Ever wonder how or why bloggers do certain things? Me, too. In The Bookwyrm Wonders posts, I get to ask those questions, and you, my lovely friends, get to answer them!
When and how do you give NetGalley feedback? This question has been puzzling me for a while. Is it better to post a review on NetGalley as soon as I write it, which could be weeks before the review goes live on my blog? Or is it better to wait until the review is live? Maybe something in between would be good – a note to the publisher that I will be reviewing it, and then add the review once it posts. But is it even possible to add a review to a NetGalley title after you’ve submitted feedback via a note?
One reason this matters is that NetGalley keeps track of your feedback percentage (i.e., what percentage of the books you were approved of do you actually give feedback for.) The lower your percentage, the worse your chances of being approved for a book.
Here’s what I’m doing currently: Once the review is written and the post is scheduled, I add the review to NetGalley and include a note to the publisher detailing when the post will go live (and pointing out that the link won’t work until then.) The problem with this is that it doesn’t give me any leeway to change the date if I need to make room for, say, a tour. And I always worry that someone will try the link before it goes live, and get annoyed when it doesn’t connect to the review.
So when and how do you post feedback to NetGalley. . . and why did you make that choice?
Bea
Usually I wait until the review is live but if I know I’ll be busy that day I post on NG ahead of time with a note when the link will be live. If they ignore the note and click too early, well, they should have paid attention. 😀 It does present a problem if you have to change the date. Occasionally, I’ll wait and let several accumulate before posting them on NG. That way I know the links will work.
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Thanks, Bea! The date thing is worrisome, because sometimes I do need to shift a post, but it doesn’t happen very often.
kimbacaffeinate
Since I post weeks, months out I always post review to NetGalley after I have it scheduled on blog and add a note with date post will schedule. I provide a link as well. I don’t think I have ever had to move a date once I schedule it.
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Thanks for replying, Kimba! I knew you post way ahead, so I was particularly interested in seeing your response. That’s what I’ve been doing. I’m glad to know you haven’t had to change any post dates. I’ve only done it once or twice, so probably I could arrange not to switch dates in the future.
Anna (herding cats-burning soup)
I just post them to Netgalley as I’m able to. Usually when I finish the review and pre-schedule it so it’s out of the way and off my list. I don’t do a lot on Netgalley though.
On submitting then updating.Nope can’t do that. Learned that the hard way. Once you submit feedback/notes you’re done. :/
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Ah, thank you – I’d been wondering about that. So what I suspected is true – you can’t alter the feedback once you submit it. Good to know!
Anna (herding cats-burning soup)
No prob. I’d had an issue like you mentioned with a link changing. Netgalley said my only option to update it would be to contact the publicist in charge of the book via email and send them the update that way. Would love to see a better system in place for that.
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Agreed!
Berls
Hmm – I hadn’t thought of doing it when I write the review and then just putting the link with the date it will publish. I may start doing that – but right now my system has been to cross list all my book reviews that published on the blog on the Saturday following (that typically means I have 3 reviews to do). With Netgalley (and Edelweiss) books, I tend to have the review live really close to the day the book is released, so I think that’s good enough. Though I hadn’t thought about how it might be impacting my ratio. I finally got that sucker into the 70s… wonder if how badly it’s dropped because of unpublished reviews… Great post Lark!
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Thanks, Berls, and thanks for the input! So far it looks about half-and-half for posting to NetGalley at time of writing vs. at/after the review goes live. And oh, I’m glad I’m not the only one struggling to get my NetGalley ratio up! Mine’s abysmal; it’s around 65% and that’s higher than it was a month ago. I’m working on it!
Katherine P
I do the same thing that you do. I don’t do enough blog tours to really worry about schedule conflicts and I have a planner that I use to keep track. I have a reviews scheduled for October and it made me nervous to put it that far out. I put a line at the top of the feedback section with the date it will go live and in the note to publisher section.
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Oh, I hadn’t thought of putting it in with the review itself – good idea! I put it in the note, but if it’s actually on the review as well, they’re more likely to notice.
Rita_h
I just leave feedback the same day that my review goes live on my blog, and link to my actual review. My approval rate isn’t that great because last year I requested way too many arcs than I wanted to read, but I get enough to keep me busy now. Good question.
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Thanks, Rita! I had the same problem with over-requesting ARCs – NetGalley is so addictive!
For anyone who’s keeping count, it’s a dead heat so far (not counting me): 3 who post to NG before the review goes live, and 3 who wait until it’s live.
Angela's Anxious Life
I used to use Netgalley but honestly I have been having more fun and luck with Edelweiss. I do post a date though when ARCs will go live especially since the DC comic ARCs I read have an embargo on them to NOT post a review till after they go on sale.
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
For some reason, I get more approvals from NetGalley! And your vote tips the balance very slightly toward giving feedback when it’s written rather than waiting until the review goes live.