NetGalley

NetGalley is a website initially launched in 2008, aimed at the distribution of digital galley proofs of books, some of which have not yet been released. NetGalley was developed as an alternative to the production of paper galleys, and has since evolved into a key marketing and publicity platform for publishers and authors.[1][2] Publishers that offer e-galleys include Hachette, HarperCollins Publishers, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, and many others in the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and Japan. The site offers electronic galleys to "professional readers" such as booksellers, educators, librarians, media professionals, and reviewers.

NetGalley
Type of site
Review
OwnerFirebrand Technologies, Rosetta Solutions, Inc.
URLNetGalley
RegistrationPaid and free.
Launched2008
Current statusActive

History

The NetGalley website was created in 2008 as a joint venture between Firebrand Technologies and Rosetta Solutions. Initially launched shortly before the 2008 BookExpo America, the site was founded by Rosetta Solutions, and Firebrand Technologies took over in December 2008.[3] NetGalley has since widened its roster of publishers and range of reviewers, and has begun offering services to publishers in the UK, France, Germany, and Japan.[4]

In 2012, the site began offering expedited approvals to librarians who added their American Library Association member number.[5][6] NetGalley also began a partnership with the Library Journal for reviews of original ebooks in the romance genre; Library Journal stated it was "a move designed to address 'the skyrocketing popularity of ebooks in U.S. public libraries'".[7][8]

In October 2012, the NetGalley website relaunched,[9] addressing numerous performance and scaling issues related to an old architecture, improving existing features, and introducing new ones.

In December 2020, NetGalley sent out an email to its users explaining that they experienced a data breach and the personal information of many users has been exposed. This included usernames, passwords, first and last names and addresses specified in their NetGalley profiles.[10]

Features

The site layout allows users to search the books available for review by publisher, genre, or date of upload onto NetGalley. Users request the books they want, while a representative for the publisher making the decision to approve or decline the request.[11] If approved, the user usually has a choice among EPUB, PDF, MOBI, or audiobook formats.[12]

In July 2020 NetGalley introduced Audiobooks as an additional format for publishers to provide readers, and simultaneously launched the first NetGalley mobile app - the NetGalley Shelf app (available for iOS and Android).

Reception

Reception to the site has been mixed. ALA TechSource wrote: "whatever it lacks in aesthetics, NetGalley makes up with simple ease of use and great content."[13] Galleycat reported that in 2011, the site had seen a 500% increase in reviews in comparison to previous years.[14]

References
  1. Kate, Terry (March 18, 2010). "Netgalley". BlogTalkRadio.
  2. "Death of the traditional mail-out? NetGalley continues to make news". PR by the Book.
  3. "NetGalley Hits Paydirt". Publishers Weekly.
  4. "NetGalley Expands into the UK". Media Bistro.
  5. "NetGalley, ALA Offer Librarians Benefit Program and More". Publishers Weekly.
  6. "ALA Partners with NetGalley for Member Benefit Program". Digital Shift.
  7. "Library Journal and NetGalley Announce Partnership for Reviews of Ebook Originals". Library Journal. November 10, 2011. Archived from the original on November 10, 2011.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. "Dark Horse joins NetGalley". Comics Beat. May 16, 2011. Archived from the original on September 26, 2011. Retrieved September 26, 2011.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  9. "Relaunch Press Release" (PDF). Amazon. October 2012.
  10. Bannister, Adam (December 24, 2020). "NetGalley data breach: Publishing industry website forces password reset following 'security incident'". Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  11. "To E-galley or P-galley: That Is the Question". Publishing Trends.
  12. Gold, Laurie. "Critical Mass: Are You Ready for e-Galleys?". BlogCritics.
  13. "Why NetGalley is the Best Kept e-book Secret on the Web". ALA Tech Source.
  14. "NetGalley Users Wrote 45,000 Reviews Last Year". Galleycat.
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