Applications for our 2024 Berkley Pub and Berkley Romance Influencer Programs are currently closed. If you applied before the November 1 deadline, you will be notified of your application status on or about December 7, 2023. Due to the volume of applicants, only reviewers that have been accepted into the program will be contacted.

We will reopen applications in fall 2024. 📚

What are the Berkley Influencer Programs? 

Berkley offers two influencer programs. The Berkley Pub program offers digital review and finished copies of all of the books that Berkley publishes including romance, while the Berkley Romance program specifically offers digital review and finished copies of Berkley's romance titles. 

How do the Berkley Influencer Programs work? 

Approximately once a month, you'll receive an email from us with access to early digital review copies and finished copies of our books. Digital review copies via NetGalley will be our main method of ARC distribution, and you will be automatically pre-approved for the digital offerings each month. For finished copies, each month you will have the opportunity to select three books you would be interested in receiving, and we will do our best to honor your top choices. Please note finished (print) copies are limited. 

What are you looking for in an applicant? 

We're looking for active influencers with an engaged following. Ideally, we want someone who posts thoughtful reviews, shares their excitement for upcoming and new releases, and utilizes the various features and tools available on Instagram, TikTok. We do understand life happens and that the capacity in which you're able to post about our books will not always be the same. 

What are the requirements to apply?  

You need an active Instagram or TikTok account, to live in the US, and to be 18 years-of-age or older. 

If I’m a current member, do I need to apply?  

Yes! We refresh our program every year, so even current members need to submit an application. 

Are the programs open to international influencers?  

Due to world rights and restrictions, Penguin Random House U.S. is only able to work with influencers within the 50 United States, and as such, the 2023 Berkley Influencer Programs are only open to applicants based in the U.S. 

If you are located internationally, we recommend you first check with your local publisher. You can also reach out to InternationalPublicity@penguinrandomhouse.com to check on the rights restrictions and availability of review copies on a title-by-title basis.

How is Berkley prioritizing diversity and inclusion for their influencer selection? 

As an imprint of Penguin Random House, we publish voices reflecting the full spectrum of genres and the diversity of our world, and we want the influencers we work with to be a reflection of that. We strongly encourage BIPOC reviewers and reviewers of historically underrepresented groups outside of race or ethnicity to apply.  

Please note we take the privacy of our program members and applicants very seriously, and as such, we do not require data on identity and diversity for our database, nor do we store this data. If you are comfortable and want to share, we do invite applicants to self-identify as someone from a historically underrepresented community and to let us know if there is a certain type of book or voice they would like to prioritize on their platforms. 

As a member of the program, will I receive digital or physical galleys of your books? 

We are only offering digital galleys via NetGalley. 

What is a galley? 

A galley is an early version of the book. These early digital copies are not proofread and are subject to minor spelling, grammatical, and format changes. The terms “galley” and “ARC” are interchangeable.

As a member of the program, will I receive finished copies of your books? 

Yes! Program members will have the opportunity to receive finished copies (aka print or physical) copies of our books each month. 

I don’t see a book available for request in the program. Now what?

Review copies are limited and not available for all titles. If there is a title you are interested in that is not offered in the program, please email berkley@penguinrandomhouse.com with your interest.

What accounts should I tag and what hashtags should I use in my post? 

If you choose to post about a complimentary book you received from Berkley, you must disclose our relationship within each relevant post, as required by the FTC. This disclosure must occur at the top of your post before any “expand” or “read more” button. Please use at least one of these two mandatory disclosures:

• “Thanks so much to @berkleypub or @berkleyromance for the free book!”

• Tag the imprint and use the imprint's Partner hashtags: #BerkleyPartner

I missed the deadline to apply. Can I still work with you? 

Yes! NetGalley is our primary method of review copy distribution. We encourage you to browse our NetGalley catalog for titles you may be interested in and request an e-ARC, and be sure to check our approval preferences to better your chances of being approved for an e-ARC.

For all other requests, email berkley@penguinrandomhouse.com and include the below information in your request:

• Your social media handles

• Direct links to your profile

• Indicate your genre reading preferences

• Share why you are interested in a book

• If you are an influencer who contributes to a blog or media outlet, please disclose this

What if I don’t hear back or my request isn’t approved?

Every campaign is unique, and there are limited physical and digital review copies available. Please note, that we may be offering additional copies via sweepstakes and giveaways, hosted on our imprint social media channels or Goodreads. We invite you to follow us to learn more about additional opportunities to win copies of our books.

I saw someone post a galley or ARC of a book but was told that review copies were not available. How did other people receive a review copy?

While we are the primary distributors of Berkley titles to book influencers, other teams (publicity, editorial, library marketing, sales, etc.) may send review copies to industry professionals such as media contacts, professional reviewers, TV and movie development teams, bloggers, booksellers, and librarians, and these recipients may share their copies on their social media platforms.

Do you offer compensation for posting about books?

In accordance with Penguin Random House influencer policy, we work with influencers in the following ways:

1. Penguin Random House does not offer monetary compensation for buzz mailings that have no posting requirement. For buzz mailings, we will provide you with complimentary books and give you the opportunity to read and review them, but you are under no obligation to do so.

2. Penguin Random House does offer monetary compensation for sponsored content where posting is required. These paid posts will be within specific parameters, including timing and content guidelines, and potentially content approval.

Additional Resources:

Penguin Random House Influencer Policy

Penguin Publishing Group Influencer FAQs

Berkley Pub: TikTok | Instagram | Threads | Facebook | Twitter

Berkley Romance: Instagram | Threads | Facebook | Twitter

Last updated October 24, 2023.