I put my closed door romance book, Sparks in Iceland, on Netgalley, and today we’re talking about the results. I’ll also be talking about why I put my book on Natgalley again after a semi-negative experience previously, what I did to make it a positive experience this time around, and the full stats behind how it went and if I’d do it all again!
Try the same co-op I did! Tell Victory Editing I sent you:
Watch my previous video on NetGalley:
0:00 – Intro
3:16 – How long my book was on NetGalley
4:34 – Costs
5:25 – Stats
6:00 – Activity
7:17 – Reason for request
7:57 – Book ratings
8:45 – What I did differently this time
16:57 – The real results
20:02 – Will I use NetGalley again?
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Mandi Lynn published her first novel when she was seventeen. The author of multiple books, Mandi spends her days continuing to write and creating YouTube videos to help other writers achieve their dreams of seeing their books published. Mandi is the owner of Stone Ridge Books, a company that works to help authors bring their books to life through cover design and digital book marketing. She is also the creator of The Book Launch Planner, a planner designed to help authors publish and market their books. When she’s not creating, you can find Mandi exploring her backyard or getting lost in the woods.
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Title: NetGalley for Self-Published Authors: Worth it or Waste of Money?
Search terms: netgalley guide for authors, netgalley for authors, how to get more book reviews
I actually got to read Sparks in Iceland because it was Read Now on NG – loved it and ended up getting 4 of your books for Christmas because of it 🤣
That makes me so happy! Thanks for reading!
I found NetGalley readers are BRUTAL compared to me scouting for an ARC team myself. I did a co-op, so I got what I paid for, which where reviews. I do want to try it again though, just in the future when I am more secure with myself and work.
Haha yeah NetGalley reviewers are HARSH, especially in their rating system.
I’m currently researching ARC sites for my upcoming debut novel. Couldn’t be better timing for your video. Thank you 😊
I’m so glad this came at a good time for you!
Fantastic info and great tips on approving readers. I also have a sweet and clean romance so I’d definitely want people to realize that before reading the book.
I’m so glad it was helpful!
I got a 1-star review once that said: “A quick read, fairly good.” 😆 I think it actually helped the book because people always look at the bad reviews.
You know, you’re probably right lol
Thank you SO much for this video! I plan on using Netgalley for book nine this year, and this was super helpful!
You’re so welcome! I’m glad it was helpful for your plans!
This was great to know. I debated between NG and Booksirens vs. BookSprout. I went with Booksirens just to test the waters before investing in NG because you can also vet your readers and that’s been a real plus for me finding the right fit. I don’t write traditional books, very niche, so I’ve wondered if NG would work there. I’m finding a lot of success though. For my next book I’ll try NG. Your insights are always so helpful.
That’s great to hear your experience with Booksirens and I hope NetGalley works well for you next time!
As a self-pub who did NG, whether or not its worth it depends upon two factors. One, your genre, and two, the word count of your book. In the latter case, asking someone to read an ARC of your 150k epic fantasy, when they have other things to budget their time for, is a tall ask.
Thank you so much for this insight into your NetGalley experience!! I’m in the middle of a NetGalley run myself and im the same… I’d sure do it differently next time! Wish I could have approved/declined readers 😂😅 funny because I write open door and I had the same experience as you in reverse… someone read it and was like “would have been five stars if not for the bountiful sex scenes” 😂 guess they missed the memo too!
If it helps to grab readers attention, generate leads and some sales for the book then it is worth it.
Word of mouth is also real important, it’s hard to get attention for your book if nobody knows it exist !
Thankyou for uploading the video on company’s that do book review.
I didn’t know there was a site for authors to get eyes on their book until you brought it to our attention.
I was looking for a way to spotlight my books when it gets published.
I will definitely check out in the future!
You know you can filter your emails for netgally to go into a seperate folder in your main email. That way you dont need a seperate one.