Case Study: Using NetGalley and Goodreads for Book Marketing and Publicity

Today I’m happy to share an exclusive with my readers: a case study on the book launch for Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe by Robert Matzen.

Sarah Miniaci at Smith Publicity and Kristina Radke at NetGalley review the marketing and publicity strategies that can help increase your book’s discoverability, word-of-mouth, and reviews. Any publicist or author can implement the tactics covered in this case study, which include (but are not limited to) how to incorporate NetGalley’s tools into wider campaigns.

Over 300 publishers and hundreds of indie authors use NetGalley to offer advance review copies of their books and generate early buzz in the book community. And Smith Publicity is a full-service book publicity firm which, since 1997, worked with thousands of authors and publishers in promoting books from every genre—from New York Times bestsellers to first-time, independent titles.

Here’s an overview of what you’ll find in the hour-long discussion, with time stamps:

• 4:05: Getting to know the project and determining goals
• 9:05: What goals were set for the book
• 11:15: Action item #1: Create pre-publication buzz with consumer market targets (using NetGalley and Goodreads)
• 25:40: Action item #2: Obtain book trade reviews to establish visibility with buyers (librarians and booksellers) for holiday 2016 season
• 34:30: Action item #3: Generate major media coverage around release through Christmas 2016
• 42:15: Results obtained from action items #1 and #2
• 45:45: Results obtained from action item #3
• 49:00: Results recap
• 50:30: Key takeaways

Jane Friedman

Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.

Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.