Search Results for: case study

Focus On: Indie Reads

NetGalley offers a wealth of insightful data that sheds light on the latest trends and preferences, and we’re thrilled to focus on Independent Books & Publishers this month. If you haven’t browsed these categories recently, you may be missing out! In 2023, indie publishers added nearly 2,500 new books, generating a lot of engagement and excitement from the NetGalley community.

Read on for a glimpse at some of the Most Requested and Top Performing Indie Reads

Most Requested* Indie Reads

On average, books by independent publishers receive about 280 requests and auto-approvals. This includes activity generated when a publisher invites a reader to access the book using the NetGalley widget or makes the book available to ‘Read Now’, in addition to organic requests from NetGalley members. The Feedback Ratio (amount of Feedback returned based on all types of approval) is 24%.

* Most requested status changes regularly. Books listed in this article were among the most requested on December 2023.

Top Performing** Indie Reads

** “Top Performers” refers to the amount of Feedback titles received. Books listed in this article were among the Top Performers in December 2023.

Case Study: Every Day is Christmas by Karen Schaler

A beloved name in Christmas romance, Karen Schaler’s newest book is bringing joy to readers everywhere. Was Every Day is Christmas love at “frost” sight for NetGalley members too? Let’s find out! 

  • 180 Feedback as of February, 2024
  • Over 3,300 Impressions
  • 100% of approved Librarians recommend the book through Reader’s Advisory, book clubs, events.
  • 11% of all readers requested the book due to word of mouth recommendations!
  • See Karen’s previously listed books with Hawktale Publishing on NetGalley here!

Case Study: Avocado Magic by Taltal Levi

Beautiful illustrations, family sweetness, and learning about avocados– what’s not to love! NetGalley members praised Avocado Magic for being a heartwarming story about patience and believing in yourself.  

  • Love this book’s cover? We did too! Avocado Magic was featured on our Homepage for a full week!
  • 95% of approved Educators recommended their students read or purchase this book
  • 100% of Booksellers are likely to handsell this book
  • The book’s illustrations were by far the thing NetGalley members loved most about this book in their reviews
  • Check out NorthSouth Book’s other books on NetGalley here!

Case Study: So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan

From Booker Prize Finalist and bestselling author of Small Things Like These, NetGalley members called this book of short stories “succinct yet impactful” and “profound”. Here’s what NetGalley members thought of So Late in the Day: 

  • 369 feedback as of February, 2024
  • Over 6,700 impressions
  • 100% of Booksellers who submitted feedback suggested they would purchase this book for their stores
  • 92% of Reviewers would recommend this book/author to their audience
  • 277 four and five star reviews were generated from NetGalley members
  • Check out Grove Atlantic’s other books  here! 

Promotions for Indie Reads

Launch your frontlist or leverage your backlist! We have both on-site and email promotions for every budget, goal, and type of book. Learn more or view the full Media Kit here.

This newsletter was sent to 25,500 members who are interested in Indie Reads, and saw a 66% open rate!

Information in this article is from December 2023, unless otherwise specified. Data includes details from NetGalley.com.

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Focus On: Cooking, Food & Wine

NetGalley offers a wealth of insightful data that sheds light on the latest trends and preferences, and in this holiday season we’re focusing on Cooking, Food & Wine. If you haven’t browsed these categories recently, you may be missing out! In the last 12 months, publishers have added over 270 new books, generating a lot of engagement and excitement from the NetGalley community.

Read on for a glimpse at some of the Most Requested* and Top Performing** books in these categories!

Most Requested Cooking, Food & Wine

On average, books in the Cooking, Food & Wine category receive about 158 requests and auto-approvals. This includes activity generated when a publisher invites a reader to access the book using the NetGalley widget or makes the book available to ‘Read Now’, in addition to organic requests from NetGalley members. The Feedback Ratio (amount of Feedback returned based on all types of approval) is 24%.

* Most requested status changes regularly. Books listed in this article were among the most requested on November 27, 2023.

Top Performing Cooking, Food & Wine

** “Top Performers” refers to the amount of Feedback titles received. Books listed in this article were among the Top Performers in September 2023.

Case Study: Wine Witch on Fire by Natalie MacLean

Hailed as a heartfelt and inspiring journey, Dundurn Press promoted what would become a National Bestseller on NetGalley pre-publication. Here’s what NetGalley members toast to about Wine Witch on Fire: 

  • 90 feedback as of November 2023
  • Nearly 1,600 impressions
  • 80% of Media/Journalists said they are interested in the author for interviews/events
  • 96% of Reviewers would recommend this book/author to their audience
  • 81 four and five star reviews on NetGalley

Buzz Beyond NetGalley

Promotions for Cooking, Food & Wine

Launch your frontlist or leverage your backlist! We have both on-site and email promotions for every budget, goal, and type of book. Learn more or view the full Media Kit here.

This newsletter was sent to over 24,200 members who are interested in Cooking, Food & Wine, and saw a 39% open rate!

Information in this article is from September 2023, unless otherwise specified. Data includes details from NetGalley.com.

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Focus On: Mystery & Thrillers, Horror, and True Crime

NetGalley offers a wealth of insightful data that sheds light on the latest trends and preferences, and in this spooky season we’re focusing on Mystery & Thrillers, Horror, and True Crime. If you haven’t browsed these categories recently, you may be missing out! In the last 12 months, publishers have added nearly 5,000 new books, generating a lot of engagement and excitement from the NetGalley community.

Read on for a glimpse at some of the Most Requested* and Top Performing** books in these categories!

Most Requested Mystery & Thrillers

On average, books in the Mystery & Thriller category receive about 320 requests and auto-approvals. This includes activity generated when a publisher invites a reader to access the book using the NetGalley widget or makes the book available to ‘Read Now’, in addition to organic requests from NetGalley members. The Feedback Ratio (amount of Feedback returned based on all types of approval) is 29%.

* Most requested status changes regularly. Books listed in this article were among the most requested on October 27, 2023.

Top Performing Mystery & Thrillers

** “Top Performers” refers to the amount of Feedback titles received. Books listed in this article were among the Top Performers in October 2023.

Most Requested Horror

* Most requested status changes regularly. Books listed in this article were among the most requested on October 27, 2023.

Top Performing Horror

** “Top Performers” refers to the amount of Feedback titles received. Books listed in this article were among the Top Performers in October 2023.

Most Requested True Crime

* Most requested status changes regularly. Books listed in this article were among the most requested on October 27, 2023.

Top Performing True Crime

** “Top Performers” refers to the amount of Feedback titles received. Books listed in this article were among the Top Performers in October 2023.

Case Study: The Ballad of Old Joe Booth

by William Pauley III

Horror meets poetry, this Doom Fiction audiobook has NetGalley members atwitter with four and five star reviews. Here’s how The Ballad of Old Joe Booth has made some spooky waves:

– 89 feedback as of October 23, 2023

– Over 2,000 impressions

– 100% of approved Booksellers nominated this book for the Indie Next List

– 95% of Reviewers would recommend this book/author to their audience

– The word “recommend” was in the top list of words used in NetGalley reviews! 

View this book on NetGalley!

Buzz Beyond NetGalley!

Note: The cover of this book was updated since these reviews were written.

Promotions for Mystery & Thrillers, Horror, and True Crime

Launch your frontlist or leverage your backlist! We have both on-site and email promotions for every budget, goal, and type of book. Learn more or view the full Media Kit here.

This newsletter was sent to over 38,000 members who are interested in Mysteries & Thrillers, and saw a 77% open rate!

Information in this article is from October 2023, unless otherwise specified. Data includes details from NetGalley.com.

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Focus On: Comics, Graphic Novels, & Manga

NetGalley offers a wealth of insightful data that sheds light on the latest trends and preferences, and this month we’re focusing on Comics, Graphic Novels, and Manga. If you haven’t browsed these categories recently, you may be missing out! In the last 12 months, publishers have added nearly 650 new books, generating a lot of engagement and excitement from the NetGalley community.

Read on for a glimpse at some of the Most Requested* and Top Performing** books in these categories!

Most Requested Comics, Graphic Novel, Manga

On average, books in the Comics, Graphic Novels, and Manga category receive about 150 requests and auto-approvals. This includes activity generated when a publisher invites a reader to access the book using the NetGalley widget or makes the book available to ‘Read Now’, in addition to organic requests from NetGalley members. The Feedback Ratio (amount of Feedback returned based on all types of approval) is 31%.

* Most requested status changes regularly. Books listed in this article were among the most requested on August 9, 2023.

Top Performing Comics

** “Top Performers” refers to the amount of Feedback titles received. Books listed in this article were among the Top Performers in August 2023.

Top Performing Graphic Novels

Top Performing Manga

Case Study: It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth

by Zoe Thorogood

Image Comics added It’s Lonely at the Center of the Earth to NetGalley on June 29, 2023. In just two months, this graphic memoir has seen some amazing activity

– 64 Feedback, primarily 4 or 5 stars

– 1500 + impressions

– 100% of booksellers nominated the book for Indie Next List

– 89% of Librarians would order for their library

– 53 “thumbs up” on the cover image

Plus, Image Comics enhanced their title record with a Press Release and Reading Guide, maximizing the resources available to NetGalley members. 

View this book on NetGalley!

 

Buzz Beyond NetGalley!

Reviews for It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth on Instagram, Goodreads, TikTok, and individual blogs

Promotions for Comics, Graphic Novels, and Manga

Launch your frontlist or leverage your backlist! We have both on-site and email promotions for every budget, goal, and type of book. Learn more or view the full Media Kit here.

This newsletter was sent to over 35,000 members who are interested in Comics, Graphic Novels, and Manga, and saw a 36% open rate!

Sent March 2, 2023. Click to view the whole newsletter.

Information in this article is from August 2023, unless otherwise specified. Data includes details from NetGalley.com and NetGalley.co.uk.

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Dispatch from Digital Book World

“You don’t have to do anything the way you’ve been doing it”

Lisa Lucas, Executive Director of the National Book Foundation opened Digital Book World with a keynote about innovation and experimentation, backed by practical takeaways for attendees. She told the audience, “You don’t have to do anything the way you’ve been doing it.” 

Lisa Lucas’s keynote was emblematic of most of the conversations at Digital Book World. Panelists and presenters explained their projects, companies, and initiatives while also sharing the practical tools and processes that they used to accomplish their goals. 

Tools 

Margot Atwell, winner of the DBW’s Outstanding Achievement Award and Head of Publishing at Kickstarter,sang the praises of Airtable to NetGalley Insights during a coffee break. She told us that the combination spreadsheet and database was indispensable for her when putting together the inaugural The Next Page: Creating the Future of Publishing, a full day of conversations shared digitally and available for free to foster a more inclusive, fair, and vibrant publishing landscape.

Margot Atwell presenting at Digital Book World

Amy Metsch and Dan Zitt of Penguin Random House Audio are expanding PRH’s audio offerings by going after new genres. They are transforming theater productions like Angels in America, graphic novels like Roller Girl, and Spanish language books like La primera regla del punk into audiobooks. Like any team going through a growth period, the PRH Audio team needed to develop a more streamlined and centralized ways of casting these audiobooks, many of which feature a full cast. To support their audio expansion, PRH developed an audio talent database called Ahab, which now has the profiles of 3,000 actors all over the world. They’ve used Ahab to match narrators and voice actors to their increasing roster of projects, plus expand their pool of talent beyond the actors that they already know. And soon other publishers will be able to use Ahab to find the right audio talent for their projects. 

Eleanor Long and Trevor Young, co-founders of indie animation studio Tapocketa, showcased their interactive children’s book Galdo’s Gift (which won multiple awards at DWB 2018, including Best Overall Book) and gave a sneak preview of their new interactive storytelling project, The Locksmith. They also shared the tools that they use to get this work done – from communication and productivity tools like Slack and Teux Deux (both of which are beloved by the NetGalley team) to animation software like Affinity and Hype.

Process 

Bluefire founder and CEO Micah Bowers shared the winding journey of the Bluefire Reader. We were surprised to learn that one of the earliest prototypes was an EPUB 2 compliant e-reader for a Sony Playstation device. The audience also learned that Bluefire was originally intended to contain both an e-reader and a virtual bookstore, plus the original conception of Adobe Digital Editions was an in-browser reader rather than a desktop app.
Bowers shared the roadblocks, surprises, and coincidences in Bluefire’s history, including the recent removal of Bluefire from the Android store (although it is still in the iOS store, and anyone who already has it on their device can still use it). In addition to providing the audience with a unique vantage point to think about the history of e-reading, Bowers’s talk was a lesson in how companies can respond to the unexpected with agility and creativity. Bluefire’s journey was full of iterations, failures, and pivots, all of which are crucial for anyone looking to be at the edge of technological innovation. 

Charlotte Abbott, founder of FutureProof Content Strategy, gave the audience a framework for thinking about creating brand stories that drive results. For Abbott, these stories “spark direct, ongoing connections with your customers, build community with customers and stakeholders, and drive revenue on a platform you own.” She used Berrett-Koehler’s 2017 online Servant Leadership Summit as a case study to demonstrate a simple framework for building those stories. Clear articulation of mission, goal, and story are the key to creating compelling narratives that bring in audiences and keep them engaged with your work. Seeing some raised eyebrows, she made it plain that even for for-profit companies, everyone has an overarching mission, even if it’s as simple as “produce world-class books and make a profit.” Abbott reminded the audience that publishers are “storytelling natives,” and advised us not to forget our storytelling skills when we are building our own brands. 

Charlotte Abbott presenting at Digital Book World

Audible’s Strategic Content Partnerships Manager Shira Schindel also gave a step-by-step structure, but for partnerships between companies and organizations. She instructed the audience to think of partnerships like stories; complete with plot, characters, goals, and challenges. Plot encompasses your company’s history and the history of a potential partner, plus the new directions for both of those companies. Character helps you figure out if you are connecting with the right person at another company. The goal crystallizes your objectives and your counterpart’s mandate from their company. And then the challenge helps you address potential limitations. She gave examples of recent Audible partnerships with Minetta Lane Theater and Alaska Airlines to show how this story-centric partnership structure lets both parties find meaningful and effective collaborations.

Joshua Tallent, Firebrand’s Director of Sales and Education, as he is wont to do, was sharing metadata best practices. And in addition to reminding publishers how crucial it is to fill in even the most basic metadata fields, he made some practical suggestions for how teams can best ensure that their metadata is being refreshed regularly and successfully sent to the appropriate retail partners. He advised publishers to have a dedicated position on staff for metadata. While editorial, marketing, legal, and other departments have a vested interest in metadata changes, he encouraged publishers to designate a point person. Then, he suggested scheduling regular metadata updates, monthly if possible. That way, publishers can have a built-in structure to check that their data is current, and can quickly see if anything has gone amiss. Plus, he also noted that Eloquence on Alert is a powerful tool to monitor any changes to books’ metadata across retail providers.

We’re leaving Digital Book World 2019 with our heads buzzing with new ideas and with some concrete strategies to implement more experimentation, more collaboration, and more innovation. 

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London Book Fair: Making a more inclusive book industry

The London Book Fair is one of the largest annual gatherings for the book industry, particularly for agents and publishers looking to trade in international rights. Between March 12 – March 14, attendees who were not sitting in the Rights Hall or dashing to meetings sat in on seminars, strolled the booths, and met colleagues from around the globe who also made the trip to Olympia London.

Where the Book World Comes to Meet

Each year, the London Book Fair focuses on a particular market from around the world. This year the spotlight was on Indonesia. Made up of thousands of islands and religiously diverse, Indonesia was able to showcase their books and culture to a global audience. The Indonesian book market is as diverse as its many thousands of islands, titles are produced in many different languages, and few are translated into English. Theirs is a growing market, with an increasing international presence. Fiction – short stories, in particular – are popular in Indonesia. Indonesian readers read across a broad number of topics, but myths, spirituality and beliefs seem to be at the forefront of Indonesian publishing.

Throughout the Fair, we found that the most prevalent theme was inclusivity. Genres and formats that are growing in the industry are the ones best able to connect with a diverse audience. By making the publishing industry more diverse, it takes steps to become more inclusive.

Diversity refers to the different kinds of people who are involved in an industry, or the different kinds of stories that are told. Inclusion refers to an overall atmosphere that is welcoming to different kinds of people, including those who have been traditionally marginalized within the industry.

Diversity

One of the biggest aims of the publishing industry over the last few years has been that of creating books with more diverse characters, written by more diverse authors. Whilst the industry is heading towards having greater diversity, there is more that needs to be done. Actor, author, and TV presenter Cerrie Burnell highlighted, during the Diversity: Where’s the Issue panel, that diversity within books, children’s books in particular, needs to be more normalized. She said it should be as “normal as observing it when living and walking around London.” Author and illustrator Rose Robins took a similar stance, suggesting that neurodiverse characters should be included more in literature, rather than treated as plot devices. (That’s one of the reasons we loved The Kiss Quotient – check out our recent case study here!)

To connect with audiences from different backgrounds, the publishing industry needs to become more diverse as a profession, in addition to publishing more books with more diverse characters. Speakers from HarperCollins, SAGE Publishing, and EW Group touched on this in their panel on building a more diverse and inclusive industry. Efforts to make publishing houses more diverse need to start from the recruitment stage to keep the industry vibrant.

Poetry

At LBF19, we saw that poetry is on the rise. Poetry sales in January 2019 were at an all-time high, growing by 12% according to Nielsen Bookscan. The recent success of poetry has been attributed to its being more inclusive and diverse than other book genres, with more young people than ever buying and engaging with poetry. The success of Rupi Kaur, writing about her experience as a woman and as a daughter of immigrants, as well as Charly Cox, indicates that there is a huge audience eager to see themselves reflected in the books that they read. And with platforms like Instagram, poets have new ways of reaching younger, digitally engaged audiences. More traditional forms have also found a new audience, with Robin Robertson’s The Long Take the first work of poetry to be nominated for the Man Booker Prize. Sales of poetry have been building for the past few years, and it looks like 2019 will continue to see an upsurge of interest  in the popularity of poetry.

Audiobooks

Unsurprisingly, of all the formats discussed at the London Book Fair audiobooks continues  to be on everyone’s radar. According to Nielsen figures the sales of audiobooks have increased by 87% in the UK since 2014. The popularity of audiobooks has been linked to the trend of podcasts and engaging young men in particular with a different format of reading. But audiobooks have seen a rise overall and the boom seems set to continue for 2019 and onwards. (Check out some of our podcast coverage here.)

Nonfiction

Nonfiction is also a hot topic, as both adult and children’s nonfiction sales have increased in the last year. For adult nonfiction, a large proportion of the success comes down to feminist titles and inspiring books such as Slay in Your Lane by Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebenene, Bloody Brilliant Women by Cathy Newman and Dolly Alderton’s Everything I Know About Love. As nonfiction has become more diverse in its scope, it has drawn in new audiences.

We were encouraged to see the book industry slowly moving towards being more inclusive, with publishers and authors having great successes on more diverse books. Different formats and genres are reaching new audiences and encouraging a whole new generation of readers.Keep up with the rest of our conference season coverage by subscribing to NetGalley Insights!

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Press

NetGalley in the News

23 Feb 2023
Firebrand Group (FBG), the book industry’s leading technology company
for cutting edge software and services, announced today the official placement of Angela Bole in
the role of Chief Executive Officer. Read the release.

9 June 2022
Angela Bole to Succeed Fran Toolan at Firebrand Group. Read the release.
 
2 February 2021
Media Do International acquires Firebrand Technologies and NetGalley, LLC. Read the release.
 
29 October 2020
NetGalley VP, Kristina Radke, speaks to the Independent Book Publishers Association: NetGalley’s New Launches Lead to Record-Breaking Summer
 
13 July 2020
NetGalley Launches Audiobook Support and New Reading/Listening App. Read the release.
 
12 May 2020
NetGalley VP, Kristina Radke, speaks to NYU about the new publishing reality under COVID-19: View From an NYU SPS MS in Publishing Grad
 
21 October 2019
 
1 October 2019
NetGalley announces the launch of NetGalley Advanced in Europe. Read the release.
 
3 April 2019
IBPA Board of Directors Candidates Spotlight: NetGalley’s Kristina Radke. Read the interview.
  
6 February 2019
Kristina Radke, VP of Business Growth & Engagement, announced as candidate for IBPA Board of Directors Candidates for Fiscal Years 2020 & 2021. Read the announcement.
 
25 Jan 2019
NetGalley announces launch of premier tier of service, NetGalley Advanced.  Read the release.
Publishing Perspectives: NetGalley Advanced Rolls Out
 
27 Dec 2018
NetGalley Japan wins the prestigious 2018 Digital Infrastructure Award from Japan Electronic Publishing Association (JEPA). View the acceptance speech here. All winners are listed here.
 
17 Dec 2018
NetGalley announces that it will represent Readers First in the UK. Read the release.

4 April 2018
Reaching romance audiences on NetGalley. Read the article.

16 October 2017
Bookish announces new consumer review platform, BookishFirst. Read the release.

Shelf Awareness: Bookish.com Launches BookishFirst
Publishing Perspectives: NetGalley Launches BookishFirst, a Discovery and Recommendation Site for Readers
Publishers Weekly: Bookish Adds Review Platform, BookishFirst

11 October 2017
NetGalley Announces NetGalley.co.uk and NetGalley.jp; Evers now Assistant Director of NetGalley UK.
Read the release.
Publishing Perspectives: Frankfurt Notes: NetGalley Announces New UK and Japan Editions
Publishers Weekly: NetGalley Announces NetGalley.co.uk and NetGalley.jp
The Bookseller: NetGalley to open dedicated UK and Japan operations

2 October 2017
NetGalley Announces Several Promotions; Archer now CTO of both NetGalley and Firebrand. Read the release.

Shelf Awareness: Personnel Changes at NetGalley

9 November 2016
School Library Journal: NetGalley Kid Reviewers Reignite Languishing Book Club by Jennifer Kelly Geddes

12 October 2016
NetGalley Acquires Bookish.com. Read the release.

Shelf Awareness: NetGalley Buys Bookish.com
Publishers Weekly: NetGalley Buys Bookish.com
Digital Book World: NetGalley Acquires Bookish.com
 
7 September 2016
CBA and NetGalley Announce New Partnership and Member Benefit Program. Read the release.

29 August 2016
Australian Library and Information Association, LibrariansChoice and NetGalley Announce New Ways to Access and Review New Books. Read the release.

29 July 2016
IBPA: Which Review Outlets Should You Target?
Written by NetGalley’s International account director, Kristina Radke.

26 July 2016
NetGalley Deutschland im Spiegel Online-Interview zum Thema Buchrezensionen im Netz

20 July 2016
NetGalley Book Review Program: A Case Study, by David Kudler (author of Risuko)

17 May 2016
NetGalley France annonce le lancement d’un partenariat avec VendrediLecture, premier événement littéraire à prendre place sur les réseaux sociaux.

13 May 2016
NetGalley earns a Supply Chain Excellence Award once more from Book Industry Communication (BIC). See all accredited organizations.

17 March 2016
L”ARALD présente NetGalley à ses éditeurs !: NetGalley : un outil de services de presse numériques pour les éditeurs

15 March 2016
Readers can now access titles from German publishers on NetGalley. Read the release.

10 March 2015
Digital Book World: Female Publishing Leaders Talk Gender Equality at Work
NetGalley President, Susan Ruszala, “When I think about what women can bring as leaders, I think of the creation of small cultures and developing something good for both men and women.””

4 March 2016
NetGalley is hiring a Sales Assistant: Learn more and apply for for this part-time position

25 February 2016
Publishing Perspectives: NetGalley International at DBW: Susan Ruszala on Digital Expansion

25 February 2016
BookBrunch: Sceptre and NetGalley team up for Cleave launch

22 February 2016
NetGalley (réseau francophone) est l’invité de l’émission “Questions-Clés » sur le RTBF en direct de la Foire du Livre de Bruxelles !

22 February 2016
Nouveaux relais de recommandation ou formes nouvelles de prescription ? NetGalley est l’invité du PILEn à l’occasion de la Foire du Livre de Bruxelles.

8 February 2016
Promouvoir son livre en 2016 : Lettresnumeriques se penche sur le cas NetGalley !

3 February 2016
Digital Book World: Five Questions with Susan Ruszala, President, NetGalley

2 February 2016
Firebrand unveils Eloquence on Demand, a highly-efficient tool to meet the growing information needs of a complex marketplace. Read the release.

29 January 2016
Library Loan Stars: Tarah Theoret speaks at the Ontario Library Association’s Super Conference, to help launch the Loan Stars reader’s advisory program. And participates in a webinar promoting the program, on Feb. 11. (more info here).

22 January 2016
Digital Book World white paper: Viewpoints on Publishing’s Digital Transformation
NetGalley President Susan Ruszala writes, “The Pace and Direction of our Work Will Never Be the Same”

13 January 2016
Bookselling This Week: Get the Books of Winter Institute Now – Even If You’re Not on the Guest List

11 December 2015
NetGalley receives the Platinum Award from LibraryWorks’ second annual Modern Library Awards (MLA’s.)
Read more about the MLA’s here.

11 December 2015
Good e-Reader: NetGalley now supports Social DRM

11 December 2015
NetGalley adds Social DRM reading option to facilitate “read anywhere” access to galleys. Read the release.

2 December 2015
NetGalley adds support for excerpts via Dial-a-Book, Firebrand’s excerpts service. Read the release.

30 November 2015
Syndicat National De L’edition: Présentation de quatre projets innovants, façon Pecha Kucha – vidéo

5 November 2015
boersenblatt.net: Mit NetGalley ins B2B-Geschäft

2 November 2015
Publishers Weekly: The Savvy Self-Publisher’s Guide to NetGalley

29 October 2015
Westwind Communications Book Marketing: How Authors Can Use NetGalley to Promote Their Book, by Scott Lorenz

14 October 2015
NetGalley and Vorablesen are joining forces to launch NetGalley in the German book community.
Read the release.

29 September 2015
NetGalley and Firebrand sponsor the FutureBook Platform of the Year Award. Read more here.

28 September 2015
NetGalley introduces Wish Granting, a new program to facilitate book giveaways and reviews. Read the release.

20 September 2015
Lettresnumeriques:  NetGalley : un outil interprofessionnel de recommandation et de partage

18 September 2015
Firebrand CEO, Fran Toolan, wins the BISG Industry Champion Award.

23 June 2015
The Booksellers Association (UK) and NetGalley Announce New Initiative. Read the release.

23 June 2015
The Bookseller (UK): Booksellers get free access to digital proofs

17 June 2015
The Bookseller Publicity & Marketing Conference: Stuart Evers chairs “Off the Lit Pages: Exploring Alternative Paths to Publicity”

16 June 2015
NetGalley.fr is live! Read the release about our launch in French, and press coverage: Livres Hebdo, Aldus2006, ActuaLitté

9 June 2015
NetGalley request links now available on IPR License. Read the release.

7 April 2015
Worldwide expansion as Firebrand adds senior staff in the UK; NetGalley launches in France. Read the release.

1 April 2015
Sell more Books podcast: Kristina Radke speaks from the PubSense™ Summit about how to handle critical reviews.

6 March 2015
Blogging for Books adds NetGalley to platform for seamless digital galley distribution. Read the release.

9 February 2015
PubSense™ Summit: Kristina Radke Joins PubSense™ Faculty as a Featured Speaker

23 January 2015
SkilledUp: 7 Strategic Lessons: Digital Book World 2015

22 January 2015
NetGalley receives the Gold Award from the LibraryWorks, Inc. 2015 inaugural Modern Library Awards (MLA’s.) Read more about the MLA’s here.

11 December 2014
Köehler Books announces their titles are now available on NetGalley: View the announcement.

25 November 2014
Nurture Your Books: Interview with Tarah Theoret, NetGalley Community Manager

6 November 2014
Book Business: Firebrand CEO Fran Toolan on Helping Publishers Drive Ebook Sales

6 November 2014
Library Journal: LibraryReads Nominations Now Accepted via NetGalley

6 November 2014
Nominations for LibraryReads now accepted via NetGalley. Read the release.

2 October 2014
NetGalley Announces Faster Title Access for ABA Members. Bookselling This Week article.

2 October 2014
American Booksellers Association and NetGalley Announce New Ways for ABA Members to Access Titles via NetGalley. Read the press release.

25 September 2014
School Library Journal accepts review submissions via NetGalley. Read more.

8 September 2014
NetGalley sponsors the Folio Prize in the UK, provides digital proofs to judges. Bookseller article.

27 August 2014
NetGalley is proud to be a finalist in the New England Publishing Collaboration (NEPCo) Awards. Read more about the NEPCo Awards here.

18 August 2014
NetGalley’s sister company, eBook Architects, officially launches FlightDeck, designed to improve epub quality and consistency. Read the press release.

31 July 2014
NetGalley is featured in Now You’re a Publisher: A Guide to Self-Publishing (INscribe Digital). View it now on NetGalley.

10 July 2014
Firebrand takes on new markets, clients, and services. Read the press release.

8 July 2014
Tudor Robins (of Patchwork Press co-op) talks about her NetGalley experience. Read the post here.

1 July 2014
Forbes: Indies: How Your Next-Door Neighbor Is Changing Commerce

27 June 2014
“NetGalley and University Presses” – an article from the Association of American University Presses (AAUP). Read the article here.

19 June 2014
NetGalley’s President, Susan Ruszala, participated in the Creating eBook Bestsellers panel at BookExpo America. Read the recap here.

12 June 2014
Samhain Publishing adds NetGalley online review service to its suite of author benefits. Read the full release here.

23 May 2014
NetGalley’s sister company eBook Architects launches FlightDeck in beta, designed to improve epub quality and consistency. Read the release.

12 May 2014
NetGalley is selected as Supply Chain Innovation Award winner by the Bookseller! Read more.

8 May 2014
Outliers Publishing announces complimentary eBook on NetGalley. Read the full release here

1 May 2014
NetGalley adds publisher and imprint “showrooms;” nears 200,000 members. Read the full release here

11 April 2014 
NetGalley’s Tarah Theoret guest-posts for PubSmart 2014.
How to Increase Your Book’s Discoverability and Visibility. Read the post here.

14 March 2014
NetGalley shortlisted for the Supply Chain Innovation award. View the full list.

25 February 2014
NetGalley awarded BIC supply chain accreditation, acknowledging companies for their investment in automation and innovative solutions for supply chain issues.

10 January 2014
Publishers Weekly: NetGalley and ABA Team Up for Indies

10 January 2014
Shelf Awareness: NetGalley, ABA Team Up for Digital White Box

9 January 2014
Bookselling This Week: ABA and NetGalley Introduce Digital White Box

9 January 2014
American Booksellers Association and NetGalley introduce the Digital White Box, a new program to facilitate broader distribution of galleys to indie booksellers Read the release

21 November 2013
NetGalley announces partnership with the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). Read the release.

19 November 2013
Hachette UK distributes digital book proofs in partnership with NetGalley. Read the release.

15 November 2013
NetGalley Reader Concierge to speak at PubSmartCon 2014 (April ‘14)

29 October 2013
Huffington Post: 3 Ways Indie Authors Can Use Social Media to Attract Readers

27 September 2013
NetGalley introduces new programs that support Indie bookstores; enhanced feedback features for all members Read more

25 September 2013
Courier Corporation Selects Firebrand Technologies (NetGalley’s parent company) for Digital Content Distribution Services Read more

5 September 2013
NetGalley UK Community Manager to speak at Self Publishing Summit 2013 (November)

23 July 2013
Digital Journal: Le French Book Titles Available to Media on NetGalley

12 June 2013
NetGalley Announces Free Webinar for IPG Members (Independent Publishers Guild)

5 June 2013
Wired: Why Book Publishers Are Still Dragging Their Heels on Selling You E-Books

29 May 2013
Simon & Schuster selects Firebrand Technologies for worldwide digital content distribution, Eloquence metadata distribution Read more

13 May 2013
NetGalley announces the NetGalley Wellness Challenge. Read the release.

7 May 2013
AppNewser (MediaBistro): School Library Journal is accepting Review Submissions for eBooks through NetGalley

7 May 2013
School Library Journal and NetGalley Announce Partnership. Read the release.

1 May 2013
NetGalley is a partner in the 2013 Fiction Uncovered promotion, to celebrate and promote British writers. Read the release.

14 March 2013
eBook Ninjas Podcast: episode 99, with guest Susan Ruszala, NetGalley President

27 February 2013
Forbes: The Trouble With Finding Books Online – And A Few Solutions

26 February 2013
Publishers Weekly: NetGalley and Perseus Partner

25 February 2013
NetGalley announces partnership with The Perseus Books Group. Read the release.

5 February 2013
Firebrand acquires leading ebook design and production company eBook Architects.  Read the release.

29 January 2013
AppNewser (MediaBistro): NetGalley Hires New Folks as Community Reaches 100K

21 January 2013
Library Journal: ALA Midwinter Galley & Signing Guide

9 January 2013
EarlyWord: February Indie Next titles available from NetGalley

12 December 2012
NetGalley Announces our 2012 NetGalley Picks. View the list here!

9 October 2012
Press Release: NetGalley re-launches, adds new features for publishers and readers

26 July 2012
Press Release: BookNet Partners with NetGalley, Introduces Integration to CataList

28 June 2012
Press Release: IBPA Partners with NetGalley to Bring Online Galley Distribution to Member Publishers

May-June Issue, 2012
WOW! (Women on Writing), The Portable Writer: The Portable Reader: NetGalley’s Utility for Book Bloggers & Reviewers

21 May 2012
Library Journal: BEA Galley & Signing Guide

21 May 2012
Publishers Lunch: The “Big Book” of BEA

11 April 2012
Press Release: NetGalley Announces Member Benefit Initiative for IPG Publishers

23 February 2012
eBookNewser (MediaBistro): 59% Of Librarians Use Digital Galleys To Find Titles

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Compliments

We love getting feedback from our members and publishers. We’ve started compiling some of the best tidbits here (and on our Facebook page), but we always want to hear from YOU! So please, tell us what you think.

Publishers & Authors:

“In the last five weeks my audiobook Untold Mayhem: An Assortment of Violence has already accumulated over 50 reviews, many of which are also being uploaded to Goodreads, personal blogs, and YouTube. … Not only have I learned more about the type of person I should market to, but I’ve already made some fantastic connections; one of my favorite parts about writing.” – Mark Tullius, author of Untold Mayhem: An Assortment of Violence

“Sharing NetGalley feedback with authors is a particularly gratifying part of the run-up to the publication date and has become really important to us in garnering early consumer reviews for our path-breaking works of nonfiction. ” – Brian Ulicky, The New Press, “Case Study: Thick by Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom”

“Nothing beats social proof other than direct word of mouth endorsement. NetGalley’s community of avid and engaged readers provided that during the critical post-publication period.” – Jayne Allen, “Case Study: Black Girls Must Die Exhausted”

“I wanted to tell you what a fantastic experience I am having as a NetGalley customer. From my sales person, Stuart, to Katie at Concierge, and Alyce, I feel supported in the tech side like I’ve never experienced from customer service for a company. While my technical issues stem from the publisher side, these people at NetGalley continue to help me – even when I know they could easily say, ‘Sorry it’s not our problem.’ Thanks again for employing fabulous people who really care about customers and books.” – Darcie Rowan, Darcie Rowan PR.

“NetGalley reviewers take a lot of pride in their reviews and hence these reviews are extremely well written… [NetGalley] was the only place I felt my book was actually getting some attention.” – Luke Gracias, “NetGalley for a Self-Published Debut Author,” author of The Devil’s Prayer.

“I just wanted to send a quick note to express my thanks for your help in getting RUM LUCK listed in the April newsletter. I’ve already seen more than a 350% increase in requests, and they are continuing to come in. I definitely feel that the service has been worthwhile and will highly recommend it to other authors. But most importantly, I feel that your flexibility, dedication and professionalism as NetGalley employees was what made this possible. Thank you once again.” –Ryan Aldred, author of Rum Luck

“The NetGalley community is fair and transparent with their reviews, responsive to collaboration, and an invaluable resource for generating early reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, blogs, and social media which carry a lot of weight with general consumers. We value our relationship with NetGalley and their members very highly.” –Corrin Foster, Marketing Manager of Greenleaf Book Group

“By far one of the best ways I’ve found to spread the word about my upcoming titles is NetGalley. With their resources, I’m quickly connected with quality readers and industry professionals, who discover my work. Every title I’ve listed with NetGalley has been a top sales performer.”
—Lisa Renee Jones, NY Times Bestselling Author, lisareneejones.com

Booksellers, Bloggers, Reviewers, Librarians, Educators, and Media:

“I find NetGalley completely invaluable, and I now do about 90% of my pre-publication reading through it. It gives me access both to books that are in high demand among my colleagues, and books that our fabulous reps haven’t thought of for our shop.  I also find it much more convenient not to have to carry bulky proofs around with me.” —Tara Spinks, Assistant Manager at Lutyens & Rubinstein Bookshop in London

“NetGalley has been a wonderful resource for our librarians. Many use your service for assistance with collection development reader’s advisory, and to connect with publishers and authors. On a personal note, NetGalley has been my go-to resource in preparing my new teen books workshops, and I always take five minutes to give attendees a brief overview of your service. Thank you for supporting the work of the Massachusetts Library Association and of our profession. It is sincerely appreciated!” —Sarah Sogigian, Advisor, Youth Services, Massachusetts Library System, YALSA Board of Directors

“Just wanted to say that is really makes it easy to order books for the library when you have already read the egalley and can make an informed choice. I think I checked off at least five books on our latest B&T order that I had read and enjoyed, books that I probably would have passed over before. Not to mention ordering personal copies as well. — Sharon Redfern, via NetGalley Facebook Page

“I have been recently introduced to NetGalley and it was one of the best decisions ever to become a member. You have created an excellent platform for readers, writers and publishers to communicate on a unique level and certainly introduced me to books I would never have found on my own. My book purchases have also skyrocketed.” —Margitte, Reviewer

“As a blogger, as a librarian and as an educator I’m so pleased to have discovered NetGalley. It’s a great tool for discovering new titles and having the chance to evaluate them. As economies grow tighter for book buyers and as professional librarians become endangered species it is so helpful to be able to read and review new titles without making expensive mistakes and doubly pleasing when I find a gem and am able to recommend it for purchase!” —Bookaholic via Tumblr

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Audio Publishers Association Conference

2024 Conference Wrap Up, Part 2

This year’s Audio Publishers Association Conference (APAC) brought together audiobook-industry leaders to explore the evolving landscape of audio consumption. NetGalley was thrilled to sponsor and speak at this event. Across all sessions, attendees and presenters alike celebrated the continued growth of the audio market.

Darcy Piedmonte speaking at APAC 2024, demonstrating how NetGalley members express enthusiasm for audiobooks “out in the wild.”

Paul Abassi (Bookstat) reminded attendees of the huge growth in audiobook sales in recent years, from over $1.7 billion in 2018 to over $3 billion in 2023. Last year proved a substantial increase across both legacy and newer retailers, including publishers of all sizes and multiple genre categories.  Kristen McLain (Circana Entertainment Knowledge Group) positioned audio as a thriving market ripe for further innovation and expansion. Kristen pointed out that audio is the only category growing across all age groups, with some titles selling equal in (or more!) shares than other formats. Further, audiobook consumers are willing and ready to invest in their overall experience. 

Laura Ivy (Edison Research) shared that audiobook audiences are continuing to skew younger, supported by APAC’s own Sales & Consumer Data Survey conducted last year, which revealed: “The majority of audiobook listeners are young, with 57% being between the ages of 18 and 44, significantly higher than the 49% of the U.S. population that falls within the same age range.” Kristen McLain added, “Future listeners are living with current listeners!”

Darcy Piedmonte, Senior Sales Manager at NetGalley, joined Eric Barnett (Supporting Cast), Lizzie Breyer Bowman (Lemonada), and moderator Amy Metsch (Spiegel & Grau) on a panel titled, “Audiobooks in the Wild”, to discuss how forward-thinking approaches to audiobook and spoken word programming foster audience engagement and community. The conversation underscored the significance of dynamic content strategies in attracting and retaining listeners. Darcy delved into the thriving audiobook community facilitated by NetGalley, sharing case studies featuring an independently published audiobook side-by-side with a celebrity memoir (spoiler alert: both performed extremely well on NetGalley). She also spoke about NetGalley’s role in fostering interactions between audio publishers and enthusiastic listeners, providing updates about the NetGalley community’s growth and engagement. Be on the lookout for more about this!

A highlight of the event was Malcolm Gladwell’s keynote address emphasizing tremendous opportunities for internet-based audio. Gladwell brought attention to our collective chance to democratize production, highlight on-demand, recursive listening, and revolutionize access with few barriers to entry. However, there are significant limitations standing in the way related to fair- versus limited use, where limited use greatly sacrifices transformative experiences that can enhance listeners’ lives. Gladwell illuminated the downsides in the specific, story-driven way only he can. The audience was convinced: the industry is not currently able to exploit the full potential of the audio medium. However, as industry professionals we can band together for a “Fair Use” movement and coalition. Only then will we harness the power of our creative potential and realize the spoken word future we all want to see. 

Lastly, we are thrilled to congratulate this year’s Audie Award Winners! We’re honored that so many of these award-winning audiobooks were available on NetGalley.

Read more of our 2024 conference wrap ups:

And find us at the following events this spring!

  • March 12 – 14, London Book Fair
  • March 21 – 24, Leipzig Book Fair
  • April 12, Book Industry Study Group (BISG) Annual Meeting
  • April 12 – 14, Paris Book Festival
  • April 25 – 27, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Publishing University
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Conference Wrap Up Part 6 – IBPA Pub U

In March and April, the NetGalley team attended the Audio Publishers Association Conference (APAC), London Book Fair, Festival des Livres Paris (Paris Book Festival), Leipziger Buchmesse (Leipzig Book Fair), and the Book Industry Study Group (BISG) annual meeting. This month (May), we have attended the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Publishing University and the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) Leadership Summit. We look forward to Publishers Weekly’s U.S. Book Show next!

Read all of our 2023 spring conference wrap ups:

Katie Versluis and Kristina Radke at IBPA Pub U

Independent Book Publishers Association Publishing University

Independent Book Publishers Association’s (IBPA) Publishing University is a vibrant gathering aimed at traditional and hybrid independent publishers, as well as author publishers, who gather to exchange knowledge, resources, strategies, solutions, and more. This year, the IBPA celebrated its 40th anniversary on Coronado Island in San Diego, with their nautical theme—”Navigate, Innovate, Elevate: Charting the Next 40 Years”.

In addition to the many conversations we had with the IBPA members at our table, and at our “Ask the Experts” sessions (where members sign up to speak to specific industry experts one-on one), the keynote programming was especially powerful this year. Friday’s keynote, “The Future is Independent – How Indie Publishers are Transforming the Industry” featured Rebekah “Bex” Borucki, founder of Row House Publishing, and Arthur Levine, founder of Levine Querido. Each of them shared their journey to founding their publishing houses, including challenges and wins. There was a lot of discussion about finding your community, filling a niche that larger publishers may not be focused on, and uplifting innovated voices. Both of the panelists emphasized that independent publishers have the books with this kind of targeted focus, which distributors may be missing from other large publishers. In many cases, getting a meeting with a distributor may be as simple writing an email to them.

Saturday’s keynote, “Legends of Black Independent Publishing: Learning from the Best”, was a wealth of knowledge. The panelists, Dr. Haki Madhubuti (Third World Press), W. Paul Coates (Black Classic Press),
Kassahun Checole (Africa World Press/The Red Sea Press), and Wade and Cheryl Hudson
(Just Us Books), and hosted by Troy Johnson (African American Literature Book Club), mentioned that they had about a hundred years of experience combined. Much of the focus of this panel was on the power of community—uplifting one another, coming together in support when, for example, an entire basement full of books is flooded, and unapologetically serving the needs of readers in their communities. From acquiring, to editing, to printing and distributing, these powerhouses of indie publishing shared their experiences and strategies with a roomful of rapt IBPA members.

Karen Pavlicin, founder of Elva Resa Publishing and IBPA Board Chair, and NetGalley’s Kristina Radke.

In addition to the amazing keynotes, panels, and conversations, the IBPA also celebrated NetGalley’s own VP of Business Growth, Kristina Radke, who has now completed two terms on the IBPA Board of Directors. Congratulations, Kristina!

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