Tapping the mic...
Hello? Hello? Is anybody out there who leaves reviews anymore???
Finding reviewers for your book can feel a lot like combing the beach for your sunglasses...you may get lucky, but just as likely won't. But don't despair. There's an awesome service, designed just for you--and it's a lot cheaper than you think.
Welcome to Netgalley. It's an online database that matches reviewers with authors and publishers.
Some facts about Netgalley:
It has over 360,000 reviewers!
NetGalley's top 4 genres (in order of popularity):
Teen/YA
General Fiction
Mystery/Thriller
Romance
Over 52,000 members receive their romance newsletter
Each month: over 200,000 requests are made, and over 55,000 reviews are posted
Using Netgalley is pretty simple. You post your book, reviewers request to review it, you approve the ones you like, and then they report back with their feedback once they review it. You can't FORCE them to post that review on retailers sites, but most do, and - at minimum - you can pull review snippets from their reviews and share them on your social media, book descriptions, etc.
Now, let's talk about money. If you go direct to Netgalley, you'll pay $450-$699, depending on the package you purchase. And ... if you just inhaled deeply - yeah. So did I. But GOOD NEWS. There are such things as Netgalley co-ops, which band indie authors together and qualify for bulk discounts. One service I've used about a dozen times is Victory Editing and you can get your title listed on Netgalley, through them, for about fifty bucks. It's a great deal! If you want to check out their site, and book your novel with them, just click here.
Some common questions I get about Netgalley:
Are Kindle Unlimited books eligible? No. Amazon Terms of Service prohibit Netgalley listings of books. It’s not explicitly said, but I reached out and asked them and they said it went against their rules. That being said… it’s up to you if you want to risk it. Authors do all the time.
Do I need to sign up in advance of my release? No. You can list your book pre-release or post-release. In fact, I sometimes use the service on my backlist novels to help drum up their review tally - especially if I've improved the book or re-released it.
Have any more questions about Netgalley? Just pop them into the comments section. And if you'd like more advice about marketing your novel(s), please check out my online course, How to Market Your Novel!
