NetGalley’s Book Advocate Toolkit by We Are Bookish
Description: Whether you are already on the NetGalley team -or- you want to join, this toolkit is a Must-Read if you want to be successful. While most of the content was available in various Help articles, you had to look for it. Now it’s been compiled for you. Guidelines, tips, etc., the toolkit is loaded with guidance and especially helpful to Reviewers and Media members.
Review:
Previously, one had to open numerous NetGalley [online] Help articles to find this information. NetGalley offers the toolkit only in PDF because there are links to more information in those Help articles. The toolkit is not the articles combined in a PDF file. Instead, it has the KEY points highlighted with links off to more information. Hint: If you see words underlined, it’s a link.
The Table of Contents is on page 2. Key sections are NetGalley Tips, Book Reviews, Bookish Social Media, and Strategizing. Each of those has four to six topics.
NetGalley has the following types of memberships: Librarian, Educator, Bookseller, Media, and Reviewer. These are clearly & succinctly described on page 6. My role on NetGalley is Reviewer. Note: Team membership is free.
As a Reviewer, what did I expect of this toolkit?
- Profile – turns out your profile is very important for being “accepted” by the publisher to review a book. Page 8 has the key tips with links to more information.
- Feedback Ratio – most newbies don’t quite “get” why this is important. The toolkit’s page 7 has why and how to build your feedback ratio. One suggestion is move the teal color definition from the right of the page to the left. it’s important for new reviewers to know what this means from the start.
- How to Write a Review – From Page 10 to 31 is packed with how-to’s and don’t-do’s for writing AND posting a review. I read all kinds of NetGalley reviews and some reviewers look like they haven’t read any of the help pages (prior to this toolkit). The hint about determining your kind of review is helpful.
- Two things *not* in this section are:
- Don’t try to do all of these platforms at once.
- In fact, you do not have to review on ALL of them. For example, I have chosen not to do Bookstagram (Instagram), TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter. Why? Time. I have another huge “spend lots of time doing” hobby — genealogy. I post my book reviews on this blog, Goodreads, and Facebook specific genres and Amazon. I may create a Book Review page in the future. Remember — I’m still considered a newbie.
- Your reviews will change as you do more. Check my first NetGalley review vs. my latest book review.
- Don’t try to do all of these platforms at once.
- Two things *not* in this section are:
- You won’t think you need page 26, “Content Planning Tips”. Trust me, you will. Suggested items are good–I have used two of them for other things. I actually use Email folders plus NetGalley’s “Your Shelf” as a way to track my reviews. Unread (bolded) messages have not been reviewed. I have separate folders for declined, completed, and to-be-reviewed.
- Speaking of declined, I have 11 declined reviews (I started reviewing for NetGalley mid-Oct last year). Most of those are from one publisher. I did find the little blob on page 8 about learning from declined requests a weak response. However, each publisher lists in their decline the ‘possible’ reasons and it is hard for a reviewer to figure out why.
This toolkit is extremely important to the Reviewer and Media members of the NetGalley team. Highly recommend.
NetGalley’s Book Advocate Toolkit is free from NetGalley for members. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed are my own. Rating: 4.5 stars rounded to 5.
#BookAdvocateToolkit #NetGalley
I had no idea this existed. Great resource – thank you for sharing it!
Ann, It’s new–just posted on the Dashboard on March 8th. You’re right — it’s a great resource for Reviewer and Media members.