10 Things You Should Include in Your NetGalley Profile

The key to having the best experience possible on NetGalley starts with a strong Profile. After all, the information in your Profile is crucial in helping publishers decide whether to approve or decline your request. Below you’ll find tips sure to help whether you’re a NetGalley newbie or a long-time member whose Profile needs a fresh look. Check out more of our Profile dos and don’ts here!

Profile Picture
A picture of yourself on your NetGalley Profile can help show your vibrant personality to publishers. If you don’t have one handy, snap a quick shot of yourself and a favorite book! If you’re not comfortable sharing your own photo, use the official brand logo from your bookstore, library, or school. As a reviewer, if you have a logo for your blog or social media profiles, you can use that as well. Need to make one? Check out a bookworm’s best free design tool: Canva!

Details About Your Member Type
There are six member types on NetGalley (Reviewer, Book Trade Professional, Librarian, Bookseller, Educator, Journalist or member of the Media) and publishers have different goals for working with each one. Your Bio can help to give publishers insight into your role and how you can best work with them. Make sure to include the department you work in, the events or programs you plan, any purchasing you’re in charge of, the outlets you’ve written for, and more. Librarians, Booksellers, and Educators: make sure to indicate if you are a member of any professional associations. If you’re a reviewer, clearly state where your reviews appear. Click here for more insight into what you should include in your Profile based on your member type.

Your Reviewer Resume
No matter what your member type is, chances are that you write book reviews that you publish outside of NetGalley. Make sure you mention where those reviews appear and any places you cross-post your NetGalley reviews.

If you have a blog or other form of bookish social media, talk about the type of content that you create. Book recommendations come in many forms, and it’s helpful for publishers to see if the books they approve you for may also end up in a listicle, Booktube video, Bookstagram picture, or more! This is especially important if you’re a Bookseller, Librarian, or Educator who also talks about and reviews books outside of your job.

Relevant Bookish Facts
Do you run a book club? Are you a member of an author’s street team? Do you host any online reading events? Are you an OwnVoices reviewer? Do you review audiobooks as well as print/e-books? Your Bio is the perfect place to share this information with publishers—as long as you’re comfortable, of course!

Links
Your Profile includes a section titled “Where I Share Reviews.” This is a crucial place to provide links to any websites or social media where you share your book reviews, the media outlets where you cover books, or the bookstore, library, or school where you’re employed. While your Bio should be professional and succinct,  your linked blog and social media channels are the best way to stand out and show off your vibrant personality. 

Stats
Including important stats about your platforms, such as average monthly pageviews to your blog or social media following, is very helpful for publishers. Make sure to include the date you pulled your stats so it’s clear to a publisher how recent those numbers are. Plus, set a recurring reminder for yourself to update those stats on a regular basis (monthly, quarterly, etc).  You can read this interview with a book publicist to learn more about the stats they’re looking for.

Favorite Authors
By sharing your favorite authors, you can help provide an even better understanding of the types of books within those Categories you most enjoy. Try to stick to 3-5 authors to keep things simple. 

Category Preferences
When you go to fill out your Profile, you can select the Categories you cover in your role as a professional reader. When a publisher looks at your Profile, they can see the list of Categories that you’ve chosen, which means you don’t need to worry about listing them in your Bio.

Reading Habits
While you’re in the About You section of your Profile, make sure to check out the options under Topics! Marking that you listen to audiobooks or are a member of a book club helps ensure you get relevant promotional emails—including announcements of newly uploaded NetGalley books, limited time Read Now opportunities, and more. Make sure you’re subscribed to those emails in the Account Security section of your Profile, under “Subscriptions.”

Email
In the Account Security section of your profile, you’ll find the email address associated with your account. You have the option to make this email address hidden or visible to publishers. Consider making it visible so that if publishers ever have a question or want to work with you on a specific campaign, they can reach out!