Trends Archives | NetGalley

A guest article written by Ashleigh Heaton of Enchantress Marketing

As book marketers, we’re used to making the moment around a publication date, but jumping on a trend is about meeting the moment. Unlike launch campaigns, trend promotions require more flexibility and fast action. When you see something happening, be ready to jump in: these moments are fleeting.

Stop Chasing Trends: Alright, I know this sounds counterintuitive, but hear me out. Just as every book isn’t right for every reader, not every trend is right for every book. When you see a trend happening, first ask yourself: “Does this connect to my book or audience in an authentic, meaningful way?” If the answer is no, don’t add to the noise. Focus your energy on what actually works, not on chasing trends.

Sentiment Signals: This is a fancy industry term for “checking the vibe”. Signals come in many forms, be it social listening tools, reader reviews, or search aggregate tools. When it comes to trends, the key is to look for patterns: what keeps popping up?

Social listening: One of the most reliable ways to receive live, of-the-moment feedback from readers, especially on Bookstagram and BookTok. While there are plenty of paid options to gather social listening data, you can often do a deep dive yourself by looking through comments, hashtags, and trending formats. Be specific with your query, and always ask a question that you plan to take action on.

Plan Ahead: Some trends can be predicted–or, at least, anticipated. Make a habit of looking at upcoming events, media releases, or cultural beats that are likely to generate conversation. For example, romance publishers should always know when the next season of Bridgerton is set to drop, because it always sparks conversation about the genre (and a viral VSQ meme.) Notice when trends are cyclical or seasonal. For social, have templates on hand for rapid response posting.

Ashleigh Heaton is an accomplished book marketing expert based in New York City and the founder of Enchantress Marketing, a full-service book marketing agency for authors and publishers. With over a decade of experience in Big 5 publishing and 113+ career bestsellers, Ashleigh launched Enchantress in 2026 to bring her bespoke approach to clients both in and beyond the traditional publishing landscape. Fluent in fandom, her expertise and passion range across all things genre, including books with magic, spaceships, vampires, and/or kissing.

Full transcript available here.

Kristina Radke is the Vice President of Business Growth and Engagement at NetGalley, a service that helps publishers and authors promote digital review copies and audiobooks to book advocates and industry professionals, including reviewers, booksellers, librarians, educators, media/journalists, and other book trade professionals. With over 15 years of experience in book marketing, publicity, and client relationships, Kristina joins us on the BookSmarts Podcast to discuss NetGalley’s expansion into the audiobook market, along with trends and strategies for publishers to be aware of when uploading audiobooks to NetGalley.

Data in this podcast is based on audiobooks created on NetGalley.com between July 1 2023 – June 30 2024 unless otherwise noted.

“For audiobooks, the feedback rate is absolutely astounding, we’re seeing about 60% of approved members sending their feedback in after listening to an audiobook.”

Joshua Tallent is an acclaimed teacher and guide on the role of data in publishing, and a vocal advocate for high quality book metadata. In his spare time, Joshua enjoys playing complex board games, playing Minecraft, and fiddling with his 3D printer.