NetGalley members will, it seems, enjoy quicker and more secure access to digital review copies, while publishers benefit from first-of-its-kind content protection.

Okay, this is not really my area of expertise, so I’ll stick strictly to the press release.

NetGalley supports publishers and authors in promoting digital review copies and audiobooks to book advocates and industry professionals. It is part of the Firebrand Group, owned by Media Do International (MD-i).

NetGalley has announced a significant upgrade to its Reading Options, that includes the launch of the proprietary NetGalley Reader and the introduction of LCP-protected downloads.

Per the press release, the global upgrade is now live across all NetGalley domains in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Japan.

Key Features

NetGalley Reader: Developed by NetGalley’s in-house engineering team, the NetGalley Reader provides advanced digital content protection and offers a seamless reading experience within web browsers and supports ePub and PDF formats. Users can now start reading their approved books with a single click, without needing to leave the NetGalley website or download any files.

Enhanced Security: The NetGalley Reader utilises sophisticated cryptography to lock digital content to specific users and devices, ensuring secure access.

Additionally, the “Download” Reading Option now uses EDRLab’s Readium Licensed Content Protection (LCP), replacing the older Adobe DRM.

That bit’s way beyond my paygrade, so let’s get back to the important stuff:

Benefits for Users and Publishers

NetGalley members will, it seems, enjoy quicker and more secure access to digital review copies, while publishers benefit from first-of-its-kind content protection. The NetGalley Shelf app, which launched in 2020, the press release adds, remains the exclusive way to listen to audiobooks, continuing to provide a comprehensive reading experience.

Yawn! Yeah, I know. Press releases are so predictable. But wait, there’s more:

Strategic Partnerships

Tom Shawver, CTO of Firebrand Technologies and NetGalley, highlighted the importance of making books easily and securely accessible. The upgrade strengthens NetGalley’s partnership with EDRLab, ensuring portable, LCP-protected downloads.

Read the full press release here.

This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsfeed.