How to Get Approved for More NetGalley Books
My Tips After 100+ ARCs
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Getting approved for a book on NetGalley feels a little bit like winning the bookish lottery.
You find a book you desperately want to read.
You hit Request.
And then you wait.
Sometimes you get that glorious approval email.
Other times?
DECLINED. 😭
I’ve been a NetGalley member since 2020, and it definitely did not start out easy for me.
It was slow at first. I wasn’t getting approved for every book I wanted, and I had to spend time building my profile, submitting reviews, and figuring out what publishers were actually looking for.
But the patience has been worth it.
I’ve now been approved for more than 100 NetGalley books, and these days, I get approved for almost any book I request.
I’ve even reached the point where I receive physical ARCs directly from publishers outside of NetGalley.
But THAT is another article for another day. 👀
If you’re new to NetGalley or constantly getting declined, don’t give up yet.
Here are the steps I would focus on to improve your NetGalley approval rate.
Step 1. Completely Fill Out Your NetGalley Profile
Before requesting another book, look at your profile.
Publishers can use your profile to decide whether you’re a good fit for their book, so make it easy for them to understand who you are and what you do.
Include:
- The genres you read and review
- Add a profile photo
- Your book blog or website
- Your Bookstagram, BookTok, Goodreads, or other platforms
- The type of bookish content you create
- Information about your audience
Don’t simply say:
“I love books and post reviews.”
Be specific.
For example, Booktrovert Reader focuses heavily on fantasy romance and romantasy. If I’m requesting a romantasy ARC, I want the publisher to immediately see that their book fits the audience I’ve already built.
My [Ultimate Guide to Spicy Fantasy Romance] is a good example of what I mean by building a clear niche. My content makes it pretty obvious what I read, what I write about, and the type of readers I’m creating content for.
Think of your profile as your book reviewer résumé.
Example Bio
I’m an avid fantasy romance and romantasy reader who regularly reviews books on my book blog, Goodreads, and Bookstagram. I especially enjoy enemies to lovers, slow burn romance, morally gray characters, political intrigue, and immersive fantasy worlds.
I share honest book reviews, recommendations, and new release content with an audience of fantasy romance readers. Reviews for ARCs are shared on NetGalley and Goodreads, with additional coverage on my blog and social media when the book is a good fit for my audience.
Blog: [Your Website]
Bookstagram: @[Your Username]
Goodreads: [Your Goodreads Profile]
Contact: [Your Email Address]
Step 2. Choose the Correct Reviewer Status
Make sure you’ve selected the Reviewer Status that actually represents what you do.
If you’re a blogger, reviewer, bookseller, librarian, educator, or another type of book professional, choose the appropriate option.
Don’t choose something just because you think it will get you more approvals.
More importantly, make sure your profile supports the status you’ve selected.
If you’re a book blogger, include your blog.
If you primarily review through social media, make sure those accounts are included and current.
Everything should make sense together.
Step 3. Put an Email Address in Your Profile
This is one of those tiny NetGalley tips that is VERY easy to overlook.
Put an email address directly in your profile.
Why?
Because some publishers specifically state in their Approval Preferences that they want reviewers to have an email address listed.
Use an email you actually check. If you have a professional email associated with your book blog or reviewing platform, even better.
It takes almost no time to add and could be something a publisher specifically looks for.
Step 4. ALWAYS Read the Publisher's Approval Preferences
This might be my biggest NetGalley tip.
Before requesting a book, check the publisher’s Approval Preferences.
Different publishers can look for different things.
They may mention your:
- Feedback ratio
- Reviewer status
- Social platforms
- Location
- Audience
- Email address
- Reviewing habits
Read their preferences BEFORE hitting Request.
You might discover something simple you can fix first.
Missing your email?
Add it.
Old Bookstagram link?
Update it.
Your profile doesn’t mention the genre you’re requesting?
Fix it.
Don’t blindly request books and then wonder why you’re getting declined when publishers may already be telling you what they’re looking for.
Step 5. Make Sure Your Bookish Links Are Current
Click every link you’ve included in your profile.
Make sure your blog works.
Make sure your social media usernames are current.
Make sure you’re linking to accounts you actually use.
And if you’re trying to build up your Bookstagram so publishers have another active platform to see, I created a [Free 30 Day Bookstagram Challenge] with daily prompts to help you consistently create bookish content.
As your platforms grow, come back and update your NetGalley profile.
Your profile should represent the reviewer you are today, not the reviewer you were two years ago.
Step 6. Stop Requesting Every Pretty Book
I KNOW.
There are pretty covers everywhere.
And fantasy publishers have apparently discovered that putting a dragon, dagger, crown, sprayed edges, or mysterious morally gray man on a book is enough to make some of us forget how calendars work.
If you’re also powerless against pretty books, my [Ultimate List of Sprayed Edge Books] is probably dangerous information for you to have. 😂
But on NetGalley, requesting too many books can quickly destroy your feedback ratio.
Before hitting Request, ask yourself:
If they approve me tomorrow, will I actually read this book soon?
If the answer is no, skip it.
Five ARCs you’re genuinely excited about are much better than 25 books silently judging you from your NetGalley shelf.
Step 7. Build Your Review History
If you’re brand new to NetGalley, don’t judge your success by whether you get approved for the biggest release of the year.
Highly anticipated books can be extremely competitive.
Start building your history first.
Look for books you genuinely want to read from smaller publishers and authors, as well as Read Now titles when available.
The goal is simple:
Read. Review. Build your history.
You can also look through my [Book Reviews] to see how I structure my reviews. Some are five stars, some are two stars, and occasionally I DNF a book entirely.
Because getting an ARC doesn’t mean you’re required to love it.
Once you’ve established yourself as someone who consistently provides feedback, start requesting more competitive titles.
Step 8. Try to Keep Your Feedback Ratio Above 80%
Your NetGalley feedback ratio compares the books you’ve received with the books you’ve provided feedback on.
NetGalley’s own guidance recommends trying to keep your feedback ratio at 80% or higher, so that’s the number I personally think is worth aiming for.
Does that mean dropping below 80% will suddenly stop you from getting approved?
Not necessarily.
You’ll find plenty of reviewers who say their feedback ratio doesn’t seem to make much difference in their approvals. And remember, every publisher has its own Approval Preferences and may care about different things.
So I wouldn’t obsess over the number.
I look at it more as good NetGalley housekeeping.
If you’re consistently requesting ARCs, it’s a good practice to also consistently provide feedback on the books you’ve received.
If your ratio starts getting low, maybe slow down on the Request button for a little while and catch up on your shelf.
Then try to get back into a simple rhythm:
Request. Read. Review. Repeat.
Keeping your ratio around that recommended 80% isn’t a magic ticket to more approvals, but it does help keep your ARC shelf manageable and shows that you’re actually following through on the books you request.
Because requesting 20 books sounds fun until 12 publishers approve you and you’ve accidentally given yourself a second job. 😂
Step 9. Write Useful Reviews
You don’t need to write a 2,000 word review for every ARC.
But your feedback should actually say something.
Talk about things like:
- Characters
- Romance
- Worldbuilding
- Pacing
- Writing style
- Tropes
- What worked
- What didn’t
- Who might enjoy the book
And remember:
You do NOT owe an ARC a positive review.
I’ve given negative reviews to books I’ve received for review.
Be honest while keeping criticism focused on the book and your reading experience.
There’s a big difference between:
“The author can’t write.”
and:
“I struggled with the pacing and couldn’t connect with the characters.”
Publishers are asking for feedback, not automatic five star reviews.
If you’re reviewing romantasy in particular, I also like giving readers useful information beyond the star rating. That’s one of the reasons I created my Romantasy Spice Library, where readers can search books based on their spice level.
Knowing exactly what YOUR readers want to know can help you create more useful book reviews too.
Step 10. Pay Attention to Release Dates
Once you’re getting multiple ARCs, start organizing them by publication date.
Publishers are usually trying to generate attention around a book’s release, so I try to prioritize upcoming releases.
You can keep a simple tracker:
Book | Publisher | Release Date | Review Status
That’s enough. I have a simple spreadsheet to track all the important info. You can also go as far as calendar reminders with reminder notifications when it comes closer to the books publishing date.
If you’re someone who likes tracking everything you read anyway, this is also a perfect thing to add to your reading journal. My [How to Start a Reading Journal] guide has plenty of ideas for tracking your books, ratings, TBR, favorite quotes, and reading life.
Otherwise, you’ll eventually discover that the ARC you were definitely going to read “soon” released three weeks ago.
Ask me how I know. 😂
Step 11. Make Your Reviewing Niche Obvious
You don’t have to read only one genre.
But it helps if publishers can understand what kind of audience you’ve built.
Booktrovert Reader primarily focuses on fantasy romance and romantasy.
So when I request a romantasy ARC, the connection makes sense.
My reviews, Book Recaps, recommendations, Spice Library, and other fantasy romance content all reinforce the same general niche.
Think about what someone would assume you read after looking at your website or social platforms.
If you request primarily thrillers but your Bookstagram hasn’t featured a thriller in two years, that might not tell the clearest story.
Your NetGalley profile and your bookish platforms should support each other.
Step 13. Don't Take Rejections Personally
You’re still going to get declined sometimes.
A rejection doesn’t automatically mean there’s something wrong with your profile.
The publisher may have received a huge number of requests, have geographic restrictions, prioritize certain reviewer types, or have other criteria.
Even established reviewers aren’t guaranteed every book.
If you get declined, check the publisher’s preferences and see if there’s something you can improve.
If there isn’t?
Dramatically stare into the distance for approximately seven seconds and move on. 😂
Step 14. Be Patient
This is probably the least exciting advice in this article.
It’s also one of the most important.
Give your NetGalley account time to grow.
Mine has been growing since 2020.
More than 100 approvals later, publishers can see years of reviews and consistent feedback that weren’t there when I first joined.
And those opportunities have now expanded beyond NetGalley.
I receive physical ARCs outside of NetGalley too.
How do you start getting physical ARCs from publishers?
We’re saving that for another article. 👀
My NetGalley Approval Strategy
If you want the short version, here’s exactly what I would do:
1. Completely fill out your profile.
2. Choose the correct Reviewer Status.
3. Put your email address in your profile.
4. Update your blog and social media links.
5. Read Publisher Approval Preferences BEFORE requesting.
6. Only request books you genuinely plan to read.
7. Build your history with easier approvals and Read Now books.
8. Aim to keep your feedback ratio around NetGalley’s recommended 80% or higher.
9. Submit thoughtful reviews consistently.
10. Prioritize upcoming releases.
11. Make your reviewing niche clear.
12. Gradually request more competitive ARCs.
13. Keep going when you get declined.
14. Be patient.
There isn’t a magical NetGalley trick that guarantees every publisher will approve you.
It’s about making your entire reviewer profile stronger.
Final Thoughts
When I joined NetGalley in 2020, it was slow.
I wasn’t getting approved for everything I requested.
But I kept reviewing, improving my profile, paying attention to publisher preferences, and building my review history.
Now I’ve been approved for more than 100 NetGalley books, and I get approved for almost any book I request.
So if you’re just getting started, don’t compare your brand new account to someone who has been reviewing books for years.
Build your profile.
Protect your feedback ratio.
Read those Publisher Approval Preferences.
Submit thoughtful reviews.
And give it time.
Eventually, your biggest NetGalley problem might not be getting approved.
It might be figuring out when you’re supposed to read all these books. 😂
