FirstReads

[stormhawk]

Does anyone else participate in the FirstReads program here? Under Explore Books, it's where you can enter to win copies of prepublication galleys, advance reader copies, or new books that the publisher or author are trying to promote.

I've read about a half-dozen or so of these (a check of my profile says that I'm currently reading my seventh). In addition to that I've gotten books directly from publishers that offer books to interested reviewers, including here on goodreads.

I also participate in group that gives me access to pdf galleys of upcoming books.

Is anyone else making use of these kinds of programs?

[Samantha]

Huh. librarything has a program for this, I didn't realize goodreads does too. Thanks for the heads up. *zips off to investigate*

[[deleted user]]

I've entered a few, but never win. Maybe because I haven't actually written a review yet :P

[stormhawk]

There is supposed to be a scoring system for choosing winners ... the more FirstReads you post reviews for, the higher your score, the more likely you will win, supposedly. That's what I recall, anyway. The people promoting the books are in it for the reviews.

[Chris]

I won three the first six months or so I was on GR and haven't won since. I did review all three of those too. But I still enter.

[Brad]

I won two, gave both the one star reviews they deserved and have never won again. Very sad.

[Cindy]

I've won a few - my most recent is Stephen Hawking's The Grand Design. Best one so far. I try to be really picky and only enter ones from major publishers.

[Christine]

I usually enter a bunch. For a while it was as dry as the desert but I've won 2-3 within the last few weeks so it appears to come in peaks.

I always write a review but one I half-assed because I was lazy. I haven't had a really awful book yet but I wasn't the biggest fan of every title. That hasn't really impacted the amount I win/don't as far as I can tell.

[Stuart]

I have won three. I tend to use the feature quite a bit.