NetGalley: Romance Authors & Dating Experts Can Increase Their Books’ Visibility by Publishing on a Secure Platform

The Short Version: Under the motto “We help books succeed,” NetGalley has established itself as a premier platform where authors, publishers, and early influencers can share up-and-coming titles and offer feedback on new books. Romance authors and dating experts can publish their books on the site using a secure pay-per-title system where they can control who can view their works. By requiring members to request access, publishers can boost their visibility without undermining the integrity of their work. Because most of NetGalley’s titles are in the pre-publication period, files are protected with industry-standard DRM security, and authors can offer excerpts of their work too. Readers can start a free account to read and review many books that are unavailable anywhere else. If you want to get people in the industry excited about your new book, you can post it alongside other exclusive works on NetGalley.

According to the Romance Writers of America, romance fiction annual sales totaled over $1 billion in 2013, and over 60% of those sales were for ebooks. At a time when many independent bookstores are closing up shop, the romance fiction industry is thriving — and technology has only offered authors more opportunities to get their works in the hands of avid readers.

However, some of today’s budding romance authors struggle to attract a substantial audience and gain footing in the publishing world. They have to make their books stand out from millions of other similar works. But how? In such a competitive market, new authors could use some help getting the right people to see their works. That’s where NetGalley comes in.

Launched in 2008, NetGalley connects authors with bloggers, consumer reviewers, librarians, booksellers, media, and other professional readers on a secure, members-only publishing platform. You can get a sense of how an audience will receive your book by doing a limited release for members on the website. If you mark your book as “Available for Request,” you have complete control over who can read the published work — members must request access to the digital copy and be approved by the author or publisher.

NetGalley offers valuable marketing opportunities for authors and publishers.

NetGalley features secure, digital-only copies of books, meaning content cannot be copied or shared. So publishers and authors can protect the integrity of their copyrighted works.

Romance authors and dating experts can use NetGally’s premier website as a testing ground for their published (or soon-to-be published) works. This simple pay-per-title membership gives writers the chance to garner attention from high-caliber readers — including professional book reviewers and media outlets — as well as consumer reviewers who post feedback on sites like Goodreads or Amazon.

“It does increase the visibility of books, especially in the pre-publication period,” explained Kristina Radke, Vice President of Business Growth and Engagement. “It evens the playing field because your book is side-by-side with big titles.”

NetGalley invites professional readers of influence, including bloggers, librarians, educators, and booksellers, to sign up for free and start discovering new books published in various genres.

Once registered, readers can find titles on NetGalley using straightforward search tools. They can search by book title, author, or ISBN, or they can browse more generally by category, which includes erotica, poetry, self-help, women’s fiction, and romance. NetGalley also features its popular titles on the Featured, Read Now, Recently Added, and Most Requested pages. This user-friendly system makes it easy for the right readers to find books to suit their interests. Which can only be good news for writers and publishers.

“It’s important to us to try to help readers find books that are more relevant to them,” Kristina said. “We want to help publishers connect with people who are interested and engaged in that particular brand.”

Readers have immediate access to request hundreds of romance novels on NetGalley.

Readers on NetGalley have a diverse range of interests, but they all share a love of books. Members of the site can read thousands of exclusive works of fiction and non-fiction and then vote on the cover art, write a review, share opinions, or recommend the book to others. Librarians and booksellers can even nominate titles for the LibraryReads and Indie Next lists. Such an active and enthusiastic community helps romance authors and publishers get the word out about their books.

“NetGalley offers a wife and diverse member community, including a lot of different types of people publishers want to get in front of,” Kristina told us. ” As of April 2008, about 50,000 members in North America have indicated interest in romance and erotica categories.”

Whether you’ve written a dating guide or an erotic novel, you can use NetGalley as a platform to build your readership by offering a digital copy of your book during the pre- or post-publication period.

NetGalley’s team loves books, and they love people who love books. They build relationships with members on the site by being responsive to the needs of authors and readers alike. Kristina said it’s always a thrill when someone comes up to the NetGalley table at a conference and says they use the site regularly.

“It’s really gratifying,” she said. “Most of our team comes from the publishing industry in some respect — we’ve been book marketers, publicists, authors, and reviewers ourselves, so we’re truly a book-centered company.”

NetGalley’s mobile-friendly website connects publishers of fiction and non-fiction books.

Since 2008, NetGalley has helped publishers in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia (plus publishers in German, French, and Japanese languages) reach an influential community of readers, and they’re proud of the site’s ability to raise the profile of new books and authors.

“We’re passionate about doing our best for every book on NetGalley,” Kristina said. “We have a great team of people who love talking about books.”

NetGalley helps authors and publishers create a buzz around new titles by publishing them on a secure online platform for influential readers. The diverse community offers spot-on reviews and invaluable reports to help authors continue the conversation with their audience. It’s a great service for anyone who dreams of writing or publishing the next international bestseller.

Romance fiction may be one of the most popular genres of fiction among consumers — but it’s also one of the most competitive industries in the publishing world. If you’re new to the publishing scene, joining NetGalley can be a wonderful way to expand your reach, give your works a boost, and market your titles before publication. By becoming a publishing member, you can put your books in front of influential readers and increase your visibility in the industry.

“We try to make it as easy as possible to form relationships with readers,” Kristina said. “In general, we’re always thinking of ways to create a community of readers that’s the strongest it can be.”