NBCC member Meredith Maran answers Question #4 in our series:
Has the tipping point come for reviewers?Are you using e-galleys?
No one has sent me an e-galley, and if they did, I'd ask for a print galley
Will e-book originals get review attention?
For my own book, pubbing in mid-September, we had much heated conversation about whether or not to send e-galleys to potential reviewers as well as national TV/radio/print media. The publisher was in favor, unsurprisingly, since the costs of e-galleys are negligible. As a reviewer, I was adamant that only print galleys have the impact of a “real book.” As a matter of fact, I prefer finished books to galleys when reviewing a book, since I find jacket copy and flap copy important to my overall impression of the book–as well as other elements often missing from galleys, including index, foreword, acknowledgments, etc.
If you aren't using e-galleys, are you ready to make the switch? Why or why not?
I recently tried out a Kindle and found that I hated every book I read on it. Could be a coincidence, or could be that it's harder to like a book on a screen. So I plan to refuse e-galleys as long as possible.