Folk who like to read and review stuff ahead of publication might be interested in this just-launched site.
Once you’ve signed up (and constructed a not-too-obviously-bogus persona for yourself) you can request proofs (ie ebooks) from a whole range of publishers including Bloomsbury, Penguin, PanMacmillan, Fourth Estate, Granta, Canongate etc etc. You have to be approved by the publisher whose book you’ve requested, and you have to say where you’re going to post a review, but I would have thought several hundred committed book-buyers on the Afterword would constitute a fairly convincing demographic.
So give it a go if you fancy it.
Here’s a sweet little tune to help you along.
I’ve been using Netgalley for years. Bloody marvellous, it is. A brief paragraph on Goodreads keeps most publishers happy.
Just opened in UK, which is why I thought I’d spread the word.
Ooh, nice one. One of the things I most miss about bookselling is proof copies and that feeling of being ahead of the game. I remember picking up The Beach from the slush pile in the staff room and unashamedly raving about, having the advantage of reading it before all the hype started (actually being part of the pre-hype hype I suppose).