I’ve been mulling over doing something like this for a while – there are plenty of helpful tips out there for NetGalley, but I’ve been on there for quite a while now, and I figured this could possibly help someone step into NetGalley and gain access to arcs. I used to see ‘NetGalley’ mentioned often – on social media and in blog posts – and I always figured I was too ‘small’ to sign up to something like that. At other times, I got a bit nervous about signing up in general. So, I thought maybe if one person is out there hesitating, and not sure but keen to find out more about NetGalley, this could be useful!
This is aimed at people who are yet to start on NetGalley, but if you’ve picked up on things I may have missed, please do let me know. It’s also worth being aware I use NetGalley UK, and things might be different depending on where you’re based!
What is NetGalley?
Firstly, just in case you’re unaware – NetGalley connects authors, publishers, publicists and so on with reviewers, librarians and booksellers. And the good news is, if you have a blog or other social media platform, you’re a reviewer! NetGalley allows you to browse books and either ‘read now’ or request. All you have to do in return is read and review the book, and post the review to NetGalley. Sounds easy, right?
NetGalley Ratio
I messed up my NetGalley ratio very fast, very early, and at this point there’s no way I’m going to recover it. But I am here to say – please learn from my mistakes! The ratio is the percentage of books you’ve been approved for that you’ve reviewed on the site. It is very easy to tank this by over requesting books, which is a really bad habit I have, but the worse your ratio, the less books you get approved for. The better, the more likely you’ll be approved for the books you really want.
Avoid Being, Well, Me
My willpower is weak when it comes to books. But you can do much better! Once I’d gone too far to correct it, I did realise it would have been better if I’d limited how many books I had at once. It can be tempted, especially when you first start, to request everything you see. But proceed with caution. I suggest picking out a few ‘read now’ books then putting in a handful of requests – decide on a number for yourself, maybe 5, maybe however many books you read in a month, and request only that amount. Do not request any more until you get declined for books or upload your reviews. Ultimately, it really is about what works best for you, but I think this approach – or similar – isn’t a bad starting point, especially when you’re first on there.
Stats
From my understanding, it seems the US version of the site is stricter on the ratio than the UK, but I think keeping your ratio ‘good’ is still something to aim for, and it avoids stress! But if you find you have a good ratio with a handful of books, but still aren’t getting approved, use your stats. I know what it feels like when you have a small audience, but honestly, even a small audience can be very useful! And make sure you utilize all your stats alongside where ever you post your reviews. I used to update my stats on my profile at the start of every month, and noticed the months where I didn’t do this, I got less approvals. When I updated again, I got more! Here’s the stats I used – because I review books here and over at Divination Hollow Reviews, I used both, but ultimately I think these are just useful to show there is an audience for what you’re writing.
Unwrapping Words Followers
Twitter Followers
(Previous Month’s) Visitors / Views
Goodreads Friends/Followers
Divination Hollow Reviews
Twitter Followers
(Previous Month’s) Visitors/Views
Choose Carefully
Go for the books that really grab your attention, but keep an eye out for those with lower numbers, too – especially when you start, you might have more luck with less popular books. Definitely look at the publishers on there, and read their guidelines – some are pretty upfront about the criteria they look for, and their expectations. It can work as a handy guide and help you narrow down which publishers are better to request from. I keep a log of my NetGalley books, too, and note things down which strike me as useful for reading prompts, specific events or time of the year, etc.
I think that’s enough for now, but if you have any other tips or advice or if you have any questions, do let me know in the comments! If I get a few queries I might do a follow up post, as well.
Unwrapping Words 
You should strive to get your ration above 80%.
And regarding the books you over-requested: you can still read and review your backlog.
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