Bookish (NetGalley) Setup: Everything You Need to Know
If you just got approved for a NetGalley account and heard you need to connect it to “Bookish,” you’re probably staring at a dashboard that doesn’t explain itself. Here’s the straightforward version: Bookish is NetGalley’s reader-facing app and web platform where you actually read, review, and track the ARCs (advance reader copies) you’ve been approved for. Setting it up takes about 20 minutes, and this guide walks you through it step by step.
Why Bookish and NetGalley Are Two Separate Things
NetGalley is the gatekeeper—it’s where publishers list upcoming titles, you request them, and your approval status lives. Bookish is where the reading happens. Think of NetGalley as the publisher’s submission inbox and Bookish as your personal bookshelf with built-in reading tools.
The confusion is fair: NetGalley rebranded its reader app as Bookish in recent years, so older guides reference features that look different now. The core workflow hasn’t changed: request on NetGalley, read in Bookish, review in NetGalley (or Bookish, since reviews sync back).
Concrete example: When you get approved for a title like The God of the Woods by Liz Moore, the book appears in your NetGalley “Approved” shelf. But the actual file—the e-book or audiobook—opens through Bookish, where you can highlight passages, make notes, and mark your progress.
What You Need Before You Start
Before you begin the setup, gather these three things so the process goes smoothly:
1. The email address tied to your NetGalley account. Bookish requires an exact match to sync your approved titles. If you used a different email for NetGalley years ago and forgot, check your approval emails—they’ll show which address is on file.
2. Your NetGalley password. You’ll need it for the one-time authorization step. If you’re unsure, reset it before starting the Bookish setup, not during.
3. A device with the Bookish app installed (or access to the web version at bookish.netgalley.com). The app is available on iOS and Android, and the setup works identically on both.
Why this matters: The most common setup failure we see isn’t a technical glitch—it’s a mismatched email. If you skip this prep, you’ll spend 20 minutes troubleshooting a problem that takes 30 seconds to fix upfront.
Step-by-Step: Connecting Your NetGalley Account to Bookish
1. Create Your Bookish Profile
Go to the Bookish site or download the app (iOS and Android both have it). You’ll sign up using the same email address tied to your NetGalley account. This is critical—if the emails don’t match, your approved titles won’t sync.
During signup, Bookish asks about your reading preferences: genres you love, formats you prefer (e-book, audiobook, or both), and how often you plan to post reviews. This isn’t just fluff—publishers actually see these preferences when deciding who gets approved for future requests. A complete profile with genre interests and a bio that mentions your review habits can meaningfully improve your approval odds.
One detail most guides skip: Your profile bio is visible to publishers when they review your request. A bio that says “I review every ARC I request within two weeks of the publication date” signals reliability. Publishers track review timeliness, and they’re more likely to approve reviewers who demonstrate commitment.
2. Link Your Accounts
Once your Bookish profile is live, look for the settings menu (gear icon, usually top-right). Find “Connected Accounts” or “Link NetGalley.” You’ll be prompted to log into NetGalley and authorize the connection. This is a one-time step—after that, approvals flow automatically.
Common snag: If you use a password manager, make sure it’s not auto-filling an old NetGalley password. The authorization screen is strict about credentials matching your current NetGalley login.
How to verify this worked: After linking, you should see a confirmation message in Bookish that says something like “NetGalley connected.” Then check your NetGalley dashboard—you should see Bookish listed under “Connected Apps” or similar. If it’s not there, the link didn’t take, and you’ll need to repeat the authorization.
3. Set Your Reading Preferences
Bookish lets you choose how you want to receive titles. Some publishers offer both e-book and audiobook formats for the same ARC. If you’re an audiobook listener, toggle on “Audiobook Editions” in your preferences. This doesn’t guarantee every title will have an audio version, but it signals to publishers that you’re open to that format.
Why this matters: A growing number of NetGalley titles now include audiobook ARCs, especially from major publishers like Penguin Random House and Macmillan. If you’re listening at 1.5x speed during commutes (like most audiobook regulars), you can burn through ARCs faster than print-only reviewers—and publishers notice that.
A trade-off to consider: Audiobook ARCs are often “listen-only”—you can’t switch to the e-book version if you prefer reading. If a title you desperately want offers both formats, choose the one you’ll actually finish. Publishers track completion rates, and a half-finished ARC hurts your approval odds more than a skipped request.
4. Download the Bookish App (If You Haven’t)
The web version works fine, but the app is where Bookish shines. It supports offline reading, which is essential if you listen or read during commutes with spotty service. The app also handles audiobook playback natively, with chapter navigation and playback speed controls.
Verification step: After installing the app, log in and check that your approved titles appear. If they do, your setup is complete. If not, force-close the app and reopen it—sync typically triggers on login, and a fresh session often resolves the issue.
Navigating Your Bookish Dashboard
Your dashboard has three main sections you’ll actually use:
Currently Reading: Titles you’ve started. Bookish tracks your progress percentage, which is useful when you’re juggling multiple ARCs and need to remember where you left off.
Up Next: Titles you’ve been approved for but haven’t started. This is your queue. If you’re approaching a publication date and haven’t started the book, this section is your early warning system.
Finished: Titles you’ve completed and need to review. This is where you’ll spend time writing reviews before they sync back to NetGalley.
Pro tip: Bookish lets you sort by publication date. If you have three ARCs and one publishes next week, that’s the one to prioritize. Publishers track review timeliness, and a review posted before or on publication day carries more weight than one that arrives a month late.
A warning about the queue: It’s easy to over-request ARCs when you’re new. Publishers can see your pending and approved titles, and a massive backlog signals that you might not review on time. A good rule of thumb: only request what you can realistically finish within three weeks of the publication date.
Reading and Reviewing in Bookish
E-Book Reading
Bookish’s e-reader is straightforward: tap to turn pages, highlight by dragging, and add notes by tapping the comment icon. Highlights and notes are stored per-title and can be exported if you want to reference them in your review.
One feature worth using: the “Quote” function. When you tap a passage and select “Quote,” Bookish formats it as a shareable image. This is handy for social media posts promoting the book—publishers love when reviewers share quote cards, and it’s free marketing for your own review platform.
A practical note on highlights: If you’re writing a review that references specific passages, use the export function to pull your highlights into a document. It saves you from flipping back through the book to find that one perfect quote about the protagonist’s arc or the novel’s central theme.
Audiobook Listening
If you’ve selected an audiobook ARC, playback lives in Bookish’s built-in player. You get the standard controls: play/pause, skip forward/back, and speed adjustment. The player remembers your position across devices via cloud sync, so you can listen on your phone during a commute and pick up on your tablet at lunch.
One limitation: Bookish’s audiobook player doesn’t have the same polish as Audible’s—no sleep timer, no chapter artwork, and the speed controls max out at 2x (Audible goes to 3.5x). For most listening, this is fine. But if you’re a speed listener who routinely pushes past 2x, you’ll want to check whether a title offers a Kindle edition with Whispersync so you can switch to Audible for playback.
Try Audible Free for 30 Days — Start your free trial on Amazon and get two free audiobooks.
A failure mode to watch for: If an audiobook ARC won’t play, check your app version first. Audiobook playback was added in a relatively recent update, and older builds don’t support it. Also verify your device has enough storage—audiobook files are large, and the app needs room to download them for offline listening.
Writing and Submitting Reviews
When you finish a title, hit “Write Review.” Bookish gives you a text box and a star rating. Your review auto-syncs to NetGalley, which then feeds it to the publisher. You can also cross-post to Goodreads or StoryGraph from the same screen if you’ve connected those accounts.
The timing question: You don’t have to wait until you finish the book to write a review. If you’re 60% through and have strong thoughts, you can draft early and submit later. Bookish saves drafts, so nothing is lost if you step away.
How to confirm your review went through: After submitting, check that the title moves from “Finished” to a “Reviewed” state in Bookish. Then log into NetGalley and confirm the review appears under your “Reviews” tab. If it’s there, you’re done. If not, you may have submitted while offline—force-close the app and reopen it with a stable connection to trigger the sync.
Troubleshooting Common Setup Issues
Issue: Approved titles aren’t showing up in Bookish.
First, check that you’re logged into Bookish with the same email as NetGalley. If that’s correct, try logging out and back in—sync usually triggers on login. If titles still don’t appear after 24 hours, NetGalley’s support team is responsive, but check their help center first; this is a documented issue with a known fix (re-authorizing the account connection).
Issue: Audiobook ARC won’t play.
Make sure your app is updated. Audiobook playback was added in a relatively recent version, and older builds don’t support it. Also check your device’s storage—audiobook files are large, and the app needs room to download them for offline listening.
Issue: Review won’t sync to NetGalley.
This usually happens if you submit a review while offline. Bookish queues it, but the sync can stall. Force-close the app and reopen it with a stable connection. If that doesn’t work, copy your review text, delete it, and resubmit.
Issue: You can’t find the audiobook version of an approved title.
Not every ARC includes audio. If the publisher only offered an e-book edition, you won’t see an audiobook option in Bookish, regardless of your preferences. Check the title’s details page on NetGalley to see which formats were offered at the time of your request.
Is Bookish Worth Using Over the NetGalley Website?
For e-books, yes. The reading experience is cleaner, highlights are easier to manage, and the progress tracking helps you stay on top of multiple ARCs. The NetGalley website’s reader is functional but dated; Bookish is a genuine upgrade.
For audiobooks, it depends. If you’re a casual listener, Bookish’s player is fine. If you’re someone who lives in Audible and relies on features like sleep timers or variable speed beyond 2x, you’ll find Bookish limiting. In that case, check if the title is also available as an e-book ARC and consider reading that instead—or request audiobook ARCs only from publishers who also offer Kindle editions with Whispersync.
Making Bookish Work for Your First Week
Set up Bookish once, and it becomes your home base for all NetGalley reading. The initial 20-minute setup saves you from the clunky web reader and keeps your review workflow in one place. Start by linking your account, setting your format preferences, and downloading the app. Then request a title you’re genuinely excited about—reading an ARC you actually want to read makes the whole system feel worth it.
The real payoff comes after your first few reviews. Publishers see your timeliness and the quality of your feedback, and that track record translates into more approvals for titles you actually want. Bookish is the tool that makes that track record possible—it’s where your reading happens, your progress is tracked, and your reviews are born. Spend the 20 minutes now, and you’ll save yourself hours of frustration later.
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