I Tried NetGalley as an Indie Author so YOU Don't Have to... But seriously...

Just remember, 3/5 is still over the 50% mark, so above average :)

My favorite review was 4/5 stars from a person who publicly reviewed something in the neighborhood of 170 books and had an average review of 2.6 stars. Still makes me teary eyed

Im not sure if you planned your review this way. One of your last sentences was that you could look at the reviewers profiles to determine how many starts they normally gave out. Thats some very important info, maybe add that towards the front half. Overall great review, ive never heard of NetGally before. Im a unpublished fantasy wannabe author. Im thinking ill use the site. Again, gr8 stuff, thanks.

Thank you Bethany for sharing your experience with NetGalley. I echo the others that 3 stars is pretty good! Whenever I've read stuff, giving a book 3 stars usually means it's something that I've enjoyed. 4 stars are books that I'm thinking of re-reading in the future, and 5 stars is for those that I know I will definitely re-read again. Based on your experience I'm now intrigued to try it (once I have a finished work anyways so that might still be quite far into the future lol). With my day job as a scientist, getting tough reviews is a given so I think I've sort of developed a thick skin for that, but the honesty in the feedback is something that I think is worthwhile getting.

I'm almost exclusively an audio book Reviewer.

But this is a fascinating side to hear. I'm so interested in your side. I've never thought about the fact that authors have to PAY. That's interesting, it makes sense. But I'm shocked I didn't think about it sooner.

Have you looked into Book Siren? It seems to be similar. I signed up a few months ago and have post pub ARC'd 1 book so far. The other ARCs have been through fb.

I haven't had a book to review yet, but I have an Etsy shop. The standard goes like this: 5 stars is you got your item in a timely fashion and it is as pictured. 4 stars is maybe it broke but the seller is a good person. Then 1 star is you didn't get the item OR the reviewer is actually unreasonable. Some reviews will be confusing-- like the 4 star people who had a great experience but NEVER give 5 stars for personal arbitrary reasons, or people who give reviews without talking to me first about their problem. I was bummed last week because a customer I absolutely bent over backwards for left only a rating. It was 5 stars, but I literally made a new sewing pattern and spent large chunks of time communicating with this customer. I wish I had tips on overcoming this, because I'm people please-y, too, but the only advice I can give is that people just be people, but I suspect you already know this <3

Once again very helpful. Because of the mistake you made by not following the advice of the Co-op, I would suggest you try it again but operate based on what you have learnt. As a first time author, I will definitely give it a go.

Thank you for the informative video! Quick question, is it considered acceptable for authors to share reviews on social media? Do you have to ask the reviewer permission first? Obviously I wouldn’t want to share the bad ones but I might want to share the good and I’m wondering what the common curtesy is!

Reedsy does much the same thing and that is also very sus. At best you get a gludgy review by a faux expert claiming an MA in literature. Fiction writers do not write for faux academics, so if you pay for a faux academic review you will get what you deserve.

This was such a great documentation of your experience. I think I'm going to do this as I'm a debit author this fall. Are there other places like this? Have you ever applied for a Kirkus review?

Thank you so much for sharing! Netgalley is something I have considered, and I think I am officially convinced I will hold off for now lol. I would be interested to see what happened if you tried it again after implementing what you've learned about how to choose your reviewers, but I totally understand if that's not something you're interested in after such an emotional experience.

Would this be similar to Book Sirens?

Everyone's rating system is different. I had someone say they loved my book, had no negative comments but they gave it 4 stars so I was like ".....What didn't you like? What made it not 5 stars??" Like so confused lol. My star rating is
⭐ hated it
⭐⭐ didn't really like it
⭐⭐⭐ enjoyed it, cute read
⭐⭐⭐⭐ really enjoyed it, solid read!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ incredible! Loved it! Read it, everybody!!
So idk if that helps. It's hard when two readers say the exact opposite! Usually I just go with the positive person😂

This might be a little late but personally, I have a different rating system for ARC books and books I read for personal enjoyment. For ARC books I tend to rate them on the basis of whether it is subjectively a good book or not (like does it have realistic characters, a good plot, worldbuilding, and themes? Is it easy to read? etc.) So those books tend to be rated higher since there isn't too much I can complain about for those things even if the book isn't for me. When I read books for personal reading, they tend to be rated lower.

My personal rating system is like this:

1 Star - Hated it (very few books get this rating)
2 Stars - Dislike it

3 Stars - Okay book
4 Stars - Liked it (most books get this rating)
5 Stars - Absolutely adored it, one of my favourite books ever (very few books get this rating)

Hope that helps!

I watched other videos on this subject and decided it is not worth it. You get professional reviewers with extremally high standards that will read your book even though it may not be their genre. Best opinions are from people who love the genre you write in. What a librarian may hate, they may love, so NET GALLEY is not for me. I would cry for days for having so many 3 stars, and those people said they liked it, so... NG is for people with steel nerves and deep pockets. I would rather hear from my readers. Hugs to you for going through this tough experiment.

I just got netgalley as a reviewer as I have my own Bookstagram and I love the idea. However, there's of course responsibility with it because if I request a book I definitely will read it within 2 weeks and I'm aware that this is expected from me. I feel like that if a book doesn't need to be requested, some users might grab it to read it whenever - the timeline doesn't feel as strict potentially. What I find really odd is giving a 3 star rating and only writing positive aspects. I read books that I enjoyed and gave 3 stars because of certain things like the writing style. However, if that's the case, the reviewer should definitely go into detail why it's 3 stars and how they didn't rate it higher. I feel like that's very helpful for authors but also makes the review more trustworthy. I totally get why a 3 star rating only with positive content makes you confused.

Bethany, thank you so much for this video. I'm going to be submitting my new book to NetGalley and this has made me a lot more comfortable about how to approach it. You've answered a lot of questions for me.

I've used it. The thing is that trad vs indie bias is a thing. We don't necessarily get breaks where a trad book would, ie, random typos. So, I presume if it's a 3 star, and they give me a raving review, presumably they have an issue with my prose, or there is a freaking typo.

I like this. Don't beat yourself up. Think of it as a great way to improve, if anything. You reached outside your comfort zone and that's always a fantastic way to grow as an author. Look at it like this, your target audience gave you 4 star reviews which is fantastic. Those not in your typical genre gave you 3 star reviews, which to many, is average or slightly above. Think of it like this, a steak eater giving a vegetarian dish a 3 star review is a compliment to the chef. It's not something they normally eat but it is something they tried and genuinely liked.

Omg I adore you and this video! I love seeing the authors side


I’m a reviewer not an author, and I’ve reviewed on Netgalley for about 3 years now??? And I’ll say a 3 star is an enjoyable read for me, it wasn’t perfect and needs improvement, but it’s average and enjoyable! A 3 star is by no means a bad book.

Also I’d like to add, your reviewers did a very bad, unjustifiable job reviewing your book. They have no clear reasons as to why they disliked it, or the issues they had with the world building like they should have. This is why I believe Netgalley should have a minimum on sentence requirements and ask questions - too many people use it to get free books and are unprofessional. I’m inclined to agree with you friends somewhat, that people just wanted a free book. But I’m even more inclined to agree that in my experience with fellow reviewers - too many of them are not well written, have no experience in reviewing or the drive to do it well. It’s a oversaturated community now with a lot of people who think one sentence is a proper review. All in all, I hope in the future you get access to better reviewers. Don’t feel too bad - it’s likely the reviewers weren’t that good - as opposed to your actual book.


Also: as someone with a 20% review rate until recently because I got VERY sick for 3 months and came back to like 50 approvals - I can promise you unless it’s Macmillan (they hate me LMAO they never approve) most top publishers didn’t care about my approval and/or waited for me to get it back up and then approved - never denied me them.

After reading what they support on their front page I won't even consider using netgally.

Bethany, with all your due respect, being a people pleaser will never work for me. Having said that, we have different outlooks in writing. If someone likes my writing and wants to come aboard and enjoy the ride, good!but if not, that's Ok. I'm so glad you have exposure and wish you all the success in the world!

Thank you for your openness and honesty in this video. You captured the way many of us authors feel when we receive reviews.

Why would they cut off books on the last week?? Have heard really nothing great about Netgalley.

This was a great video that all newbies should watch; it is the honest emotional side of being an indie author. We want reviews, but ... We pour our hearts and souls into what we writre, it's like having a new child in the family. We want people to enjoy the experience we give them, but as an author we need to remember that a review is of our book, not us. Bethany hits the nail on the head on this point. Each and every review, good or bad is an emotional experience for the author. We want all five stars and for the readers adore our books, and emotionally, us. Our book was awesome and we're awesome. Unfortunately, that's not how the world works. Some people are mean, some are harsh and some are wonderful. Bethany is warning us, telling us to be prepared for that range of emotion. So much of what she describes I have felt. This was a great video. Is it about NetGalley - yes. It is lso definitely an honest sharing of an honest experience. Like I said, newbies should all prepare yourselves for heartache and elation. I'm ten years into my craft and my journey as an indie author, and I am so happy that I saw this today. I somehow feel I am not as alone on this journey we writers all share because there is another kindred soul out there we, I can, relate to. Writing is sometimes solitary. Do my family and friends really understanf us? This makes my day, and now I'm back at work invigorated for that next meh review. If you want love and adoration for your writing, do what I do. I read all my books to my dog, McDougall. He loves everything I write, especially around mealtime. He tells me I get 10 stars out of five, though truthfully I think he just wanrs a treat. Great job, Bethany.

I'm a debut writer and this is Very helpful, thank you for sharing!

I just heard about this in a Facebook group and am thinking about doing it for my debut fantasy romance novel. The other author mentioned they only approved accounts that gave good ratings, I hadn't thought much about that but now that I've seen your video I can see why this would be so important! Thanks for sharing Bethany! Such good information.

You said, “ After reading my reviews, the people pleaser in me is broken and confused.”…I totally relate. :)

“I loved the story” 3 Star…, “I found the writing to be rushed” 5 Star…, “Vigilante Justice, I find offensive!”…5 Star, “An amazing read” 3 Star. HUH??????

My attitude and approach is this…I love to cook and most of the time (like book creation) my food is vey good (4 Star) to great(5 Star) but sometimes (but rarely) I get carried away with herbs, spices and salt (2-3 Star).

So, I had made this AMAZING Bolognese Sauce (code for a meaty pasta sauce) and gave it to a friend who loves to eat but never has much to say about anything. He never said anything about what he thought about the sauce. The people pleaser in me wanted to know so I asked him, in person, “what did you think of my sauce? He shrugged his shoulders and said, Hmmm, it was okay”…:(.

Needing to know why it was a 2-3 Star (the people pleaser in me and my interpretation of a Star value) I asked, “will you please tell me why you didn’t like it?” His reply was, “what do you mean, it was the best sauce I’ve ever had. So good I licked off the plate.”…….HUH?

Lesson here, as you pointed out…everyone has a value system of their own and a Star Rating and descriptive choices of words are unique to every single person (reviewer).

So…I strive to make the very best content, with the best freshest ingredients (that I believe will make it all come together) to be amazing….just remember, some love spice and salt and others loved bland and mild.

NOTE TO SELF….”You can’t be everything to everyone, so stop trying and just do the very best you can with the ingredients you’ve got” “But really try to use less salt…really!”

Enjoyed your video, thanks! Happy Holidays.

C W Atlas ( pen name)

Thank you.

Since you mentioned it in the vid, I'm both a writer and a reviewer. I try to stick to the books written by people either long parted from this world or make too much money to care what I think lol

Thank you for traumatizing yourself for our benefit. As a new fantasy indie author, I shall learn well from this wisdom 😄

⭐⭐⭐ is average. 😉

I'd take any review at the moment, even a 'one star, I hate it' review.

Thank you so much for being honest and helping us newbs’s out!

Thank you for sharing your experience! Good luck and don't give up!

I got better reviews on booksirens. Not sure if I would use netgalley again as they don't seem to like my writing while others do. And it was about 20 reviews from each site

Hi Bethany, The way I rate it is: 5 Stars—excellent book like Harry Potter; 4 Stars—better than average, but not to J.K. Rowling's level; 3 Stars— Average or OK read, has some room for improvement; 2 Stars— Below Average—probably boring, predictable, or uninteresting characters/plot; 1 Star— Hated it, might not have finished it.

I've used Netgalley three times. Every time was a complete waste of time and money. The reviews show up on Netgalley, but almost never make it to Amazon. IMHO, reviews posted on NetGalley alone are worthless. I don't recommend Netgalley.

Thanks for making such good video, it's very informative and i also like the personal/emotional layer of it

Always write for yourself first. No matter how many positive or negative reviews you get, all that matters is that you are satisfied with the work.

I think it's misleading that you can approve people based on their review rating
I can see the meaning in e.g. approving based by genre, finished books and like that

Great n Honest information. Thank you for this ❤

I got on net galley as a reviewer 10ish days ago, I already got approved for 4 books, I'm only 10% through of them. To be absolutely honest, I didn't expect to be approved with my fresh account, that's why I applied to so many books back to back. I was like 'maybe one will choose to approve me' after watching this video, I feel the urgency to finish reading them. But I feel like I can't be too harsh now bc you guys are sitting there reading it. Pls don't guilt trip us to being nice when we feel something is not good or mediocre. Speaking of, 3 stars means mediocre not bad. It means it could be improved. But as you said, no one can please every single person. So please don't sit there and read the reviews 😢 to improve your book, I guess authors have other teams,no? Like the manager or the publisher, I don't know. Anyways, I'll go and read my books now 😅

I was in the Air Force and we used a ten point rating system to accompany a bullet list of accomplishments. Ten was supposed to be reserved for exceptional “Airmen of the Year” types, but there was no way to enforce it, and it became inflated, because people are subjective. A five that was intended to mean average became a career ender, so the vast majority were tens.
They cut back to a five point system: same thing. Until you involve A.I. to gage feedback on content and discern both reviewer skill and develop metrics based off of keyword use in the feedback, the star ratings will be misleading.
In the mean time, I would provide a survey checkbox so all reviewers evaluate the same things: “How unique were the character’s personalities?” 1. They all sounded the same … 10. They were distinct with different thoughts, preferences, and voice. Address all major points: Plot, tension, pacing, believability, motivation, goals, immersive readability, writing mechanics, writing craft (writer’s voice), climax, resolution, etc. This gives a solid range of choices on a set of primary story structure, so you are comparing apples to apples. A.I. assigns stars based on actual metrics. The only way you get an overall 2 is if all categories were 2’s. But getting a 10 has the same limitation. This would make getting extremely bad or extremely good ratings rare and more meaningful.
Only then do you add your feedback thoughts on subjective open-ended questions: “What did you like best?”, “What’s your overall impression?”
If the reasoning doesn’t match the checklist it is illogical and the author accepts or rejects it. If it logically matches, it’s automatically approved. The system could still be played, but it would be rare.

"The bad stuff is easier to believe." -Vivian, AKA Pretty Woman. SO TRUE!

Do you recall why it was recommended to launch in the middle of Your netgalley month?

hi Bethany,

Thank you for this intensive look into NetGalley. I'm considering it for the second book in my series. I went with Voracious Readers for the first book, and although 20 people chose to read it, I received possibly one review. I'm not sure who posted it on Amazon. your real emotion was refreshing. I appreciate you sharing your stats and warnings with us. Since I belong to a co-op, I probably will pay the Now $60 for the month. thanks again. Margo

Hi, Bethany! Thanks so much for this video--super informative. So a couple of things.
1) That 7-day cutoff before archive date drove me up a WALL. So stupid. I pitched a fit with NetGalley (and I'm sure other publishers did too), and they've changed it to three days, which I think is more than enough time for people who've been approved to download the ARC.
2) Thanks for that mention about the notification emails. I just changed the upload form so you can put that you don't want notifications. Reviews really are the devil. Sorry you had such a rough time with yours.
3) Absolutely agree with what you said. I never recommend Read Now, and I tell people to not be shy about declining requests. I actually came up with an analogy. Imagine your book is your child and you're trying to set them up on a date. Are you going to feel bad about not giving a thumbs-up to a drug dealer or a guy who has no plans but living at home forever? No. You don't want that for your kid. You don't want that for your book either. 😆
4) I think an impression is when they actually clicked to your book's page, though I could be wrong. Then clicked to read would be requests. NetGalley stats are a bit of a mystery, though they do have a very extensive help section.

Thanks again for the shout-out. I really appreciate it. 🙂 Hope you had a great release!