Before ebooks emerged on the reading scene in such a big way, publishers had to rely on mailing out print editions of advanced reader copies of their buzz-worthy titles to book reviewers, hoping to generate consumer interest in upcoming books. Printing and shipping these ARCs proved costly and sometimes fruitless.
Just as digital publishing has had a major impact on the way consumers read, so too has it impacted how publishers and authors generate this important discussion among advanced readers. As Goodreads‘ information at today’s Tools of Change event showed, the largest source of book discovery is through friend communication. Together, ebook ARC company NetGalley and its core reader base of over 100,000 users are streamlining that discoverability.
Publishers and authors of any catalog size can submit titles to NetGalley for distribution to its network of book reviewers, ranging from some of the more long-standing trusted names in book reviews, down to a local book blogger. By paying by either a subscriptions to submit a larger catalog of titles or by paying individually to submit one book, rights’ holders have the option to put their titles into reviewers’ hands prior to publication without suffering through the printing and shipping process of a bygone publishing era.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.
