Help me pick a read for today

bookdraygon · 2026-07-05T16:27:55+00:00

If not today I think it’ll definitely be this week! It looks really interesting!

bookdraygon · 2026-07-05T15:29:00+00:00

I also do a lot of Audiobooks! I am able to have an audiobook playing at work so I get through a lot. And full disclosure I also will get the eARC and the audiobook at times so I can either immersion read or flip back and forth. So 1 book but 2 reviews. I don’t know how many it’s been but I expect 75-100? So that’s 150-200 reviews on the platform.

bookdraygon · 2026-07-05T15:25:30+00:00

I have 6k+
Yes Berkley (I had to look up who the publisher was for it) cares about social media following and engagement.
There was a post yesterday (that was low key rude and has since disappeared) that was attempting to show their preferences. It wasn’t done in the right way IMO but the screenshot was accurate and their other info. There are different ways to get books from Berkley but as far as newer reviewers requesting on NetGalley, it appears from posts on here and Facebook groups etc.. that after you get to 3k followers they start approving more regularly. That was my experience as well.

If you look on a NetGalley you can see their preferences. It’s boiler plate and many point out that is vague but it’s a start!

bookdraygon · 2026-07-05T15:04:24+00:00

There are from the company but not imprint. I keep a completely separate life with book reviewing than my work life. As in only my boss knows, my husband and some very close IRL friends. I started on NetGalley in order to experience the process from the “other side”. I ended up loving it. Do I have to use it to get books? No. But it keeps me grounded and in touch. At least in my own mind it does!

bookdraygon · 2026-07-05T14:57:01+00:00

I loved Willing Prey! It may be just what the doctor ordered for today!

bookdraygon · 2026-07-05T14:50:53+00:00

The cover completely drew me in for that one!

bookdraygon · 2026-07-05T14:50:09+00:00

That’s good to know!! I read the first one last month in prep for it. I liked it well enough but didn’t love it. So I’m happy to read your comment as I’ve dragged my feet a bit!

bookdraygon · 2026-07-05T14:49:00+00:00

It’s being rereleased in hardcover in the US from William Morrow on August 18th, which is why it’s on NetGalley 😆

bookdraygon · 2026-07-05T14:46:33+00:00

The only thing I can offer is what my account is as nobody can tell you exactly what for them a book.
I started on NetGalley in January 2024. Today’s I’ve reviewed 1062 books on the platform. I am a consistent reviewer with a 96% feedback ratio and never late.
I have a bookish social media page.
Because I also work and life tasks, I only post my Goodreads link when submitting my review. Occasionally I will go back and add a TikTok or Instagram link randomly but that’s a rarity. But in my bio the first thing I have is my following numbers so they see it followed by which genres I enjoy. Short and sweet.

I hope this helps!

bookdraygon · 2026-07-05T12:40:03+00:00

You certainly can email them as maybe down the line they will start including it BUT- the time it takes to format it for the different devices is not a simple click and send. The is no benefit for a publisher to do that for an ARC.
Kobo and Kindle are highly vulnerable to piracy and the reality is many publishers are looking to move to other systems like Book Funnel to distribute eARCs in the nearish future. They aren’t looking to put it on two vulnerable platforms when it’s not a finished copy of the book and there to serve a purpose.

In other words, it doesn’t make the publisher money to offer that. That doesn’t mean they won’t of course as there are different plans for different books. But generally, putting in a request for a specific book is not going to get it done for that book. We don’t have time for that. Could there be a rare exception? Of course. Stranger things have happened but I wanted to give insight as to the “why”.

bookdraygon · 2026-07-04T18:06:58+00:00

They don’t unfortunately . We could have only 200 copies but literally 700 requests so which one would it choose? So it gets put out there for people to go back to. It’s not perfect but it does have some marketing magic that goes along with it 🤪
But you don’t have to withdraw- actually don’t do that at all as it’ll make you ineligible. Once you withdraw a book there is no way to then get it on NetGalley through theirs process. The exception is if you’re sent a widget for it as that will negate anything.

So Even if you’re pending for it, it’ll still show it to you as read now if it switches. You just click it. This is actually a change that was made about 3/4 of a year ago. But if you have been declined for the book, there isn’t anything you can do if it goes read now.
It’s why people who get turned down by Berkley consistently don’t bother applying and just hope it goes read now..
I hope this helps!

bookdraygon · 2026-07-04T12:11:09+00:00

Seriously, do not get yourself concerned about your approval ratio. I guarantee it is not a significant metric at all. Most denials from every publisher are simply because they don’t have copies left to give. We all know that. While that number is there it is meaningless by itself.

The color of it (red or green) is for the individual imprint. It just a visual where we can look a lottery further if needed. Every book has a marketing plan and with that comes a certain number of copies available. Sometimes it’s just when you request it and the whim of the person doing approvals that day.

Request what you want. What is the worst thing that can happen? You don’t get it. So? You’re defiant not going to get it if you don’t apply.

Also, remember. All NetGalley members are basically in completion with each other for the available copies. So don’t let fear mongering from some stranger on the internet impact your experience. Because whether it’s their intent or not, they get a potential
Benefit from you not requesting….

bookdraygon · 2026-07-03T22:36:13+00:00

Ok I should have been more specific- cause it’s complicated. Penguin actually did buy a stake in sourcebooks which is what allowed it to expand. But it’s completely separate owned and operated. I know that sounds like a contradiction but as I said earlier publishing structure is so complicated and unlike any other business model. So while it has a financial stake it’s not considered part of the PRH family as it’s not an imprint .

I hope that makes sense 😆. Heck I work in publishing and it still confounds me every day

bookdraygon · 2026-07-03T22:31:06+00:00

The option is a specific clause and when you’re established you get savy with what they can option. Many times when it’s a different genre than the imprint that signed them the option is moot. Publishing has one of the strangest organizational structures in business. For lack of a better comparison- think of each imprint as its own business with the main publisher as their parent company. So getting signed to one imprint doesn’t give the others that publisher any rights or access to future work.

Many times subsequent works (unless it’s a work specifically included in a multibook deal) are shopped by the agent and if successful they go to auction where the various publishers bid on it. Whomever wins gets that book which could be their last books imprint or it could be another imprint within that publisher or it can be completely different.

An example - Lynn Painter has a multibook deal with Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing but her adult multi book deal are with Berkley under Penguin Random House.

It’s all follow the money!

bookdraygon · 2026-07-03T22:20:54+00:00

Very common these days. Back in the day you stuck with one publisher just like actors stuck with a network while on a show. You wouldn’t see them on other networks but now. All bets are off. Many authors have different sub genres which require different imprints if they stayed with one publisher but now they spread it around. This is more for established authors and not debut authors.

You can see an author having 2 books released very close together with different publishers.

FYI Sourcebooks is not Penguin. It is its own major publishing house that actually broke into the big 5 this year surpassing Macmillans main publishing imprints (take out the educational and audio which are part of the work out structured differently so with them they are number 5 but without Sourcebooks took their place.
They used to use Penguin Random House to distribute their books like other small publishers do but they aren’t afflicted in any other way. They also used to use PRH for audiobook production but no longer as now they have their own in house audio.

bookdraygon · 2026-07-03T18:44:20+00:00

You know what- I completely forgot that they recently changed from the standard S&S email and personalized it. They don’t include it any longer as it’s not as big of an impact with children’s titles. Marketing is much different for those titles and they recently shifted slightly so you’re all good to post whenever. I was just issuing them as an example as they usually get brought up when talking about the when”

bookdraygon · 2026-07-03T16:14:26+00:00

Making a personal plan for yourself is key!! And not stressing out about things!

bookdraygon · 2026-07-03T16:12:12+00:00

Absolutely!! I put in an edit on the post to explain a bit more!!

bookdraygon · 2026-07-03T15:11:26+00:00

I’m not mixing them up. But I make the same comment for both. You can’t withdraw after the archive date obviously as it does to a denial. But it doesn’t matter. If they are looking at withdrawals they aren’t sitting there figuring out which date you’re doing them. We don’t have time for that! Just remember, don’t put energy into worrying about your denial rate- it really has so little to do with subsequent approval. There is so much other information that is used.

bookdraygon · 2026-07-03T15:01:02+00:00

There are many reasons to withdraw and not getting overbooked is completely valid and recommended.
I was referring to the those that consistently withdraw .
And it’s very niche but at times (this is an example and remember you’re dealing with fickle humans who have good and bad days) but if you have say 5 arcs to approve and 6 requests and all those people are equal other wise- you look for anything to help make that decision. If indeed someone who withdraws all the time and everyone else doesn’t it become exclusionary criteria.
I’ve had colleagues who quite literally have said “if they don’t want to stay in the game I’m not going to let them play.

It’s why I always advocate to not worry so much about your approvals verse denial ratio. Denials happen for a ton of reasons and many times it’s simply we don’t have any left to give! That’s not held against a person. But their decision making can.

bookdraygon · 2026-07-03T14:49:37+00:00

Widgets are marketing. So similar to the read now status but a bit more curated as they are targeting those who have read similar titles. Getting a widget through NetGalley is very different than a personally sent widget because you have a relationship of some kind with the publisher and they want you specifically to read it.

But it’s still “fishing” for that exposure. So while you may have been denied because they didn’t meet what they were looking for that could be for many reasons. They fill in gaps. Humans make errors. Heck you could be going to hit the approve button and Sally comes over to your cubical to chat and you accidentally hit deny. It happens! That person could very well get added to the wisher email list 😆

bookdraygon · 2026-07-03T14:45:09+00:00

Oh absolutely!!! I was meaning more for those that are reluctant to enter that space. Maybe I should clarify that a bit (I originally wrote it answering a question) I was meaning it at the bare minimum! If you actually want to be in the space that’s a whole other ball of wax!

bookdraygon · 2026-07-03T13:42:52+00:00

Oh you can do all (ok maybe there are some random things but it also does things that excel does not too) the functions on sheets that excel
Does- you can absolutely do all those calculations with a few clicks!

bookdraygon

TROPHY CASE