One question that I am asked frequently is where I get my history books from (and what my budget is). Many of my books are on sale from Kobo, purchased at charity book sales, or borrowed from the library. However, I would still say that 50% or more of my books (and audiobooks) come from NetGalley. NetGalley is a site that allows readers to request advance copies of ebooks and audiobooks in exchange for an honest review. Today I’m going to share my best tips for using NetGalley as an historian so that you can make the most of it!
What is NetGalley?
If you are new to NetGalley, it is a site that allows readers to request free ebooks and audiobooks in exchange for posting their review* of the book. You can use the NetGalley Shelf app for ebooks and audiobooks, or the Kindle app/other reading apps to read ebooks. The books that you receive from NetGalley will expire, so you do not need to worry about taxes/declaring them anywhere. NetGalley does not provide physical books.
*You must state in your review that you received the book for NetGalley.
Want more NetGalley tips and tricks? I’ve got a full guide here!
Complete Your NetGalley Profile Fully
Publishers base their decisions to approve or deny requests on a few different factors, most of which come from your profile. Include information on where your reviews will be published- do you have your own website, do you post reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, etc? Are you a part of an institution, a research group, or any other historical organisation? Do you have a book club? Any information about your audience will help publishers make a decision.
Once you have established yourself as a reader, I find that publishers will oftentimes make faster decisions. (If you have made it clear that you read books related to royal history and the book is related, it makes sense to approve it.)
Keep your approval ratio in mind, also. NetGalley recommends that you have an approval rating of at least 80%- this means that you should have sent feedback (added reviews) for at least 80% of the books you’ve been approved for. (It takes a bit to establish yourself.)
Familiarise Yourself with the Books Available
NetGalley varies by region, as publishers can set which countries their books are available in. My experience is based on NetGalley in Canada/North America, so yours may vary. However, the History category is largely dominated by US history and military history. There are certainly other subfields that are represented but it’s more of a here-and-there situation, rather than new books added every day.
You will also notice that different types of books will be listed as ebooks vs audiobooks (though sometimes both formats will be listed.) Overall, relatively few academic books are available on NetGalley, and if so, there are rarely audiobooks for them. (I suspect that most historians are looking for ebooks, but if you are looking for audiobooks, do not expect a large volume.)
Look Through Publishers Available on NetGalley
Much like looking through the books available, look through the publishers that are on NetGalley, as not all publishers use it. And look at the number and types of books they are making available on the site- not everything will be available there.
There are some fantastic smaller publishers that use NetGalley, so I would recommend taking advantage of their offerings. A lot of these smaller and independent publishers make it so you have to wish for a book instead of requesting it, but I find that these are usually granted.
I haven’t run into this with any non-fiction titles, but some of the larger publishers are quite strict with their approvals. I’m not going to mention names but there are two large imprints that have never approved a request of mine, so I’ve stopped requesting them. I wouldn’t take it personally, as it might be that they are looking for BookTokers/YouTubers or something else that I don’t cover but just be aware that approvals are not a guarantee. (And no, I’ve not found a publisher who will actually share their requirements.)
Check Multiple Genres
Sometimes publishers arbitrarily choose genres for their books; sometimes there is a plan, but they are not always in history.*
If you are looking for non-fiction history books on NetGalley, I would always look in the following genres: History, Biographies & Memoirs, and Non-Fiction. Depending on your interests, you can also look in Entertainment, Politics, and True Crime as books will often be cross-listed. (I’m not sure if it’s publishers hoping that they will be more prominent in one genre over another, but there can be some wacky choices with genres.)
If you are interested in historical fiction, I would check Historical Fiction, as well as Romance, Mystery, and Literary Fiction depending on your tastes.
And while you are checking out multiple genres, I would also recommend checking the Read Now and Listen Now sections. These are ebooks and audiobooks that anyone can read/listen to, no approval needed! (Sometimes you can find some gems there.)
*One of my major annoyances is that NetGalley does not seem to check genres at all, so you will often find fiction books listed in non-fiction genres, and vice-versa. Make sure you are reading all synopses before requesting.
♠
What are your tips for using NetGalley as an historian?
Cheers,
The Historian
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
