Bookish.com, now a part of NetGalley, is launching BookishFirst, an early preview and review platform where avid readers can discover new books and authors, read pre-publication excerpts, win free books, provide blurbs and reviews, and share their love of books with others.
At BookishFirst, readers can enter raffles for free books by writing blurbs ("First Impressions") based on excerpts ("First Looks"). Raffle winners receive the book approximately one month before publication and then post reviews to major book retail sites on pub day. Readers earn points for each action, which can later be redeemed for more free books. The launch raffle includes books from Berkley Publishing Group, Del Rey, Disney-Hyperion, Gallery Books, Harlequin, Sourcebooks Fire and St. Martin's Press.
Lindsey Lochner, v-p, marketing engagement, at NetGalley said BookishFirst "offers a new level of engagement for the passionate book-loving community that has already connected with the strong, curated editorial voice on Bookish.com. We're also excited to offer publishers a new platform to capture early reviews and create buzz around their books directly with avid readers. We foresee BookishFirst becoming an important tool for publishers to gain consumer insights, analyze trends, and better understand how to connect directly with readers."