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NetGalley Says Yes!

Mutual approval…

I saw this on Fiction Fan’s wonderful blog and thought I’d take a moment to say thank you to the wonderful resource that is brings constant delight to this book blogger’s life.

Of course there are times when I haven’t been approved for a title I want to read, but if that’s the case I go to the library or buy a copy.

Picture for a while the book blogger sat at her desk full of files and minus the pen that is never nearby when she needs it despite endlessly retrieving new ones from the stationary cupboard, impatiently waiting for some or other vital piece of information to display, picks up her phone, reads her email to see the magic words – NetGalley – heart pounding she opens it and does a very restrained whoop when it’s confirmed that the latest must-read has been approved.

You really can’t beat those moments.

Over the four plus years I have been reviewing I’ve had more than my share of these moments and whilst the first book received and reviewed from NetGalley was by an author already known to me; A Family Likeness by Caitlin Davis I have also delighted in reading many new to me authors.

So that first book – in part telling the story of Dido Elizabeth Belle and in part a look at families of all shapes and sizes, although the detail in this book looks at colour, there is far more to it than simply a book with a message. So in short I got off to a flying start with a five star read.

Blurb

In a small Kent town in the 1950s, a bewildered little girl is growing up. Ostracised because of her colour, she tries her best to fit in, but nobody wants anything to do with her.

A nanny climbs the steps of a smart London address. She’s convinced that her connection to the family behind the door is more than professional.

And on the walls of an English stately home, amongst the family portraits, hangs an eighteenth-century oil painting of a mysterious black woman in a silk gown.

In ways both poignant and unexpected, the three lives are intertwined in a heartbreaking story of prejudice and motherless children, of chances missed, of war time secrets and the search for belonging… Amazon

Through NetGalley I discovered the world of forensic archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway, written by Elly Griffiths.

And then she went back to the 1950s and gave us a magician/detective pairing in Stephens and Mephisto which is equally brilliant.

Yes that makes a total of eight books read and reviewed through NetGalley by Elly Griffiths!

Through NetGalley I discovered the author Liz Nugent who provided me with two great reads both of which had the best opening lines ever!

 

I’ve read some beautiful and heart-breaking historical fiction…

Serious books, funny books and a whole range of books about poisoners – what more could a book blogger need?

Some books I’ve been directed to by other bloggers, some where I’ve made a discovery of a new book that needs to be shouted from the rooftops – NetGalley you are the best.

Over the four plus years I have been blogging I have read and reviewed a staggering 308 books from this fabulous resource – So Happy Christmas NetGalley, the publishers who provide the books to review and to those hard-working authors whose books entertain me and of course to all you wonderful bloggers who make sure I don’t miss out on the latest finds!

Author:

A book lover who clearly has issues as obsessed with crime despite leading a respectable life

35 thoughts on “NetGalley Says Yes!

  1. How often do you get turned down for an ARC? I’ve seen a recent post from elsewhere, where the blogger seems to have a high rejection rate (and she doesnt seem to know why). How do you ensure your acceptance rate is higher than your rejection rate?

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    1. I think I’ve got a rejection rate of about 30+ against an acceptance of over 300 but I’ve been a member of NG since August 2013 so over time publishers can see I am reviewing the books I’ve been accepted for – my rate is 94% and the remaining titles are not yet published. Early rejections were also caused in part for requesting from the wrong territory. I also find I’m more successful in requesting a book soon after it is added to NG i.e. if they have a quota it hasn’t yet been filled. Other than that it is just reading and writing the reviews and keeping those fingers crossed – I still get declined or worse still left in the inactive state!

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      1. On 220 approvals, I’m currently at 64% and getting better – I was still getting approved at 50%-ish. Then again I’m not requesting that many right now (a few every 4 months or so), and am clearing off the books that I already have. I’ve reviewed virtually all books I’ve asked for recently. I only have 2 that have been published since September that I havent read and the next previous one was published back in May! (and the rest are from before then). Publishers are seeing I’m active in reviewing, and rarely asking for new books to review!

        Like you, I did have early rejections because I simply wasnt paying attention to the territory rights, or other restrictions placed on the book by the publishers.

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  2. Ooh Elly Griffiths, I’ve got the first one on my kindle, I must get to it they sound so good! 😀 I love reading NetGalley posts😍 I’ve recently got Elmet by Fiona Mozley, The Hoarder by Jess Kidd and Tipping the Velvet (anniversary edition) by Sarah Waters. I’m so excited to start all of them, thing is, when?!!! Great post btw 👍

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    1. I love Elly Griffiths’ books and I wouldn’t have discovered her without NetGalley – I like the sound of The Hoarder and I bought a copy of Tipping the Velvet as I’m enjoying re-reading all Sarah Waters books. – I have that problem with time too 😉

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  3. I love the NetGalley emails too – my favourites are when I wish for something and my wish is granted. I have been lucky not to have been denied many books, though interestingly there seems to be certain authors whose books I can’t get – Liz Nuggent is one of them as is Ruth Ware.

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  4. Netgalley is a great service, isn’t it, Cleo? It’s made it possible for books to get a really international audience, and you can’t beat the convenience and the great variety of books, too. Thank you for a great post reminding us of what a terrific service it is.

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  5. Spot on Cleo! We are SO lucky to be able to have access to great titles via NetGalley. Since I joined in October of 2013 I have been approved for 302 titles – and I’ve reviewed 232 of them so far. A GREAT resource.

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  6. I used to get most of my review books from Amazon Vine, but gradually I turned to NetGalley as my go-to place for great reads. Probably because of the e-book format. I joined NetGalley a few years ago, but couldn’t make the books download onto my first Kindle…so I gave up until I got my Paperwhite, and we were good to go. Three years now…and I’ve been lucky about getting most of the books I request.

    That NetGalley e-mail feels like a Christmas and birthday gift all rolled up in one.

    Great post!

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  7. awww this is a lovely post. Have you heard about the recent controversies with Net Galley, and how it’s difficult for international reviewers to get approved for books? Have you had any problems with that?

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  8. Ah, great post and thanks for the shout out! 😀 Yes, NetGalley has been wonderful – I’ve discovered loads of authors through it and for me one of the best things has been getting access to history books and biographies which are often too expensive for me to justify buying. My rejection rate is higher than yours but I’m pretty sure that’s because I regularly request books outside my region in the hope I’ll be approved – I am often enough to make it worthwhile doing it. But these days, because like you I try to read and review all the ones I take (or at least send feedback), I’m rarely declined by mainstream British publishers. Hurrah!

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  9. Net Galley also introduced me to Elly Griffiths and I’m so glad it did! I’m working my way through the Stephens and Mephisto books at the moment but can’t wait for the new Ruth Galloway!

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  10. I love Netgalley. I’ve been approved for some wonderful titles this year. It’s a great service and opportunity to reach new authors.

    This is the first I’ve heard of Elly Griffith her books sound interesting!!

    Congrats Cleo.

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  11. Great post! I think NetGalley is wonderful too but a real test of your discipline. It took me ages to get my 80% feedback badge but since I have I’ve been determined not to lose it! I’m now aiming for the 100 reviews badge. (Love the badges, wish there were more!). As it happens, I have NetGalley to thank for getting me into blogging. I used to leave reviews on Goodreads and saw people mentioning these strange things ‘ARCs’ and ‘NetGalley’. When I registered, it became obvious there was a better chance of being approved for books if you had a blog, so I started mine and never looked back!

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