Case Study: Leveraging Two Communities for Audience Building, Engagement, and Sales

What happens when you combine the targeted reach of NetGalley with the broad appeal of a consumer giveaway?

In March, NetGalley explored this question by sending a special newsletter featuring 11 Booktrovert giveaway and sweepstakes campaigns. The newsletter encouraged 53,000+ highly engaged NetGalley members to claim an eBook from any of the giveaways, or enter to win the sweepstakes.

By pairing the direct-to-consumer Booktrovert campaigns with the trade reach of a NetGalley newsletter, publishers were able to create new opportunities for both professional reader discovery and consumer engagement. 

NetGalley and Booktrovert work together to extend marketing reach to any audience. 

NetGalley helps publishers generate reviews and nominations, reach trade professionals and influencers, and drive buzz. Booktrovert creates excitement among consumers via urgency-driven giveaways, increases sales and pre-orders, and grows the author’s mailing list.

Together, they create a full-funnel approach to book promotion. NetGalley plants the seeds of interest and advocacy pre-publication, and Booktrovert nurtures the growth at and beyond launch by expanding awareness and engagement. Then, both platforms can be used to keep the momentum flourishing as a book moves into the backlist. 

The results of the newsletter reinforce just how effective this combined approach can be:

The special NetGalley newsletter resulted in more than 8,700 unique clicks to the featured Booktrovert campaigns. In fact, in all 11 cases, engagement with the Booktrovert campaigns experienced noticeable lifts in activity immediately following the newsletter, with some seeing the number of entries increase by more than double after the newsletter was sent out. 

Day one has organic discovery via the Booktrovert Feed and Digest Newsletter, and then a second spike with the added NetGalley Newsletter.

What makes this especially impactful is the context in which these readers are discovering the campaigns. NetGalley members are already primed for book discovery as tastemakers; they’re actively seeking new titles, exploring upcoming releases, and making decisions about what to read or buy next. By introducing giveaways with a lower barrier to entry via newsletter (especially for those who weren’t approved or may have missed the original request window) they now have a second, immediate way to engage. Plus, the reach has also expanded to consumers via the Booktrovert feed and daily digest email. These are readers who may be hearing about your book for the first time.

You might also be familiar with the “I keep hearing about this book!” metric that we collect on NetGalley, and we are firm believers in this principle. The more often an audience hears about a book or sees a creative marketing effort by the publisher, the more likely they are to engage with it. Seeing your book in more than one bookish space increases the likelihood that you’ll convert that person into a buyer!

Ultimately, the multi-pronged approach works because it reflects how readers actually discover books. 

It’s rarely a single moment—it’s a series of reinforcing actions  that create sales velocity and success.

Having your book on NetGalley organically introduces a book to industry professionals and early advocates. A newsletter brings that same title back into focus. Adding a Booktrovert campaign demonstrates ongoing marketing effort to these trade audiences, and offers them an easy way to both act on their own interest and share the opportunity with their own audiences. Each step builds on the last!

By connecting these touchpoints, publishers and authors can create a better path from discovery to engagement to sales.

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NetGalley Promotion or Booktrovert Campaign – Why Not Both?


When publishers are planning their marketing strategy, a common question that we hear is: Should we invest in a NetGalley promotion or a Booktrovert campaign? The short answer is: both, but for different goals. By combining the strengths of each platform, Harper360 created a powerful promotional moment for The Violin Maker’s Secret that reached both industry professionals and general consumers.

Not Familiar With the Difference? Here’s a Quick Rundown

  • NetGalley Promotions reach book trade professionals: librarians, booksellers, reviewers, media, and educators who help build early buzz, reviews, and word-of-mouth.
  • Booktrovert Campaigns reach consumers: readers who are discovering books and deciding what to buy, with flexible calls to action like pre-orders, buy links, sweepstakes and giveaways.

Used together, NetGalley builds influence and advocacy, while Booktrovert captures interest and excitement.


How the Two Platforms Worked Together

On January 27, 2026,  Harper360 arranged aNetGalley eBlast to be sent to nearly 21,400 U.S.-based NetGalley members, spotlighting The Violin Maker’s Secret ahead of its February 24 on-sale date.

In addition to giving NetGalley members the option to request the book, the publisher also drove readers to the Booktrovert landing page from the eBlast’s “Available for Pre-Order” CTA. There, readers could:

  • Learn more about The Violin Maker’s Secret
  • Explore additional Evie Woods titles
  • Choose their preferred retailer via pre-order and buy-now links
  • Share the Booktrovert campaign with their own audiences/general readers

By positioning Booktrovert as the landing page for retail sales, the eBlast extended beyond NetGalley awareness and requests — giving readers a destination that supported multiple actions, all in one place.

But That’s Not All: Booktrovert as a Standalone Discovery Channel


Booktrovert works seamlessly for any special promotions you’re doing for your book (or books) without needing any in-house help to design or create a landing page. Plus, it also functions independently as a discovery destination for readers actively looking for their next great read.

For this campaign run by Harper360, Evie Wood’s books reached almost 15,000 additional readers who clicked in from the daily Booktrovert Digest Newsletter, and resulted in over 2,600 unique campaign clicks from readers looking to learn more. 

A Booktrovert campaign on its own drives visibility and engagement. When added to a corresponding NetGalley promotion, you expand the book’s reach beyond industry audiences and into consumer-first spaces.

When used on its own, Booktrovert supports:

  • Consumer discovery beyond publisher-owned channels
  • Flexible CTAs that meet readers at different points in their buying journey
  • Ongoing visibility throughout the campaign window

When used alongside NetGalley, it becomes a powerful bridge — transforming professional interest into consumer excitement and action.

Create Your Own Booktrovert Campaign

Click the “Booktrovert” tab within your NetGalley account to start using the simple campaign builder! Not yet a NetGalley client? Reach out here to get started!

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Who’s the Audience on Booktrovert.com?

Publishers and authors are using Booktrovert to drive sales through digital giveaways, advertising, and special promotions. So, who makes up the audience interacting with these campaigns?

Booktrovert [book-tro-vert] (noun) A person who turn toward a book... in moments when they want to find joy, connection, escape, reflection, comfort, knowledge, and more. Anyone who loves to get lost in a book, talk about what they're reading, and share their favorite books with their favorite people. You might read 1 book a. year, or 100. Everyone can be a bootrovert.


Only three months since launch, and Booktrovert has amassed approximately 35,000 registered users. Plus, 93% of users have fully completed their profiles, which reveals powerful insights about this audience of readers…  

Booktroverts Read Hundreds of Books per Year

Chart showing number of books read per year by Booktrovert users
Data as of October 6,2025

Booktroverts Love Popular Fiction Categories

Plus, Bios & Memoirs and True Crime are among the popular nonfiction categories

Chart showing categories of interest from Booktrovert users
Data as of October 6,2025

“Booktrovert” isn’t just a cute name. There are so many reasons someone might reach for a book – to find escape or comfort, to learn something new, to understand other perspectives, etc. People who read aren’t just introverts who, by definition, ‘turn inward’, and they aren’t just extroverts who ‘turn outward’. A Booktrovert is anyone who turns bookward… for any reason! 

Only three months since launch, and Booktrovert has amassed approximately 35,000 registered users. Plus, 93% of users have fully completed their profiles.

How we’re bringing more readers to Booktrovert

Booktrovert is designed to ensure that readers come back again and again to see what’s new and interact with publishers’ campaigns and other activities. 

Exciting Campaigns

First and foremost, publishers’ campaigns will continue to drive Booktrovert growth. Exciting giveaways, like the next book from a bestselling author (click below to read the case study!) special pricing promotions like 50% off celebrity book club picks, advertisements for highly-anticipated titles, plus mixed CTAs for a whole series—Sweepstakes (enter to win), Giveaway (claim a copy), and Retail (buy now)—drive new user registrations by incentivizing readers with content they’re voracious for. This targeted engagement and activity will continue to expand the audience on Booktrovert.com, especially as readers and authors post excitedly about the campaigns on social media.

Image showing the Karin Slaughter Booktrovert campaign details
Click to read the case study

Sticky Activities

To ensure Booktrovert is “sticky”, we’ve also introduced games and activities in the Booktrovert Arcade, encouraging readers to create beautiful digital bookshelves with Share a Shelf and play a round of Bookish Bingo as a reading challenge. Booktrovert users can then share their digital bookshelves and bingo boards on social media, where their followers will naturally find their way to Booktrovert to join in. Plus, more interactive activities are coming soon!

Image showing the Booktrovert Arcade page


Custom Library Stacks

Readers can also track their overall reading—even outside of the books they access on Booktrovert—by building their library with custom book stacks. Booktrovert’s curation tools to organize TBR lists offer an alternative to some other well-known platforms, for any readers who may be looking to make a switch! For publishers, see how Booktrovert compares to Goodreads here. We’re collecting ideas from registered users, and we already have plans for enhancements to the tracking tools and even more ways to organize stacks. 

Outbound Advertising

Our acquisition strategy also includes a branded presence at industry events (we’ll be making a splash at BookCon 2026!), B2C advertising and social media campaigns, and partnerships with book influencers. We anticipate that the Booktrovert community and mailing list will grow exponentially in the coming year.

We’re cultivating a community you can activate to fill your sales funnel by reaching any consumer… in parallel, or in conjunction with, the NetGalley community. By creating Booktrovert.com as a standalone website, we are thrilled to offer publishers and authors a streamlined consumer marketing and advertising opportunity to reach the widest audiences, while still retaining the professional community that exists at NetGalley. Learn more about how we launched Booktrovert by leveraging the NetGalley community!

NetGalley Promotion or Booktrovert Campaign?
Learn more about when and why you might promote either . . . or both!

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Exclusive Digital Giveaway to Book Club Members

Overview

Private Campaign, Exclusive to Members of The (Very Gay) Book Club

In July 2025, The (Very Gay) Book Club, curated by NYT bestselling author and “homo historian” Dr. Eric Cervini, offered members an exclusive, free eBook download of Florenzer by Phil Melanson in addition to the hardcover they received as part of the club. The campaign was a collaboration between W.W. Norton, Booktrovert, and the Allstora book club, designed to drive direct engagement with club members.

Campaign Snapshot

  • Audience: ~1,200 Members of The (Very Gay) Book Club
  • Offer: Free eBook of Florenzer via Booktrovert
  • Partners: W.W. Norton, Booktrovert, The (Very Gay) Book Club
  • Length: 7-day exclusive, private campaign

How We Did It

From conception to execution, this campaign took less than an hour!

  1. Planning: Partners collaborated on campaign details and timing.
  2. Setup: W.W. Norton created and scheduled the private campaign quickly & easily, using the Booktrovert campaign builder within their NetGalley account.
  3. Pre-Launch: The (Very Gay) Book Club sent an email prompting members to create a free Booktrovert account ahead of the drop.
  4. Launch Day: Club members received a follow-up email containing a link to the Booktrovert campaign, so they could claim their free eBook (and instantly send it to their Kobo, Kindle, or read online).
  5. Campaign Period: The exclusive private campaign remained active for 7 days, giving club members plenty of time to access their free eBook.
  6. Reminders: Club members received a follow-up nudge on Day 6 to give them a last chance to participate before the campaign ended.

Why It Worked

  • Hyper-targeted audience: The campaign spoke directly to an engaged, identity-driven book club community.
  • Direct, trusted communication: All messaging came from the club itself, boosting open rates and click-throughs.
  • Exclusivity added urgency: Members knew this was a limited-time, members-only perk.
  • Seamless collaboration: Publisher, book club, and platform worked in sync, making the experience smooth for all sides.
  • Data-rich insights: The publisher gained access to engagement metrics and email contacts for easy follow-up.
  • Easy to replicate: The process was lightweight and scalable for future campaigns.

The Results

  • Booktrovert campaign had a 28% click rate
  • 11%* of total book club members claimed a free eBook
  • Booktrovert’s Detailed Analytics offered the publisher and book club host insight into members’ interest in digital fulfillment, demographics of those members, as well as the email addresses of those who participated, making it easy to follow up with them as needed.

Takeaways for Publishers & Authors

Looking to try something similar? 

  • Start with community: Partner with a niche book club, influencer, or membership-based group already talking to your ideal readers, or create your own!
  • Keep it simple: Use existing tools (like your NetGalley/Booktrovert account) to build private, invite-only campaigns.
  • Let them lead: Allow your partner (book club host, curator, influencer) to send the messaging to build trust and drive engagement.
  • Create urgency: Be clear about the window of availability (or number of copies available) to encourage immediate action.
  • Make it measurable: Use campaign data to understand audience behavior and identify warm leads for future outreach.

We’re here to help!

Want to reach niche readers where they already are? Private Booktrovert campaigns help you connect, convert, and cultivate community! Learn more here, or reach out for more info.

*Campaigns that are digital-only (rather than bundled with print) are likely to see a much higher adoption rate!

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Karin Slaughter Frontlist Giveaway: A Masterclass in Urgency Marketing

Campaign Snapshot

Campaign Title: Have a Killer Summer with bestselling author Karin Slaughter
Featured Giveaway: We Are All Guilty Here (North Fall #1)
Backlist Boost: Landing page included 4 backlist titles with links to buy
Bonus Visibility: Promoted to 265K+ Facebook followers

Overview

Giveaway + Retail: New book from one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed storytellers, plus a boost for their backlist!

When you have an author with a loyal following and a buzzy new release, timing and strategy are everything. For bestselling thriller author Karin Slaughter, a limited-quantity Booktrovert campaign helped drive rapid reader engagement and direct traffic to her backlist, while a single Facebook post helped get it in front of an eager built-in audience ready to claim their early copy.

This campaign is a strong example of how Booktrovert can be used to amplify visibility for even the most well-known names in publishing. While it may be easy to assume big-name authors don’t “need” extra exposure, strategic consumer engagement can still deliver clear value, whether it’s building buzz for a new series, reigniting interest in a backlist, or giving loyal fans something exciting to talk about. In this case, a high-impact giveaway not only delighted Karin Slaughter’s audience but also helped turn casual browsers into active readers.

To create urgency and excitement, the team offered 250, first-come first-served eBooks of We Are All Guilty Here, the first book in Slaughter’s new North Fall series. The response? All 250 copies were claimed within minutes, kicking off a wave of buzz, engagement, and click-throughs to her additional titles.

Why It Worked

Countdown Teaser primed the audience
With 265K followers and a compelling offer, Karin Slaughter’s social media post reached readers already eager to engage. The Teaser Countdown ensured her audience would be ready to act the moment the campaign went live, all without additional paid ads or external media support beyond the Booktrovert campaign itself. 

Limited quantity = built-in urgency
By capping the giveaway at 250 copies, the campaign created a strong sense of FOMO, prompting fast action and word-of-mouth sharing.

Advertised more than one book
While We Are All Guilty Here was the featured giveaway, readers were also encouraged to explore more of Slaughter’s backlist through Buy Now links on that same campaign landing page, turning the giveaway into a full author showcase.

Buy Now CTAs for extra impact
Featuring additional books alongside the giveaway ensured that even readers who missed the giveaway still had an opportunity to purchase titles immediately.

The Results

Curious how your results stack up? Check out some benchmarks here: Understanding Your Booktrovert ROI

Takeaway for Publishers

Social-first Booktrovert campaigns can be a powerful tool to drive attention and activate fanbases. Whether you’re launching a debut or supporting an established brand, pairing a limited-quantity or time-sensitive giveaway with social promotion gives readers a reason to click now. Add in a few Buy Now CTAs, and you’re not just giving away one book—you’re driving interest across an entire catalog.

Create Your Own Booktrovert Campaign

Click the “Booktrovert” tab within your NetGalley account to start using the simple campaign builder! Not yet a NetGalley client? Reach out here to get started!

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How Berkley Turned a Backlist Giveaway into Frontlist Momentum

With a second book on the way and excitement building, Berkley Publishing Group saw a timely opportunity to reintroduce readers to Lucy Jane Wood’s magical world. Her debut novel, Rewitched, was described by NetGalley members as “the most cozy, magical, whimsical, swoony, heart wrenching book!” – Jenny L, Librarian—high praise indeed! 

By giving away copies of Rewitched and pairing the campaign with a clear call-to-action to pre-order series follow-up Uncharmed, the publisher created a smooth path from discovery (or rediscovery) to encourage readers to purchase. 

Campaign Performance

If you’re familiar with NetGalley, you know that it’s always been our goal to provide tools and metrics that are designed to dovetail with your current strategies while expanding your reach. Booktrovert is no exception! All Booktrovert campaigns include Basic Reporting, which includes campaign traffic stats and clicks on CTA buttons. Add-on Detailed Analytics give publishers access to the email addresses of giveaway participants, as well as bonus charts, downloadable reports, and even more demographic data! Learn more about Booktrovert reporting here.

Snapshot of campaign engagement

Booktrovert members are active, engaged, and excited!

Why It Worked

Backlist-to-frontlist funnel
Giving away Rewitched (Lucy Jane Wood’s debut) pulled new readers into Wood’s world, which created a natural interest in the upcoming book, Uncharmed. This can be repeated for every subsequent book by the author. 

Pre-launch timing
With three months until publication, the campaign generated buzz from excited readers, and boosted retailer algorithm strength. Plus, with over 200 retail clicks to Wood’s debut, it gave a boost to the series right from the start. 

Harnessing the power of book buyers
Booktrovert’s audience of book lovers and consumers was the perfect fit for this series, driving both interest and intent to buy.

Feed + Email Synergy
68% of views for this campaign came from Booktrovert’s Digest Newsletter. With that email appearing in inboxes 3 hours before the giveaway, excitement is generated early, and encourages return visits to the campaign. 

Lean but effective giveaway
Even with just 50 giveaway copies, the campaign reached tens of thousands of readers. Since giveaway copies tend to go quickly, we recommend offering 100 or more copies so more Booktroverts can have a chance to claim one. Bonus! Once all copies are claimed, the CTA will automatically switch to retail. 

Takeaway for Publishers

You don’t have to wait until the final countdown to drive pre-orders, and you don’t need to worry about giveaways cannibalizing your sales, either. Readers who discover a book through a giveaway often go on to recommend it, review it, or even purchase a copy in another format.

For publishers, a giveaway and pre-order campaign like Berkley’s can serve as a way to build interest and engagement well ahead of a new release, boost retail algorithm strength, and create a fanbase that will be eager for your books long before they hit shelves!

Readers are thrilled to share their excitement about books they’ve claimed.

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