to improve your NetGalley profile to get approved for more ARCs.
How to Make Your NetGalley Profile More Appealing
If you find yourself getting consistently denied ARC books, here are a few things you can do to make you stand out to authors and publishing houses:
Actually leave reviews. The most important thing you can do on NetGalley is actually read and review the books you receive. NetGalley isn’t a bookstore; it’s an exchange, and we authors really, truly hope you’ll leave us reviews.
Fill out your profile. This really matters! Add in a bookish photo and write a short bio. It’s super helpful for you to state the genres you enjoy most, favorite books, and/or favorite authors. That gives me a sense of if I’m an author you’ll enjoy.
Include at least one link. This isn’t a must necessarily, but accounts without any links are very unappealing to me. I like to know that you post reviews or talk about books somewhere, so show me! As mentioned above, your follower count really doesn’t matter. The fact that you are an active reader of romance does.
Only request what you’ll read. If you request two hundred books and get approved for half of them, can you read that many books within the deadline? Curate your requests so you don’t overextend yourself. If you do, that will ultimately hurt your feedback ratio, which is one of the main deciding factors for some authors and publishers.
Bump up your feedback ratio. Maybe you’re just starting out on NetGalley, or maybe you went on hiatus and left some previous ARCs unread—either way, it is possible to increase your feedback ratio. Go to the “Read Now” section and select a book that sounds like it really aligns with what you like to read. Read Now books mean you get immediate access, no requesting or waiting to be approved. Read, leave a review, and watch your feedback ratio go up!
Just remember, consistency matters a lot here. If you seem like a reliable reader and reviewer, that goes a long way in considering you for an ARC book.
Common NetGalley Mistakes
Before you head to NetGalley to request your next ARC, there are some pitfalls you should avoid. These will make your NetGalley experience less than stellar, and make getting approvals in the future harder. Here’s a quick n dirty NetGalley mistakes list so you know what not to do:
Mistake #1: requesting too many books at one time. You’ll just end up drowning in ARC anxiety!
Mistake #2: forgetting about the ARC books you’ve been approved for. Again, ARC anxiety!
Mistake #3: failing to leave reviews. Seriously, the silent treatment hurts authors just as much as your feedback ratio.
Mistake #4: treating NetGalley as a way to get free books and not considering it more like an exchange. Readers sometimes ask, “Is NetGalley free?” and while it doesn’t cost you a thing—and ARC reviews are never paid—we authors are investing in ARC readers. It really means a lot when you leave a review!
Mistake #5: being impulsive with requests vs. intentional. You can feel a bit like a kid in a candy store when you see just how many books are available, but being selective with your requests will make NetGalley more fun for you.
It’s always nerve-wracking when ARCs start to go out, but when my book finds the right person, it is the best feeling in the world. ARC readers are truly the best, so
Looking for more reader advice from an author perspective? Browse my Reader Tips blog posts!