The NetGalley team has shared our staff reads, our favorite audiobook narrators and book adaptations, fun facts about our company, and our most-anticipated reads of the year. And now it’s time to properly introduce ourselves! We’ll be profiling different members of the NetGalley team to share what we’re working on, our best tips for members, and more. Here, we want to introduce you to Software Engineer Amanda Delatorre!
Meet Amanda
Role: Software Engineer
Years at NetGalley: 7
Last book requested on NetGalley: You Shouldn’t Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose
Book you recommend to everyone: The Italian Teacher by Tom Rachman
An indie bookstore you love: Black Dog Books
What does a typical day at NetGalley look like for you?
As a software engineer, every day is really different. Each day I get to work on making improvements to the NetGalley site, building new exciting features, and learning new technologies and skills to give our users the best experience possible. It’s very exciting to see a feature grow from the idea stages to coding the final product, and I get to witness that every day.
What do you love most about your job? What do you wish people knew about your job?
Software development is not for everyone. It’s not super glamorous and you spend all your time staring at the computer, however, I love it, especially here at NetGalley! I wish more people knew how much thought and creativity could go into software development—it’s not just writing code!—and how fun it can be in an environment like NetGalley where we get to build cool and helpful software for like-minded people trying to get the best reading experience possible.
What is your number one tip for new NetGalley members?
The best part of NetGalley is being able to connect with publishers directly. It’s a very powerful responsibility, so take the time to leave thoughtful Feedback.
As you’re starting out, you can access a Read Now or Listen Now book and there are so many gems in there. Take advantage of our NetGalley Shelf app and load it up with those Read Now and Listen Now books. Remember: You really want to focus on making sure you are leaving Feedback on the books you’re reading. If you stay on top of it, your profile stats will be great!
What’s something about the publishing industry that you think would surprise casual readers?
There is a role in publishing for everyone! I’ve been an avid reader my entire life and even though my college degrees are relevant to publishing, my career is in tech. Publishing teams are made up of people from all different backgrounds who love books and want to get them into everyone’s hands. I enjoy working in an atmosphere where at every level in the company you can find someone to talk books to and get excited about helping other readers find books. I’m lucky enough to be in a role that combines both my passions—reading and technology. It’s possible to be in the publishing industry regardless of skills and role; there’s a place here for all book lovers.
Has working in the publishing industry changed the way you read?
Working in the publishing industry has definitely helped me find a wider range of genres to try and ultimately love! I would usually rely on recommendations from family and friends (still do!) or bestseller lists, but I now find so many great recommendations on NetGalley and in industry newsletters.
How do you make time for reading?
I have an almost-2-year-old at home, so time to myself to sit down with a book is few and far between currently. Luckily, my daughter is obsessed with her books and I spend a lot of time reading to her. After she goes to bed each night, I pop in my AirPods and play an audiobook as I clean up and relax. It’s something I look forward to each night.
Five Fantasy Series Amanda Loves
The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss
Red Rising Saga by Pierce Brown
The Broken Earth by N.K. Jemisin
The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson
The Scholomance by Naomi Novik
Check out more of our team interviews here!
What questions would you want to ask someone who works at NetGalley?
