NetGalley Addicts Support Group discussion

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Need Help? [Ask the Group] > If You Could Change One Thing

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Renee(Reneesramblings) | 47 comments I really love NG( I mean like total book nerd love), but if I could change one thing........for me, it would be the ability to search for new additions by when they were added(day, week, etc.). I try not to go to the site every day, for that gets my to read shelf out of control. On the other hand, I have missed titles/authors that I might have been approved to read.
Does anyone have something they would 'wish for' on NG?


message 2: by Carol (new)

Carol (carolfromnc) The ability to make my case for approval, e.g., I wish for a “why are you requesting this book” prompt and an open text box for my response, as a differentiator.


message 3: by Milena (new)

Milena (love_tea78) | 49 comments If the book that I was previously declined for becomes available as Read Now I want to be able to download it!


message 4: by Jane (new)

Jane | 6 comments I wish they had to include the format (though I'm seeing a lot doing that lately) so you know in advance whether you're going to be able to read it in Kindle or not.

And I REALLY wish they had to include a rough page count. I've been caught off-guard by books that are way longer than it seemed from the description.


message 5: by Carol (new)

Carol (carolfromnc) Ditto on the format and page count, and “read now” for declined books.

I must add, limit the time a publisher can respond to a request — perhaps 30 days? Having requests stay open for months without a response and without being able to withdraw them makes planning difficult, is demoralizing and doesn’t occur on Edelweiss +.


Renee(Reneesramblings) | 47 comments Really good 'wish' ideas! I have never seen any indication that anyone at NG looks for feedback, but you never know(book fingers crossed).


message 7: by San (new)

San (btsentence) Milena wrote: "If the book that I was previously declined for becomes available as Read Now I want to be able to download it!"

I really wish that could happened. It's so unfair for reviewers who really wanted to read some book and got declined for it earlier. :<


Fictionophile  (fictionophile) | 97 comments I'd love it if they included the page count in the description.


Dorie  - Cats&Books :)  (dorie--catsbooks) | 427 comments Jane wrote: "I wish they had to include the format (though I'm seeing a lot doing that lately) so you know in advance whether you're going to be able to read it in Kindle or not.

And I REALLY wish they had to ..."


Jane wrote: "I wish they had to include the format (though I'm seeing a lot doing that lately) so you know in advance whether you're going to be able to read it in Kindle or not.

And I REALLY wish they had to ..."


That would be a great thing to add. What I do is always check out the book on Goodreads, because it's good to have a reviewer's idea of the book, and you get a page count listed there :) Just a tip for now


Dorie  - Cats&Books :)  (dorie--catsbooks) | 427 comments Carol wrote: "Ditto on the format and page count, and “read now” for declined books.

I must add, limit the time a publisher can respond to a request — perhaps 30 days? Having requests stay open for months witho..."


There is one thing that has bugged me since they started using it and that is the Dashboard! There are always books there that aren't in any of the genre's I've listed example:. horror, romance. If they aren't going to make it relevant, get rid of it !!


message 11: by Jane (new)

Jane | 6 comments Dorie - Traveling Sister :) wrote: "That would be a great thing to add. What I do is always check out the book on Goodreads, because it's good to have a reviewer's idea of the book, and you get a page count listed there :) Just a tip for now"

Thanks, Dorie! I generally do check Goodreads first these days, but there are still some books (maybe 1 in 20 or so) that I just cannot find page counts for. Sometimes I'm able to find them on the publisher's site or on Amazon, but there are some where I can't figure it out until I actually get the book (and even then, it's not always easy to see a count in Kindle).


Dorie  - Cats&Books :)  (dorie--catsbooks) | 427 comments Jane wrote: "Dorie - Traveling Sister :) wrote: "That would be a great thing to add. What I do is always check out the book on Goodreads, because it's good to have a reviewer's idea of the book, and you get a p..."

Yep it would definitely be very nice and easy if they would just include the page count with the description.

I also would like them to list the publisher on all of our shelves, Send Feedback, Feedback Sent, Not Active, that would enable us to check quickly which publishing houses are approving or declining us. It would be a useful tool.


Dorie  - Cats&Books :)  (dorie--catsbooks) | 427 comments Renee wrote: "I really love NG( I mean like total book nerd love), but if I could change one thing........for me, it would be the ability to search for new additions by when they were added(day, week, etc.). I t..."

Renee, you can just go to requesting a title, choose which genre, then click on whatever you want "to read" "most requested", then list all. Then the box will pop up on the right and you can check "date added" or "publication date", that's what I do :)


message 14: by Jane (new)

Jane | 6 comments Dorie - Traveling Sister :) wrote: "I also would like them to list the publisher on all of our shelves, Send Feedback, Feedback Sent, Not Active, that would enable us to check quickly which publishing houses are approving or declining us. It would be a useful tool. "

That really would be! It would be much easier to track trends!


message 15: by MissBecka (last edited Nov 29, 2018 12:08AM) (new)

MissBecka Gee (missbeckagee) | 31 comments Carol wrote: "Ditto on the format and page count, and “read now” for declined books.

I must add, limit the time a publisher can respond to a request — perhaps 30 days? Having requests stay open for months witho..."


I agree with all of these, especially on the response time. It sometimes sits there for months with no answer.


Renee(Reneesramblings) | 47 comments Dorie - Traveling Sister :) wrote: "Renee wrote: "I really love NG( I mean like total book nerd love), but if I could change one thing........for me, it would be the ability to search for new additions by when they were added(day, we..."
Thanks!
Lots of great suggestions!
Does anyone know if NG ever looks for feedback? I have yet to see any type of email or survey on the site that might provide them with some user comments.


message 17: by Mirkat (new)

Mirkat | 9 comments I once received a rejection email that left me so taken aback, I wrote a Booklikes blog entry about it.


message 18: by Carol (new)

Carol (carolfromnc) Mirkat wrote: "I once received a rejection email that left me so taken aback, I wrote a Booklikes blog entry about it."

Brilliant, I must say.


Dorie  - Cats&Books :)  (dorie--catsbooks) | 427 comments Renee wrote: "Dorie - Traveling Sister :) wrote: "Renee wrote: "I really love NG( I mean like total book nerd love), but if I could change one thing........for me, it would be the ability to search for new addit..."

In my over 3 years reviewing for them they have never asked for user feedback that I know of. That is something that would really be great :)


message 20: by Mirkat (new)

Mirkat | 9 comments Carol wrote: "Mirkat wrote: "I once received a rejection email that left me so taken aback, I wrote a Booklikes blog entry about it."

Brilliant, I must say."


Thanks! :)


message 21: by Ann (new)

Ann | 5 comments I’d love to be advised of Netgalley additions by authors I have read and reviewed on there already. Also the “download now for the first 200” readers emails seem to come out at around 2pm and as I work I always miss them


message 22: by Mirkat (new)

Mirkat | 9 comments Ann wrote: "I’d love to be advised of Netgalley additions by authors I have read and reviewed on there already. Also the 'download now for the first 200' readers emails seem to come out at around 2pm and as I work I always miss them."

Huge "yes" on both. At times, those "first 200" go RIDICULOUSLY fast. One thing I hate is when I'm too late, and I am presented with a standard "request" button. I think it would be nice if Netgalley customized a screen for people who tried for a "first xxx" download and were too late. Instead of having that "Request" button looking at us as if we are crazy. Something like, "We're sorry, The first xxx 'read now' copies have already been downloaded. Feel free to request the book, if desired."


Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) (outsmartyourshelf) | 35 comments The 2pm thing always seemed strange to me as I also thought that the majority of people must be at work or university etc at that time, so they miss out.


message 24: by MarylineD (new)

MarylineD | 6 comments Mirkat wrote: "Ann wrote: "I’d love to be advised of Netgalley additions by authors I have read and reviewed on there already. Also the 'download now for the first 200' readers emails seem to come out at around 2..."

What is the "download now for the first 200 readers' emails" ? 2 pm what time? UK time? I'm from Belgium.
I've been on NG for about 10 months.
Thank you for explaining.
I generally only request from publishers who've approved me before and also read 'old(er)' books in the "read now" section.


message 25: by Mirkat (new)

Mirkat | 9 comments You will occasionally receive email about a book that you can download right away if you are one of the first 200 to attempt. If you follow the link after 200 have already accessed the galley, you will get a page for the book with a "request" button.

I have not actually paid attention to the time these emails are released, but I think it would most likely be United States Eastern Time.

I also tend to stick to "read now" titles (when I get emails about them). It assuages my guilt when/if I don't get to them in a timely fashion!


message 26: by MarylineD (last edited Dec 29, 2018 09:53AM) (new)

MarylineD | 6 comments I hate being 'rejected', that's why I stick to publishers who generally approve me. St Martin's press approved me once then denied me twice so I never request from them anymore but last month I received 2 emails from them inviting me to read 2 books published months away. Is that the '200 first readers emails' you are talking about ? I only downloaded them recently because I have 10 books on my shelf (I read 2 per week). I also 'wish for it' a lot and received an email saying one wish was granted (out of the 200 I probably wished for LOL) .

I like 'read now' because you know you can and someone won't say 'NO'. But there's the excitement when you request and hope for the best 😎

So the 200 first readers thing you were talking about it's not something you can do, it's only if you get an email if I undersand correctly???

Thank you again, sorry for my English.


message 27: by Ann (new)

Ann | 5 comments No I often open my personal emails in the evening to see I’ve had an email from Netgalley offering a book download for }read now for the first 200 readers” and they usually send them during the working day so I miss them .You can then request them but as in the case of the new Alex Cross book I didn’t get it via a request but had I been able to read the email in time and was one of the first 200 to respond I would have


message 28: by MarylineD (new)

MarylineD | 6 comments Ok thank you, I have never received that email then 😥 yet I have requested over 100 books, 70% appproved. I review everything ! But as always like 10 on my shelf my feedback rating goes from 85 to 95 depending how many left on my shelf.
Oh well. I don't understand.


message 29: by Mary (new)

Mary (gebodogs) | 9 comments Me TOO! I review every single book that I receive and can actually download and read. However, when they approve a book and then I find that I can't read it on a kindle I'm forced to click on "will not review" and that makes my reviewer status go down.

For page count I check goodreads or amazon. It's an extra step, but the file format is what bugs me the most.


The Kawaii Slartibartfast (thekawaiislartibartfast) | 30 comments I'd like the ability to unrequest books.


message 31: by Fictionophile (new)

Fictionophile  (fictionophile) | 97 comments The Kawaii Slartibartfast wrote: "I'd like the ability to unrequest books."

That would be wonderful. I recently (and impetuously) requested a book only to discover minutes later that it was part of a lengthy series that I've never read. If there had been any way to UNrequest the book I would have.
Of course, ironically, I was approved that same day.


message 32: by Jen (new)

Jen (dovesfalling) | 1 comments I would love for them to get rid of the "Wish for It" nonsense. Although I have a high review percentage and a good blog / Twitter following, I almost never get books I wish for. I just went through the new releases, and almost every book I clicked on was "wish for it!"

Why even have it on NG in the first place? It's so bait-and-switch.


message 33: by Lori (new)

Lori Boyd (loriboydmamaboydreads) | 19 comments I agree about the Wish For It! I’m starting to bypass anything listed with that.


Melissa (Distracted by New Grandbaby) (melissaparcel) | 11 comments Jen wrote: "I would love for them to get rid of the "Wish for It" nonsense. Although I have a high review percentage and a good blog / Twitter following, I almost never get books I wish for. I just went throug..."
I have a publicist friend who told me that it's a setting thing--when they put a book up there's something that they have to unclick to take away the "wish for it" option. If they forget to unclick it then it automatically lists as "wish for it" and they may not even realize that it's listed that way. It has been a while so I don't exactly remember, but I asked about it one time.


message 35: by Angie F (new)

Angie F (angiefitzp) | 8 comments I wish there was a way to remove a book from your pending file once it has been published. Some books have been sitting on my pending list for ages and they are obviously not going to be approved now.


message 36: by Fictionophile (new)

Fictionophile  (fictionophile) | 97 comments It would be great if you could add titles to a 'wish list'.
So often I've noticed an interesting title then a few days go by and I've forgotten what it was, or see another one that I'd like to request when my feedback ratio allows me to. I don't want to lose my 80% badge.


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