Cailin Riley Books

Hey hey, I’m happy to be back at the blog after a busy last month!

If you missed it, I published my second book, “A Fierce Debt.” You can learn more about it here.

But today, I’m talking about NetGalley. Specifically, my experiences as an ARC reviewer on the platform.

If you’re not familiar with any of these terms, let me break it down for you:

NetGalley is a web platform that works to connect authors with what you could call “beta readers.” Basically, an author submits their upcoming new release to NetGalley and reviewers get access to an advanced reader copy (ARC) to read and review. It’s great for both parties. Authors get early feedback and reviews for their book; readers get to read new releases before anybody else.

I’ve been a reviewer on NetGalley for a few years now, and my most frequently read categories on there include fantasy, young adult, gardening and self-help. I don’t get approved for every single book I’d like to read, but I generally get I’d say, about 80% of books I ask for.

Overall, I love using the platform and I’ve been able to read a few of my favorite authors’ new books early because of it.

Here are a few positives and negatives for NetGalley:

Positives:

• Easily find books by popularity, most recommended and genre/sub-genre
• Great way to get early access to new releases
• Many books are available instantly without approval from the publisher

Negatives:

• Some books are “Wishlist” only, meaning the publisher chooses a very small number of people to review it
• You don’t get the reasoning behind why you are rejected for a book request
• You have to be a fast reader; books are archived by a certain date if you haven’t downloaded them

If you’re interested in becoming a reviewer on NetGalley, know that you’ll have to go through a short-ish application process by filling out info about yourself and where you post reviews, etc. The better your numbers are, the more likely you are to get books.

Do you use NetGalley or know somebody who does? If so, let me know what your experience has been like!