It wasn't until this year I learned about NetGalley - and I don't know how I managed to avoid hearing about it for so long! But it took even longer for me to sign up, because my TBR has gotten entirely out of hand.
However, one of my goals for next year is to save money by not buying as many physical books - my bookshelves are overflowing and unfortunately, my apartment is too small to add in another shelf. And NetGalley seemed like a way to really work towards that goal! Between the fact the website is free, and the books are all ebooks, it's a great way for me to meet my goal. Plus ARCs (advanced reader copies) means I get to read and review the books before they come out, which I have always found to be a fun thing to do.
Signing up for NetGalley is easy - all you need to do is go to their homepage, make an account, and write a little blurb about your book reading goals, and confirm your email. I honestly was embarrassed at how easy it was to sign up, because of how long I had put it off since I first learned about it.
From there, I found it to get a little overwhelming.
With many of the major publishers and imprints affiliated with the website, there are a lot of books that readers have the option to request. My first move was to search for some of the big releases I was excited about, just to see if they would be available. However, the sheer amount of books available to request was incredibly overwhelming. Both mainstream and indie presses use the website, and while you can sort books by publisher, it still can be hard to find the exact books you're looking for. I found the user interface to be a little hard to navigate, and I will admit, I still haven't fully figured it out yet. It can be helpful to sort by your favorite genres, however, if you like popular genres, there will still be a lot of options out there.
There are two things that help you get the books you request on NetGalley: your biography and your feedback ratio. Your biography needs to be detailed: explain why you want to be a book reviewer, where you will post your reviews, and who your favorite authors are. Publishers will be more likely to give you access to their books if your biography shows them you are likely to love it. However, your feedback ratio is the other big thing they look at. This is how many books you have been accepted for and how many you have given reviews to. As a result, it's important to read and review any books you have been accepted for. Unfortunately, you do start at 0% - which is not as scary as it sounds! Many indie authors have instant approvals on their books, so finding a few indie books you're interested in and reviewing them is a way to get your ratio up quickly! NetGalley recommends an 80% or higher approval rate, but I have heard of some publishers wanting higher than that, just to make sure their books get reviewed.
Overall, despite being overwhelmed by the interface, I am excited to start my NetGalley adventure, find new books, and spotlight new authors! And the fact it'll also save me money? Well, that's just a win-win.