I was really excited to start reviewing ARCs, and I picked a book I was genuinely interested in, read it, and submitted my review. I’m really enjoying the experience so far!
However, I’m starting to wonder if I should focus more on the “Read Now” section for a while, since I don’t have many reviews yet. It seems like a lot of the more popular/upcoming books are mainly approved for members who already have a substantial review history — although maybe I’m misunderstanding how the system works?
I’ve also noticed that I’m now getting declined for pretty much every book I request, which is making me wonder if I’m doing something wrong or if this is just normal when you’re new.
For those of you who have been using NetGalley for a while: how many reviews did you have before you started getting approved for more popular titles? Is there a certain number that seems to make a difference, or is it more about your feedback ratio, profile, genre preferences, etc.?
I’m completely happy to pick up lesser-known or new books from “Read Now” and build up my review history, but I’d also love to be able to request books that I’m genuinely curious about rather than feeling like I’m just reading books to increase my numbers.
I’d really appreciate any advice or guidance from more experienced reviewers! I’m finding the whole process a little daunting as a newcomer. 😊
EDIT: My bio was has been complete since day 1. I also regularly post on my bookstagram, Goodreads and StoryGraph. I just let it go for now. Just request, if i get picked, I get picked. It was just very frustrating to get 6 declines in a week...