How I Get Book Mail Without Being an Influencer
Because gatekeeping isn't a very nice thing to do.
Do you dream about getting free books in the mail like every BookTok influencer, but have zero interest in selling your soul to internet fame? That’s why this strategy changed my life (and might change yours too!).
For you antsy readers, I’ll break it down really fast:
Step 1: Make a reviewer profile on your platform of choice, plus a NetGalley profile.
Step 2: Start subscribing to publishing trade newsletters.
Step 2: Enter every giveaway and interest form possible.
Step 3: Watch free books arrive and submit your reviews!
And for anyone who wants a more thorough step-by-step:
Step 1:
Walk your butt over to the review platform of your choice, and sign up. These days, your options are endless: Goodreads, Amazon, Fable, BookBub, BookSiren, StoryGraph, Substack, shall I go on?
The point is, you should have at least one active profile that you are willing to consistently update. If you aren’t planning to post reviews to social media, book publicists will want to make sure you’re going to post a review somewhere. Otherwise, they won’t send you books. PR copies are a trade, not a gift.
You’ll also need to make a NetGalley profile for digital ARCs. It’s super easy to sign up, and it’s even easier to start getting ARCs sent directly to your Kindle, Nook, iPad, or preferred device. NetGalley also asks you to submit your review directly to them, as well as provide links to your other review profiles.
Step 2:
Go to Publishers Weekly and Shelf Awareness. Each newsletter sends daily email blasts with industry news, interviews, and sponsored ads. Only, if you look a little closer at those “ads,” you’ll realize they’re something even better: they’re clickable entry forms for ARC copies. More on that below.
Personally, I subscribe to PW Daily, PW Children’s Bookshelf, PW Picks, The Book Life Report, and Shelf Awareness Pro.
Step 3:
Check out the following image. See where it says “Request an early copy”? Bam. Click that, fill out the following form (making sure to link to wherever you’ve created a review profile!), and hit submit. If it asks for your job role, select “reviewer.”
Other ads say “Enter to win a copy!” — those are fantastic, too. Most people who read industry newsletters are, well, industry professionals. They aren’t entering giveaways for free books—they’re already swimming in free books. That means your competition is slim, and your chances of winning are 100000x higher than those Goodreads giveaways (because, seriously, I’ve been applying to those since middle school and have not won once).
The more forms you enter, the higher your chances. However, it’s important to only apply for books that you have time for and are willing to read and review. Otherwise, you’re taking that opportunity from the author. Don’t be that guy.
Step 4:
Start getting free books! It might feel like you’re not winning anything, but books might also just start showing up on your doorstep unannounced (they did for me). What can I say? Sending confirmation emails takes time, and publicists have a million other things to do.
Make sure to actually read and review the books you apply for. Don’t ruin this for the rest of us.
Happy reading!