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Archives 2016-2017 > Netgalley?

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message 1: by Megalion (new)

Megalion | 484 comments Is anyone on this?

I just joined 3 days ago and my first two reads were very good ones. The last one that I just posted to Female Authors, Tigress and the Yogi was SUBLIME.

Just curious if anyone else in PBT does it.

Even though I read through a couple Netgalley groups on GR to get the lay of the land, I decide to yank the chain all the way and requested a bunch.

Ccurrently am at 2 finished of 24. 2 rejections (both of which weren't at the top of my wish list anyways). I can't wait to read some of them! Hard to be patient with the fact that I can only actually read one book at a time even if I've several in progress.

Some options are graphic novels btw, if that becomes our May tag. Good way to find candidates. I've got two among the 24 already.


message 2: by Jennifer (new)

Jennifer Pope (jenjunum) | 902 comments I joined recently. I kind of picked books by random. But I did just get Imagine me Gone which was on my tbr list for when it came out anyway. My rejections so far have been because they were UK releases of books, so i guess I need to pay more attention to that.


message 3: by Megalion (new)

Megalion | 484 comments I hear that some of those do get approved. And a couple I noticed are listed twice on Netgalley. One will be either USA or no location restriction.

I went ahead and requested even if it wasn't for the US. I think one of my first approvals was one of these but I'm too lazy to go back and check.

I didn't request that one. I'm kind of avoiding the more lauded literate genre books right now as it takes me longer to get through them and I've somehow managed to give myself a streak of books that were long and/or heavy enough to pay more attention to.

Koko is the only fast read among the last 7 books I think. I'm trying to catch up on my reviews for all of them even though I've done the NG ones. I'll never make it through the NG avanlanche and challenge assigned books via GR (like baseball) if I don't do it.

My short term memory isn't retaining enough that my backlog even from March is already fading. Their reviews will be short. :(


message 4: by Nicole D. (new)

Nicole D. | 1573 comments Yes, I'm a member, but rarely find anything there I really want to read.


Elizabeth (Alaska) Nicole wrote: "Yes, I'm a member, but rarely find anything there I really want to read."

This is why I haven't even gone looking. I so rarely read new releases.


message 6: by LibraryCin (new)

LibraryCin | 11722 comments What is Netgalley, exactly? Thanks!


message 7: by Jen (last edited Apr 17, 2016 10:25AM) (new)

Jen | 1545 comments I'm a member and use it all the time. There's a lot of junk on the site but also some great books and many of the award winners (Man Booker, etc) come out there. Half the Bailey's shortlist is currently available for request.

I've overdone it with my requests and have the following Netgalley books waiting to be read:
The Queen of the Night
The Girls by Emma Cline
The Pier Falls by Haddon
The City of Mirrors by Cronin


message 8: by Jen (last edited Apr 17, 2016 10:50AM) (new)

Jen | 1545 comments LibraryCin wrote: "What is Netgalley, exactly? Thanks!"

It's a galley site where you can request electronic advanced copies of books. They claim to be a site for professional readers meaning they want you to be someone who has influence over other readers whether through a blog, as a librarian, bookseller, or top GR reviewer.

www.netgalley.com

You can request books from the publishers and then the expectation is that you review them in a timely fashion.


message 9: by Megalion (new)

Megalion | 484 comments I think that is because now that they've made the longlist/shortlist, the publishers are trying to capitalize by also geting a wave of fresh attention and reviews to the books.

I want the first two on your list Jen but haven't been approved for either. I actually have QofN on hold on Overdrive but might as well get "credit" on NG for it.


I read such a wide variety of books yet lately keep sticking with particular genres - still not over my dystopian kick. I thought it would be a good way to force myself back out and also get the jump with ARCs.

Because there are some already listed that I can NOT WAIT to READ!! Like the final Temaire book by Naomi Novik. I hemmed and hawed about requesting now as my feedback score is currently in the pits. 2 out of 24. But that's 2 within 3 days! Decided to take the risk and go for it.

@LCyn, if you've ever wanted to get a way to get ARCs for upcoming books, Netgalley is a clearinghouse to match up "professional readers" with publishers ready to hand out ARCs to get buzz going. Some require that you be a reviwer for a publication or have a well established blog review site. But many are content with avid readers that post to "social media" sites like GR, Amazon, FB, etc.

And that's one of the things, I saw in the NG groups I mentioned above. Sometimes the ones that have stricter approval requirements will still let you have it anyways. Generally, there's not really any pattern of rhyme or reason to why one is approved or declined.

So request away and take a shot.

CAVEAT, if you join up and put 20 requests in. You might end up getting 15 approved right away! Generally they want reviews posted around publication date so you might end up with 5 being published within the next two weeks if you aren't careful about noting this.

On the other hand, like the prize nominee books that have been out for a while, sooner than better is what they're looking for. And I'm assuming that if there's an archive date, that's the "due date" they want the review by.

What's also nice. Authors can put up their own books. Like the one that I just RAVED about. And part of the feedback form lets you write notes to the publisher. Which I used with Shelley to strongly encourage getting new cover art.

If you get a pattern going, you will also start to receive invites to read an ARC.. or get marked auto-approved. I've already been auto'd for one. But it's a very indie publisher with only 5 offerings at the moment. Only one of which I had any interest. Nobody's Girl by Barbara something.


message 10: by LibraryCin (new)

LibraryCin | 11722 comments Jen wrote: "LibraryCin wrote: "What is Netgalley, exactly? Thanks!"

It's a galley site where you can request electronic advanced copies of books. They claim to be a site for professional readers meaning they ..."


Ah, thank you, Jen. So, there are also requirements to join. I probably don't need additional books to read, anyway - in addition to my monthly challenges! It's hard enough to fit in the ones I win through LibraryThing in a timely manner! I try, but it usually ends up being a few months.


message 11: by LibraryCin (new)

LibraryCin | 11722 comments Megalion wrote: "@LCyn, if you've ever wanted to get a way to get ARCs for upcoming books, Netgalley is a clearinghouse to match up "professional readers" with publishers ready to hand out ARCs to get buzz going. Some require that you be a reviwer for a publication or have a well established blog review site. But many are content with avid readers that post to "social media" sites like GR, Amazon, FB, etc. "

So, if I did decide to give it a try, having lots of reviews here on GR would be enough to get me "in"? I post to all (now) 3 book sites and share those reviews also on facebook and twitter.


message 12: by LibraryCin (new)

LibraryCin | 11722 comments Megalion wrote: "Generally they want reviews posted around publication date so you might end up with 5 being published within the next two weeks if you aren't careful about noting this. "

Yikes! Yeah, I'm thinking it's best not to do this... at least at this point! Thanks!


message 13: by ScoLgo (new)

ScoLgo | 30 comments LibraryCin wrote: "So, if I did decide to give it a try, having lots of reviews here on GR would be enough to get me "in"? I post to all (now) 3 book sites and share those reviews also on facebook and twitter..."

Yes. I don't do twitter and have no facebook account but do post reviews to GR, LM, and LT - and they let me in.

In truth, I find that I don't have enough reading time to devote to the titles that appeal to me but I do squeeze in the occasional NG read. I am actually currently reading one that, so far, is pretty good. The three or four NG titles I have read have been mostly positive experiences but there was one real clunker... YMMV...


message 14: by Jennifer (new)

Jennifer Pope (jenjunum) | 902 comments I only post to GR and I don't have many reviews and they "accepted" me. I initially went to the autoapproved section and requested 2 titles. I read one right away and reviewed right away. I guess that got me a "better" title quicker? Not sure. I didn't go in with too much of a plan tbh.


message 15: by Megalion (new)

Megalion | 484 comments I had my first dud. It was atrocious. I've wanted to try my hand at fiction writing but one thing I know, the first draft will be awful.

This book reads exactly the way it would be. I'm so appalled that it's already been released so it's not even an ARC. I was hoping for the author's sake it was.

I quit after 2 chapters, but it's so bad that somehow I feel hesitant to write a review. Let alone post it. That's why I'm not even naming or linking it here.

What if the publisher has new offerings later that are actually good? Then again, if they think this book passes muster....

The one I moved on to also needed another round of editing but it's flaw is a tendency to overdo scene setting, or use larger vocabulary words where a simpler one would have been better.

For example, a reference to taking her secateurs to go cut dahlias. That was a good use. But then talking about a vase making a good receptacle for flowers, unopened bills and keys. That doesn't even make sense to me to have the latter two included with flowers. If just the first, the vase made an attractive addition to the hall table would have been more appropriate there. If the latter two, "the vase made a good place to dump keys and unopened bills".

Key word though is tendency. I notice them because it jars me a bit out of the story but I'm still game to keep going.

Sigh, I know I'm over thinking these a bit but I feel a greater responsibility to my fellow readers to be honest. But. ... that first one? ? Phew phew phew...


Elizabeth (Alaska) Hmmm. I might look into this after all. There is an Anne Tyler available as well as an Annie Proulx. I haven't finished looking at the "Available for Request" titles.


message 17: by Megalion (new)

Megalion | 484 comments @LCyn, there's no commitment to sign up. And it's not that hard to get approved. I'm now at 26 approved, 3 rejections and I will not confess to the pending requests.

For you, I'd recommend poking around, see if any of the UPCOMING releases are ones you are eagerly anticipating. Request 1 or 2. Leave it at that. You'll get an email saying if approved or not. Maybe right away, maybe later on. But if approved, just means you bump it up your list faster.

I looked at my "coming soon" shelf and searched all the big ones. Found a couple more besides Temaire, so this will be worth it for me.

That's my ulterior goal. To be able to get any of those i can.

I'm just enough of an OCD masochist to have thrown open the spigot. So don't let my actual experience deter you.


message 18: by Karin (new)

Karin | 9248 comments ScoLgo wrote: "LibraryCin wrote: "So, if I did decide to give it a try, having lots of reviews here on GR would be enough to get me "in"? I post to all (now) 3 book sites and share those reviews also on facebook ..."

Good to know. I may consider this, especially if the selection of printed books is better than on Library Thing for my reading tastes.

I did get Glory over Everything: Beyond The Kitchen House right here on GR, though.


message 19: by Jen (new)

Jen | 1545 comments Jennifer wrote: "I only post to GR and I don't have many reviews and they "accepted" me. I initially went to the autoapproved section and requested 2 titles. I read one right away and reviewed right away. I guess t..."

I think it really depends on what you request. So as long as you are posting reviews somewhere they will accept you but then to get approved for more popular titles, you need to build up your reviewer status (e.g., writing up your reviews). Then publishers also release only a limited number so once those are filled they generally stop approving requests for a title. You can click the publishers to see what criteria they request for approval. Some of the bigger publishing houses will say they want bloggers or reviewers with over 500 or 1000 followers. Then you have indie publishers and self-published books and they will likely approve most requests.

I've heard YA popular titles are the hardest to get approved. That's not a genre I request so it doesn't impact me.

@Elizabeth. They have lots of books that I think you would like and some authors I've seen you mention. I generally search literary fiction under "most requested" and those usually come to the front.


message 20: by Megalion (new)

Megalion | 484 comments Interesting, i know at least a couple YA were approved but i bet if i looked, they were recently published and clearly they are looking to get MORE reviews on the social media pages.

Giving an interesting peek at this layer of book publishing world.


message 21: by Karin (new)

Karin | 9248 comments Jen wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "I only post to GR and I don't have many reviews and they "accepted" me. I initially went to the autoapproved section and requested 2 titles. I read one right away and reviewed righ..."

Yes, you do have to build credibility as a reliable reader and reviewer. I've been doing that at LibraryThing right now, so one thing at a time for me.


message 22: by Megalion (new)

Megalion | 484 comments Oh! I added to my profile that I'm a top 1% reviewer on GR.

So despite my misgivings about GR claiming credit for my large import, maybe it's proving useful after all.


Elizabeth (Alaska) Jen wrote: "@Elizabeth. They have lots of books that I think you would like and some authors I've seen you mention. I generally search literary fiction under "most requested" and those usually come to the front.
"


Thanks, Jen. I decided it wouldn't hurt anything to look, which you see I have done, and that it wouldn't hurt anything to sign up. The worst that can happen is that they say no.


message 24: by LibraryCin (new)

LibraryCin | 11722 comments Megalion wrote: "@For you, I'd recommend poking around, see if any of the UPCOMING releases are ones you are eagerly anticipating. Request 1 or 2. Leave it at that. You'll get an email saying if approved or not. Maybe right away, maybe later on. But if a.."
Thanks. Il be moving in may, but maybe ill takre a look after that.


message 25: by Denizen (new)

Denizen (den13) | 1138 comments Jen wrote: "I'm a member and use it all the time. There's a lot of junk on the site but also some great books and many of the award winners (Man Booker, etc) come out there. Half the Bailey's shortlist is curr..."

The Haddon sounds interesting - patiently waiting for your review!


Elizabeth (Alaska) How do you know if they have rejected your request?


message 27: by Megalion (new)

Megalion | 484 comments You get an email for every response. Both on NG and Edelweiss. If approved, they want you to know so you can go download and read the book!

If declined, so far my experience is they'll give a reason why if it's definitely nothing to do with your profile. Like being out of their target region and they don't make exceptions.


Elizabeth (Alaska) Megalion wrote: "You get an email for every response. Both on NG and Edelweiss. If approved, they want you to know so you can go download and read the book!

If declined, so far my experience is they'll give a rea..."


Thanks, Megalion.


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