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How does everyone obtain free book in exchange for book reviews? Help me!
Hi Megan,In this group they have a program called ARR: authors requesting reviews and authors fill out info to the mods and they're book is listed and anytime someone requests the book by leaving their e-mail the author sends them a free copy.
You can get a ton of PDF from storycartel.com, smashwords.comor just get on google & type in the author/title PDF
or go to sweepstakes.com goodreads.com & register everyday 1,000 of free books if U win
That's really good to know, thanks!I actually submitted a few within the sweepstakes, but haven't won anything.
I'm curious about the ARR. Does the author send a physical copy of the book or just a pdf/kindle version?
if an author is on goodreads, try messaging them for a copy. Many of us are glad to provide a free copy in return for a review.
That's good to know too. Thanks Justin, Tony, and Emma. I just read over the ARR section of this group. I read over the how-to for reviewers. I can select a book, post my email address, and receive a copy of the e-book (if there are some left) or I can contact the author here on good reads? Then I'll be able to provide my address to receive a physical hard copy.
Thanks for helping everyone! I appreciate it!
Hi Megan, I am one of the authors whose books are free to review at this time. They are historical fiction/family saga set in 1915 America. You are welcome to contact me if you would be interested in reviewing them. Most ebook copies for review come in the form of epub files, mobi files (for Kindle) or PDFs, depending on your preference.
There is a site called NetGalley that is very popular to sign up as a reviewer. Many of the "free in exchange for honest review" posts that you see are a result of NetGalley gaining reviews for a book before it is published. There are also many places on Goodreads where authors request reviews for their books.
Best of luck in your reviewing! My books are below if you would like to check them out:
Most authors will be happy to provide a digital copy.Sending a physical book has a cost, sometimes a significant one, especially if the author is in a different country.
This is good to know. Thank you!I will definitely look into your books. They seem very interesting!
With NetGalley, is it possible to receive a hard copy of the book once published and then provide a review? Or is it mostly PDF versions before a book is published? I will definitely check this site out.
Sorry for so many questions. Thanks for the help!
Netgalley provides digital copies. There are some publishers who send out hardcopy ARC's (authorized review copies). Like many other Goodreads authors, I send out digital copies to reviewers in their preferred format to the reviewer's email address. Hope this helps :).
the only way U get real is if U win, the other authors/writers vary 2 what format they use PDF kindle etc I only do real or PDF
Tony wrote: "You can get a ton of PDF from storycartel.com, smashwords.comor just get on google & type in the author/title PDF"
Megan, rather than do what is suggested above, which will probably take you to a pirate site where books have been stolen and the purpose is to take over your computer to steal your identity and bank accounts, or infect it with a virus or trojan horse, or to make an illegal profit from an author's stolen works, please just email the author. I know tons of authors and never has one refused a request for a digital copy of their books. Authors want their books read, and always hope for reviews. Pirate sites are a drain on the entire industry.
Violet wrote: "Tony wrote: "You can get a ton of PDF from storycartel.com, smashwords.comor just get on google & type in the author/title PDF"
Megan, rather than do what is suggested above, which will probably..."
Should I avoid NetGalley and just contact authors directly? It seems like a reliable website, but I thought I would check.
Thanks for the information!!
NetGalley is legit. But NetGalley is not going to come up in a Google search for "author/title PDF." You might get a result that is legitimate but more likely, you'll be directed to a pirate site that will cheat you, rip you off, and rip off the author you're trying to support. But yes, you can get books from NetGalley. Didn't mean to imply THEY are a pirate site. They're not.https://s2.netgalley.com/
Awesome. Thanks for the information. Do you know, on average, how long it takes most authors to respond and provide PDF's for reviews? NetGalley seems like a very good website and I'm interested in providing reviews. Just getting some more information.
Besides contacting the author directly, is there another way to obtain physical copies of books? I don't mind reading PDF's, but do enjoy the physical book once in awhile.
Thanks!
I have reveiwed a fair few books, I usually trawl the freebies on Amazon, but I also signed up to netgalley,and have got a few books from there. Also the more you review, the more likely you are to get passed review copies.
And you could set up a blog/reviewing website. Be sure if you do to make it clear what genres you want and don't want, what kind of stories you'd be willing to read and review, and what you won't touch, and make it clear you prefer physical books. But be prepared: you'll probably be inundated with requests to the point you might hate reading, books, and reviewing. :-)
Violet: "And you could set up a blog/reviewing website. Be sure if you do to make it clear what genres you want and don't want, what kind of stories you'd be willing to read and review, and what you won't touch, and make it clear you prefer physical books. But be prepared: you'll probably be inundated with requests to the point you might hate reading, books, and reviewing. :-) "Great advice, Violet :)
There is also he early reviewers group on LibraryThing. I've won some books from their members freebies and member giveaways.
Megan the giveaways are contest so there is no guarantee of getting a book but they are good to try because you get the physical book. The ARR program gets you the digital version and you get to pick the format. Most authors have several formats available. If you want a physical copy you can ask the author directly by sending a message. Most of us are glad to oblige and we want reviews. If you are a blogger/reviewer start your own thread stating the type of book you want to review and where you post your reviews. If also a publisher so I have several books of different types you can review, hit me up with a message.
How long do authors normally take to respond to requests on NetGalley? I have updated the bio section of my profile, so I hope this increases the chances of receiving books for review. Should I expect a couple of days, weeks, or a month or more?
i review books then contact authors on facebook and goodreads. if they like your reviews they will likely offer mobi or pdfs for review.
usually fairly quickly they will respond. If you leave reviews on amazon and a contact email you will receive offers by email. i have had great books given to me and some so full of errors i refused them.
Justin wrote: "Hi Megan,In this group they have a program called ARR: authors requesting reviews and authors fill out info to the mods and they're book is listed and anytime someone requests the book by leaving ..."
I haven't been on GoodReads in a long time. I'd be interested in finding this form.
Rick
Violet I would not put any website down that was not legitimate, none of these do anything like U told her!
Nancy do you get paid for these reviews if I may ask?
Violet wrote: "Tony wrote: "You can get a ton of PDF from storycartel.com, smashwords.comor just get on google & type in the author/title PDF"
Megan, rather than do what is suggested above, which will probably..."
I know sometimes it's obvious to tell whether or not a website is valid or not, but it's not always easy to tell. I have been exploring other websites that provide books in exchange for reviews.
Do you know anything about onlinebookclub.org? Or which sites specifically to stay away from?
I may continue to use only Goodreads and Netgalley, depending on what I find. ]
Let me know!
Somewhat, yeah. It allows you to request books for review. You can request them or ask to review them by the author. You can also search for authors and publishers. I've never head of it. I just found it the other day. It's pretty interesting. I've requested a few things to review, but haven't heard back from the authors yet.
Tony wrote: "Violet I would not put any website down that was not legitimate, none of these do anything like U told her!"
Megan is perfectly free to ignore my advice if she wishes. It is only my opinion, based on my own and other authors' experiences. I typed an author name and "PDF" into Google and what came up? Two pirate sites. Nothing legitimate. Pirate sites are dangerous, not only to your computer, but to your bank accounts and your identity. It's best to be cautious, "in my opinion."
I just googled my name and PDF, and found my books being pirated on several sites. Thanks for the tip. These people are despicable.
I haven't had good luck getting books on net gallery. Librarything giveaways does digital and hard copy books. There's also bookbuzz that doesn't require you to wait for approval from the author/publisher. They won't do kindle formats for iPad/iPhone and they do some kind of weird DRM though.I don't subscribe to any place that isn't legit
Readers Favorite is another good place to sign up as a reviewer :)
Marie wrote: "Hi Megan, I am one of the authors whose books are free to review at this time. They are historical fiction/family saga set in 1915 America. You are welcome to contact me if you would be interested ..."Should I feel bad for being declined for a few books on NetGalley? I received an email that says I was declined and it could be for a few possible reasons. I'm not sure what the exact reason is. How can I make changes or do something different, so that I can obtain books for review and not get denied?
Everyone gets declined now and then so don't worry about getting some of those. Penguin and Harlequin are really really picky ones too so I've just begun ignoring theirs completely. Something like BookBuzz pretty much auto approves everyone that requests from them so just keep trying ones that you think you'll like.
Carrie wrote: "Everyone gets declined now and then so don't worry about getting some of those. Penguin and Harlequin are really really picky ones too so I've just begun ignoring theirs completely. Something like ..."Ill look into bookbuzz. I don't mind if I'm declined once in awhile. I know I can obtain every book I request, but I'm not sure why I was denied.
What other websites would you recommend for books in exchange for a review?
Megan wrote: "Hello everyone, I normally enjoy reading the book reviews on my to-be-read book list and books I plan to add to my list.
I have been seeing many people comment on books they have received for f..."
Hi Megan,
I'd be happy to e-mail you a copy of my book, 'Five Weeks to Jamaica', if you'd consider posting a review. You can checkout the details of the book at Doug Oudin, Amazon Books. It's also on Kindle.
Doug wrote: "Megan wrote: "Hello everyone, I normally enjoy reading the book reviews on my to-be-read book list and books I plan to add to my list.
I have been seeing many people comment on books they have ..."
I would be interested in reading your book and providing a review. It looks very interesting!
I got denied for another book request on Net Galley. The email says: Reasons include 1) a direct link to your book review blog (general life bloggers, infrequent bloggers, and new bloggers will be declined); 2) a direct link to your GoodReads, Amazon, and/or LibraryThing profile page; 3) If you are a librarian, the name and address of the library you work at; 4) If you are a bookseller, the name and address of the bookstore you work at. Anyone have any suggestions for this? I'm interested in obtaining more books to provide reviews for, but so far they have all been denied on Net Galley.
I'd think you have to prove you are a reliable reviewer, with a regular review blog and/or many reviews on your goodreads page.To build your number of reviews, contact authors directly for review copies in your favourite genres.
Mot of the people that have replied on this thread are authors (me included) but unless you say what genre of books you prefer nobody can suggest a book for you.
NetGalley isn't a reliable reviewer until you read a substantial amount of books and establish credibility.
When I first started blogging and in process of building my credibility and being noticed, I would reach out and message or email authors asking them to put me on a list (if they had one) for ARC's for honest reviews. Most authors are amazing and giving. Reviews help them as we all know.With NetGalley, you have to have built a good to great repertoire of reviews to even be acknowledged.......and up to date, I still get refused at times (which bothers me but I let it go.)
Promo Tours are another way to get ARC's............. but most only will give out to bloggers.
You can also try reaching out to the Publishers.............. some do give out ARC's.
Hello, if you'd like to review a children's book, please e-mail bigfoottrails@gmail.com
Megan wrote: "Hello everyone,
I normally enjoy reading the book reviews on my to-be-read book list and books I plan to add to my list.
I have been seeing many people comment on books they have received for f..."
Stephanie wrote: "Tony wrote: "You can get a ton of PDF from storycartel.com, smashwords.comor just get on google & type in the author/title PDF"
I can tell you from experience that I have used both sites without..."
This is very helpful, thank you. I will definitely be sure to look into the websites you mentioned. Thanks again.
I am still getting denied for reviews at Net Galley. Can anyone give me suggestions on what I could do? Should I make my profile sparkle? If so, how? I don't currently have a blog, but I am working on one. Give me suggestions!
I just tried to download a book from the read now section of Net Galley and it can't open correctly with Adobe reader. I'm not sure why it's not downloading correctly, but I'll try again when I get home. Thanks!
I have been seeing many people comment on books they have received for free.."
Hi Megan
My book is a ya dystopian future story if you would like to review it i will certainly send you a free ebook copy
Here is the synopsis
Link- https://www.amazon.com/Exclusion-Stan...
Margaretbjoys@gmail.com
Thanks :)
Kirsty wrote: "If you're still looking for books to review, have you tried this site?https://choosybookworm.com/select-fre...
I've got some books from here before. If you're one of the first 25/..."
This looks like an interesting site. I will look into it. I've gotten several suggestions for websites providing free e-books in exchange for reviews. I didn't know there were that many. Is choosybookworm one of your favorite sites?
I can send a book if you are interestedChoose from here
http://vipinbeharigoyal.blogspot.in/p...
Thanks
Making Connections
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I normally enjoy reading the book reviews on my to-be-read book list and books I plan to add to my list.
I have been seeing many people comment on books they have received for free in exchange for a book review. Are these done through the publisher or author? Or how do others obtain free books in exchange for a review?
I would be interested in doing this for several books, but not sure how it's done.
Thanks for the help everyone.