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Where do you go for "new authors"?

S

Sentinel

New Member
Hey,

I wonder what you guys do (apart from browsing this forum) in order to "find new authors". I find it immensely difficult, locating "new" interesting writers by using the big online retailers help like Amazon + Barnes & Noble. Mostly because their "recommendations" are built on sales, meaning that all (almost) recommendations for a reasonably well liked/published author are for other titles of the same author. But that's, what I don't need. If I have read Pratchett, I don't need to be shown that he has published more than this one book. If I like an author, first thing I do is to check what else he has written and whether the story appeals to me. Now I want a different author who writes comparable stuff.

Example: I didn't really find a new inspiration in the "laugh out loud-funny" Book thread. I recently read "Pest Control" by Bill Fitzhugh which I liked quite well, now if I search Amazon I get recommendations for his other books (don't find them that interesting) and that's it. Same with Tim Dursey, I can be glad when one recommendation leads to Carl Hiaasen, but that's about it.

The Browse-by-Genre function from B&N has lost almost all its appeal, for some reason these listings are just not comprehensible to me...

Well, what DO you do?
Rant over ;)
 
Hi, there are a number of review sites that I check out. And you may find them good to find new authors. Many of them contain reviews, articles, and author interviews

Book Reporter

Margin - Magazine about Magical realism and authors

The Guardian: Respected British newspaper's review section

January Magazine

Mostly Fiction

Which Book: Web site that chooses books for you according to the parameters that you set it

The SF site: Revies SF ( what a surprise! ), Fantasy and Horror

That should keep you going and find you some new authors/books! :)
 
I just mainly browse through the bookshops, and grab whatever catches my eye. Read the blurb, read a page, and decide on whether of not to buy.

Cheers
 
Thanks Wabbit, will check those out.

Martin, I, too, go browsing the old fashioned way, but must say, that not every good book hides behind a promising cover, so eventually you miss out there. :)
 
New, as in "new to writing" or "new to you"?? I usually use great forums like these and several on Yahoo to find authors I've never heard of. It's how I found Jim Butcher and Kelley Armstrong (paranormal/fantasy). Sometimes, a clerk in a store will see my selection and recommend a new author. Had that happen just yesterday.

Hmm, SillyWabbit. I like the red eyes and fangs, but miss the dancing blue bunny! :(

Cathy
Evil bunnies are the next step to penguins! You've been warned!!
 
Ah, do not worry, the dancing blue bunny will return! This is the special edition scary Halloween bunny!
 
:eek: EEK! Shades of Monty Python, SillyWabbit!

Cathy
Really, I swear -- the Penguins will be knocking before dawn!
 
This is what I do:

I go to Amazon.com, and search for one of my favorite novels, say Imajica or Mercy (David Lindsey). Click on the novel to get the full description page with reviews. Scroll down to Listmania and you'll see a few links to lists that people have made that include this novel.

Voila, new authors!
 
Sometimes I will go to thrift stores and pick out arthurs who are new to me. I have had a lot of success this way because you don't spend that much money. I have also bought some brand new books this way.
 
I agree with hannibal, amazon.com is a good place to look. listmania is a great feature, but in addition to that there is a list for every item that reads "customers who bought this title also bought:", so you get other authors, cds, dvds, &c. that are similar to your taste.
 
I also frequently use Amazon's Listmania feature, as well as "Customers who bought this also bought...".

In addition, I use several book websites to find similar authors to those whom I enjoy, as well as information about random authors. Some good websites, at least for me:
Gnooks World of Literature Use Gnod's Suggestions to find new authors, the Map of Literature to find similar authors, the Literature Forum, or the Literature Locator. I've found this to be a useful site when looking for new authors.

Whichbook.net I've never had much luck with this one myself, but I know other people have found some great recommendations through this site. Basically you choose several features you want in a book (i.e. happy/sad, set in another world/set in this one, funny/not funny). You have a slider bar to choose just how much of one or another feature you want in your book, and then click for suggestions.

Stop, You're Killing Me! This is a website for fans of mystery, be it hard boiled, cozy, PI, or whatever other type of mystery you enjoy. You can search by author or by character, which is useful for those who particularly love a character, but do not recall the author. When you find an author, it lists the books they've written, with links to amazin, as well as the main character in each book.

I also browse the "Just out!" collections at our local bookstores. You never know what you might find while reading blurbs of randomly selected books.


Like Martin said, you'll never have enough time to read all the good books in the world, but I figure, why not give it a try?
 
You're absolutely right on that closing remark, but I've been well supplied up until now, and I don't think that's ever gonna change. But then, I have a very broad taste - if your taste is somewhat narrower, you're gonna run into a drought, yes.

Cheers
 
My problem is that I am also well-supplied! And I'm always finding new genres & new authors. I do like to try something new every once in a while, which is when I go use the above methods of finding new authors/books.
 
Here's a suggestion on new books, and it's the method that I use as well. Unfortunately, it's all genre-based fiction, and if you're looking for stuff like autobiographies, you're out of luck. :)

I stumbled on this site many many years ago, and I still refer to it periodically when I want new stuff to read:
The Internet Top 100 SF/Fantasy List. What's special about this site is it's record of a tabulation of user-submitted entries, and books will climb the charts the more it is voted for. The only problem with this site is it is not exactly updated with the latest books.

I've tried to build my reading list from here, which has so far not been *too* disappointing. I've always wanted to build something like this myself that will automatically tabulate the scores. But no time, nor the audience to populate the list with. :eek:

ds
 
I've got a zany idea. Why don't you pay attention when you read.

I know for a fact Carl Hiaasen, mentions at least one other author in his works; I think he mentions two others but I'm not certain.
 
I go to the publisher direct. You usually can get the same book for about half what you pay on Amazon or B and N, and you can see all the ones that aren't on Amazon etc.

I found the ones I like better than most of the stuff (actually my sister did) because she knows an author who uses Lulu, so she went there to see what he wrote. You can click on any author and it takes you to the list of their books, and there are reviews and ratings, and most of them have previews so you can read a chapter or so and know if you like the way they write.

The book I just finished cost $17.95 plus shipping on Amazon, and cost $14.35 including shipping direct from Lulu.

You can go to Amazon or whatever and find the book you want, then check the publisher and go to their website and get the same book a lot cheaper.
 
To pick a new author, i generally grab a book that looks interesting in a 3 for 2, and if i like it then i sometimes check out some more of their stuff.

Other than that, i go by recommendations from friends and people here on the Forum, which can be a bit hit-and-miss but is generally good.

Phil
 
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