Not sure which NetGalley Promotion is right for your book? We’ve put together a playlist of short videos to walk you through your options — no reading required! Watch the full playlist here, or jump straight to the video you need below.
Budget-Based Recommendations
Not sure where to start? This 1-minute video breaks down our top picks by budget, so you can find the right mix of promotions no matter what you’re working with. Watch: Budget-Friendly NetGalley Promotions
On-Site Promotions Overview
Meet readers where they’re already browsing. This 30-second video offers a quick overview of our on-site placements — Featured Titles, Category Spotlights, Dashboard Spotlights, and more — all designed to boost discoverability for your book. Watch: NetGalley On-Site Marketing: Maximum Visibility
Email Promotions Overview
Our email promotions put your title directly in front of highly engaged NetGalley members and trade professionals. This 30-second video breaks down the options, from Newsletter placements to Dedicated eBlasts. Watch: NetGalley Email Marketing: Reach Readers Directly
Dedicated E-Blast Overview
Get unmatched campaign customization and reach a highly engaged audience — U.S. eBlasts average a 53% open rate. In just 2 minutes, learn all the ways you can customize your eBlast to include multiple books and/or audiobooks, various CTAs, and a custom target list. Watch: Dedicated eBlasts: Take Control of Your Title Marketing
Real Results from Real Campaigns
When Blackstone Publishing ran a Read Now Spotlight Newsletter promotion for The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse by Heather Morris, the results spoke for themselves. On the first day the newsletter went out, the campaign generated over 3,500 impressions and nearly 850 requests. By the end of the week, downloads topped 1,000.
“We were incredibly happy with the fantastic results of our Read Now Spotlight promotion for The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse by Heather Morris. In just one week, the campaign generated over 1,000 downloads!” – Rachel Sanders, Director of Marketing, Blackstone Publishing
Looking for a 30-second Breakdown of All Promotions? Look no further!
Start here for the big picture. In 30 seconds, this video walks through the full lineup of NetGalley Promotions — on-site, email, and beyond — so you can see at a glance where your title could get extra visibility. Watch: NetGalley Promos: Powerful Marketing for Your Books
Pictured are Theresa DeLucci, Saga’s director of marketing and publicity; A Forsaken Prophecy author Stacey McEwan; publicity manager Christine Calella; and publicist Karintha Parker.
Every author and publisher (and bookstore!) dreams of having a book that’s in such high demand that people have a moment to yearn for their very own copy.
Recently, the team at Saga Press embraced that reality with a sense of humor. At San Diego Comic-Con, they wore t-shirts reading “We’re sorry we declined your NetGalley Request forA Forsaken Prophecy“—a playful nod to the thousands that were eager to get their hands on the book.
One of the most common questions the NetGalley team gets is, “Won’t my readers be upset if I decline their request?” And the answer is, well… sometimes. But, for many publishers, declining requests is a necessary part of the ARC process depending on how many free/review copies they are able to offer. We know that readers’ enthusiasm is something to celebrate, and something you can continue to nurture with these strategies:
Declining Doesn’t Have to End the Conversation
NetGalley is designed to help publishers put advanced copies into the hands of the readers who are a strong fit to advocate for that particular book, which often means making difficult approval decisions based on the audience that reader can reach, or their reviewing history.
While most members understand that not every request will be approved, they also appreciate transparency, kindness, and opportunities to stay engaged with the book.
To continue the conversation, publishers can craft a thoughtful decline message, which directs readers what to do next. For highly anticipated books, a custom decline message may point readers to where they can pre-order the book, follow the author on social media, or even contain a registration link to an event or signing for the author. A thoughtful decline today can still become tomorrow’s sale, review, or recommendation.
Give Readers Another Way to Engage
If you’re declining someone’s request for a DRC, offer another opportunity to engage with the book or author. All NetGalley titles come with a Detailed Activity Report containing the contact information of every person who was declined (when opted-in), making it easy to connect with engaged readers, even if you aren’t able to provide them with an early copy.
For example, you might invite them to:
Download “extras”, like bookmarks, teaching guides, or book club kits
Read an excerpt or access an interview by the author
Follow the author on social and/or attend an upcoming author/bookstore event
Watch a video filmed by the author made especially for NetGalley members
These tactics continue to build anticipation for the book while readers wait for it to go on sale, and hopefully create a fan from your efforts to engage along the way.
Send Them to Booktrovert
One of the easiest ways to keep disappointed readers engaged is by pairing your NetGalley listing with a Booktrovert campaign.
When the book is approaching its pub date, run a Booktrovert Sweepstakes to give readers a chance to win a digital copy. Then email the NetGalley members who were declined to encourage them to enter for another chance to get their hands on the book! (When setting up your Booktrovert campaign in just 5 easy steps, you decide how many copies to offer, and fulfillment is all digital and automatic.)
This creates a positive experience instead of a dead end:
“Thanks for your interest in [Book Title]! While we were limited in how many NetGalley requests we could approve, we’d still love to give you another opportunity to read the book. Enter the sweepstakes on Booktrovert before [campaign end date] for your chance to win a free copy!”
It’s a great way to reward enthusiasm while keeping distribution selective.
Declined Today, Dedicated Fan Tomorrow
Many readers—and especially NetGalley members—care loudly! See also: BookTok crying. To help provide context when they aren’t able to get their hands on the hottest new book, we make sure to help members understand why requests aren’t always approved and remind them that a decline is never personal.
We encourage readers to keep supporting the books they’re excited about, whether that’s by pre-ordering, requesting the book from their library, or entering a Booktrovert Sweepstakes if available. When publishers communicate thoughtfully and readers understand the process, today’s disappointed requester can become tomorrow’s biggest advocate.
Utilizing Your NetGalley Word Cloud for GEO, Metadata, and More
When it comes to book marketing, publishers aim to predict and craft the perfect description. But readers may have a different impression of a book’s positioning. The specific, and sometimes unique, ways that readers describe a book give marketers an opportunity to align the messaging so future readers can discover it more easily.
Here are some ways that marketers can use the NetGalley Word Cloud* to ensure SEO and GEO, all while updating keywords and positioning to ensure maximum discoverability for both frontlist and backlist titles.
Support your GEO Strategy
As AI-powered search and discovery tools become more common, understanding reader language is more important than ever.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) focuses on helping AI systems understand and surface relevant content. Unlike traditional keyword optimization, GEO relies heavily on context, sentiment, and natural, more conversational language – making real reader reviews the perfect way to inform your GEO strategy.
Instead of the selling points and key words we’d historically use to try to win a book over to an audience— “New York Times Bestseller,” “10,000 copies sold,” “Being made into a movie,” GEO looks for unique language from online sources to provide the best possible answer for readers’ desires. Reader reviews are those sources of authority and authenticity.
The image to the right is a real life example, showing GEO in action from one of our team members: Prompt: “Can you recommend some books that are close to the City of Brass series? I like the scope, the world building and the fact that the romance is a secondary plot. Must be fantasy, bonus if it’s historical too!”
The Word Cloud tool provides at-a-glance insight into this type of authentic language readers use to describe a book, offering publishers a valuable source of audience-driven terminology. “High fantasy epic”, “multiple viewpoints”, and “Western and Eastern-inspired dragon lore” are all words and phrases that readers may supply. These recurring descriptors are already perfectly suited for AI comprehension, and can help inform book descriptions, marketing copy, and metadata that align more closely with how readers and AI discovery tools understand a title.
When you notice recurring terms in your Word Cloud, make sure they are included in your book description and metadata so AI engines understand this authority from your own website and product pages.
Spot Language Patterns
Publishers often develop metadata, keywords, and marketing copy before a book reaches readers. Once reviews begin coming in, however, readers may describe the book in unexpected ways.
Perhaps a title you’ve positioned as middle grade is actually being described by readers as “YA”. Maybe a mystery title is frequently called “atmospheric” or “twisty.” These “mood words” can reveal which aspects of a book are resonating most strongly with readers.
The Word Cloud makes these patterns easy to spot at a glance, helping you identify audience-generated language that can be updated in your own book metadata to strengthen discoverability efforts.
Give Backlist Titles New Life
Backlist marketing remains one of the biggest opportunities for publishers, but it can be challenging to find the time and resources to devote to a refresh.
The Word Cloud offers an easy way to revisit older titles with fresh eyes. By examining the language readers consistently use, publishers may discover new positioning opportunities, identify overlooked themes, or uncover new connections to current market trends.
For example, a novel published several years ago may contain themes or tropes that have become significantly more popular since its release. Updated keywords can highlight those connections, and help retailer algorithms surface your backlist title more frequently.
The NetGalley Word Cloud
NetGalley reviews provide more than social proof. They offer direct insight into reader perception, and the Word Cloud distills this insight into easy-to-use data.
Available for all NetGalley subscription clients, the Word Cloud appears on the Title Feedback page once a title has received sufficient review activity. Publishers can also download a Word Cloud Report to explore the complete list of reader-generated keywords and their frequency, which is easily sharable. Read more about where to find this tool in your account here.
* The NetGalley Word Cloud gives publishers a quick, easy-to-use snapshot of the words that appear most frequently in member reviews. Generated from real reader feedback, the Word Cloud highlights the language readers naturally use when discussing a book, helping publishers better understand audience perception and uncover new opportunities for discoverability.
Key Takeaways for Publisher Strategy and Community Engagement
The American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference remains a cornerstone event for the publishing ecosystem. Drawing nearly 15,000 total attendees this year, the show floor provided a vital barometer for current library needs and emerging digital discovery trends.
For the NetGalley team, our time in the exhibit hall offered direct, face-to-face feedback from a cross-section of library professionals, ranging from academic researchers to school and public library directors.
“Connecting with the library community at ALA Annual is always a highlight, but this year felt especially critical,” says Tarah Theoret, Vice President of Community Growth & Engagement at NetGalley. “Librarians are navigating tighter budgets and shifting industry dynamics, and they need reliable digital tools to work efficiently. Our goal is to ensure NetGalley remains the trusted ecosystem supporting their daily workflows and connecting their local communities with books.”
Looking back at those conversations, a few clear trends stand out that can help publishers shape their marketing and galley strategies for the year ahead.
1. Digital Galleys are Essential for Budget-Strapped Libraries
As shifts in the industry make physical advance review copies (ARCs) more exclusive or difficult to obtain, library workers are increasingly relying on digital review copies (DRCs) to sustain their pipelines. Librarians emphasized that NetGalley has evolved from a supplemental discovery platform into an essential tool for collection development and fiscally responsible purchasing decisions.
“…I use [my NetGalley account] as a resource for purchasing printed materials… My community is well-read; therefore, I discuss with my Cataloguer and Acquisitions Manager at length the materials we purchase on a limited budget.”
— Shelia Harris, Director, Enterprise Public Library
The Publisher Takeaway: Ensuring your upcoming titles are listed on NetGalley well ahead of publication doesn’t just drive consumer buzz—it directly influences institutional purchasing behaviors during crucial budget cycles, and allows you to easily pitch for industry reviews in outlets like School Library Journal.
2. Bridging the Gap Between Professional Discovery and Patron Engagement
One of the most enthusiastic responses at our booth centered on resources that extend beyond individual professionals to their wider communities. Librarians immediately noted that specialized assets like NetGalley’s Book Club Kits are natural fits for their local programming.
Furthermore, librarians were thrilled that they could share Booktrovert.com, our reader-facing platform, with their patrons to combat summer reading slumps via daily literary games and ebook giveaways. In fact, some institutions have already integrated Booktrovert directly onto their public-facing websites to expand patron discovery options.
3. Driving Professional Workflows and Industry Recognition
Conversations on the floor highlighted just how deeply integrated NetGalley remains within influential, high-level library workflows. We connected with power-users from major institutions, including program specialists at the Library of Congress who noted widespread internal reliance on the platform, and academic reference librarians who utilize NetGalley to evaluate titles for major industry distinctions, such as the LibraryReads list, the Newbery Awards, and the newly formed ALA Outstanding Comics Awards.
School librarians also detailed how they rely heavily on NetGalley to coordinate and fuel curriculum-based book spotlights across entire school districts. This level of engagement reinforces NetGalley’s position as a foundational workflow hub for the gatekeepers, award committees, and tastemakers of the library world.
Looking Ahead
The library market remains a powerful, driving catalyst for organic book discovery, high-stakes industry recognition, and long-term institutional sales. The insights gathered from our time at ALA Annual reinforce that when publishers make their titles accessible to library professionals, they are positioning their books directly in front of the industry’s most influential tastemakers.
Moving forward, NetGalley and Booktrovert will continue to leverage these insights to optimize how we support both sides of the aisle. For our publisher clients, this means continuing to refine account verification workflows (such as validating professional ALA ID credentials) to ensure your digital review copies are consistently reaching verified library buyers and committee voters. For the broader reading community, we are excited to expand our consumer engagement strategies, making it easier than ever for libraries to seamlessly connect their patrons with the books they love.
Thank you to everyone who visited us in the booth. We are already looking forward to expanding our presence, deepening our vital industry collaborations, and bringing even more impactful engagement to ALA Annual 2027!
Tarah Theoret, Sidney Thompson, and Darcy Piedmonte at ALA Annual, 2026
NEWBURYPORT, MA (June 23, 2026)—One year ago, NetGalley LLC debuted Booktrovert.com with a vision: to modernize consumer book marketing by bridging the gap between publishers and everyday readers. Today, as the platform celebrates its first anniversary and the launch of the inaugural “Booktrovert Day,” that vision has successfully evolved into a powerhouse consumer discovery engine.
Since its launch on June 23, 2025, Booktrovert has fulfilled its original promise to provide a standalone, consumer-facing destination that complements the professional reach of NetGalley—the industry standard for digital galley distribution and early reviews with nearly 1 million active members globally. In its first year, Booktrovert has amassed nearly 70,000 registered users (93% with completed profiles) who have already claimed over 58,000 ebooks thanks to its popular giveaways. Publishers of all sizes—from Big 5 to university presses—along with savvy indie authors have booked over 380 Booktrovert campaigns to broaden their reach, increase pre-orders and backlist sales, and grow reader mailing lists. To date, Booktrovert has 9 published case studies in partnership with Forever (Abby Jimenez), Berkley Publishing Group (Lucy Jane Wood), William Morrow (Karin Slaughter), Simon & Schuster (William J. Mann), Harper360 (Evie Woods), Alcove Press (Andrea Jo DeWerd), W.W. Norton in partnership with Allstora (Phil Melanson), and more.
The company has established a seamless, full-funnel approach to book marketing: first gain early reviews and trade awareness on NetGalley, and then spark consumer excitement and sales via Booktrovert. This dual-platform synergy allows publishers and authors to build meaningful momentum by reaching industry professionals and everyday consumers simultaneously, ensuring that buzz created pre-publication flourishes long after launch.
“We felt we had a clear mandate born from direct industry feedback: to create a consumer-facing marketing destination that provides publishers with secure, robust digital fulfillment tools they trust. It’s been exciting to see early adopters successfully leverage Booktrovert for urgency marketing, backlist revitalization, and high-impact event activations—all without any administrative headache,” said NetGalley President Lindsey Lochner. “Publishers and authors appreciate the easy and fast setup (in fact, 29% of campaigns so far were booked just 48 hours in advance) and fulfillment is all automatic, instant, and completely digital—no shipping required!”
“It’s been heartening to see how enthusiastically our community of readers has embraced Booktrovert,” said Tarah Theoret, NetGalley’s VP, Community Growth & Engagement. “We’re proud to see book lovers of all kinds connecting with the Booktrovert identity, and their input is truly helping to shape the experience from the start.”
Booktrovert’s success validates NetGalley’s “listen, then build” approach to innovation. Over the last 12 months, the platform has evolved to deepen user engagement and provide enhanced insights for publishers:
Expanded Campaign Types: In September 2025, Booktrovert introduced Sweepstakes, allowing readers to enter for a chance to win limited-quantity ebooks, complementing the existing limited-time Giveaways.
The Booktrovert Arcade: In March 2026, the platform expanded its interactive games with “Plotlines” (a word-connection game based on book plots) and “Cover Snap” (a daily cover art jigsaw puzzle). Already those two games have been played over 44,500 times, joining community favorites “Bookish Bingo” and “Shelfie Showcase.”
Advanced Book Discovery and Tracking: The Booktrovert Library underwent major upgrades, allowing users to organize books into custom stacks and collections, and in April 2026, a highly customizable List View for spreadsheet lovers. The site also added a “Find Books” advanced search with dedicated full-page book profiles (featuring trade reviews), and the ability to rate books with nuanced quarter-stars.
Data Import Capabilities: To help readers consolidate their reading lives, Booktrovert launched a beta Import tool, allowing users to seamlessly transfer their book histories from Goodreads, StoryGraph, or a custom CSV file directly into their Booktrovert Library.
Revamped Basic Reporting, Plus Built-In Event Insights with Detailed Analytics: Every Booktrovert campaign includes transparent, easy-to-digest stats to help clients understand performance and ROI. Plus, Booktrovert is tailor-made for events and consumer shows—especially high-demand events like BookCon, where Booktrovert saw massive engagement in April 2026 by distributing private ebook giveaways in-booth and further extending reach post-show with online sweepstakes. Publishers like Boom! Studios and Penguin Young Readers Group have used Booktrovert to bring digital copies to fan events like New York Comic Con and Imaginarium Book Festival, and a recent collaboration with Reading Rhythms, Grand Central, and Little, Brown offered Booktrovert ebook giveaways to their app subscribers to widen reach beyond their in-person events.
Booktrovert Day on June 23, 2026 is an annual holiday for readers to celebrate a “Day in the Life of a Booktrovert.” Readers, authors, and creators, and fans are encouraged to share a snapshot of their unique reading lifestyle, using custom 70s pop art scrapbook-style digital stickers and social templates alongside the official hashtags #BooktrovertDay and #DayInTheLifeOfABooktrovert.
For Booktrovert Day, the NetGalley team has partnered with book influencers and authors across Instagram and TikTok and are offering free, extra promotion for publishers who have Booktrovert giveaways or sweepstakes starting on June 23.
Any NetGalley client—whether a subscription or pay-per-title client—looking to reach U.S. readers can purchase Booktrovert campaigns directly within their NetGalley account.
NetGalley is the industry standard for digital galley distribution and book marketing. Nearly 1 million book advocates and trade professionals rely on NetGalley’s secure, sustainable platform to discover new titles, share reviews, and champion literacy worldwide. With a global presence spanning the US, UK, Germany, France, and Japan, NetGalley is the bridge between authors, publishers, and the world’s most influential readers. To learn more, visit www.netgalley.com.
Booktrovert, created and powered by NetGalley, amplifies these efforts by driving consumer discovery through a sleek, reader-centric experience. Blending publishing expertise with interactive engagement—including ebook giveaways and bookish games—Booktrovert brings stories to life for a dedicated consumer audience. To learn more, visit www.booktrovert.com.
As part of the Firebrand Group (owned by Media Do International), the NetGalley team provides publishers with the strategic consultation, training, and targeted promotions needed to succeed in an evolving marketplace.
As we mark our official first anniversary and debut the inaugural Booktrovert Day on June 23, 2026, we are proud that our original vision has evolved into a powerhouse consumer discovery engine!
Our reader community has embraced Booktrovert, and the data proves that Booktroverts are engaged and enthusiastic! Here’s a look at how our community and platform have grown over the last year:
As a result of our Booktrovert Day celebrations, we gained 10k new users!
Join the Celebration: Booktrovert Day is June 23!
We’re treating Booktrovert’s first birthday like a national holiday for readers! Being a “Booktrovert” means different things to everyone—whether you’re a mood reader, a cozy bookworm, or a late-night page-turner. This campaign is all about celebrating that bookish identity. Visit us on Instagram and TikTok to take part in our #DayInTheLifeOfABooktrovert campaign, where readers, authors, and creators are sharing a snapshot of their unique reading lifestyle using our custom 70s pop art scrapbook-style digital stickers and social templates. Drop your own posts using the official hashtags #BooktrovertDay and #DayInTheLifeOfABooktrovert.
Thank you to our incredible community of readers, authors, and publishers for making Booktrovert’s first year an unforgettable success! Here’s to many more to come—this is just the beginning of our story together.
