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The Daily Dose
Smattering of Romance, Paranormal, and General ObservationsStepping Out of the Comfort Zone
We all have our comfort zones. We have stores we like to shop in. We have shows
we like to watch. We have books and authors we like to read. So tempt us or
tease us with new authors and new genres and we'll still hesitate.
Discovering New Authors
There are many ways to discover a new author. For example, you may meet them via
a book signing. A few months ago, my daughter went to an American Girl meeting
at the local Barnes and Noble, a young lady, just fifteen years old was signing
a book she wrote about how she and her family came to America. My daughter was
fascinated. They spent thirty minutes talking and she autographed the book for
her, a book that my daughter eagerly read when she came home.
More than a year ago, I stopped in at another Barnes and Noble where an author
by the name of Rick
Riordan was signing books. I listened to him talk while I was browsing, the
more I listened, the more interested I became. I ended up picking up two of his
books β PERCY JACKSON AND
THE LIGHTING THIEF and PERCY JACKSON AND THE SEA OF
MONSTERS. I gave the books to my nephew and he fell in love. Iβve since read
them and love them too,
Similarly Iβve discovered other authors including Candace Havens, Rosemary Clement-Moore,
Michele Bardsley and
more β just by going to book signings. Funnily enough, I found Dakota Cassidy completely
by βaccidentβ. My mother-in-law checked out THE ACCIDENTAL WEREWOLF
because the blurb on the back made her laugh out loud.
It made me laugh too!
Recommended by the Ones You Love
My husband is another great source of new authors. Heβs picked out Sherrilyn Kenyon, Patricia Briggs, Rachel Caine and Sharon Shinn β all of
which he gave me as presents over the years. Heβll often pick up books on a
whim, bringing them home so I can check them out and read them. Some are
successful, some are not. In return, Iβve introduced him to Kelley Armstrong and Jim Butcher.
The great part of receiving a book as a gift is that you may never have picked
it up for yourself, but since itβs a gift, you have a risk-free ticket to visit
that authorβs vision. In tough economic times, itβs really hard to turn down a
free ride on the imagination train
Over the last couple of years, you can add book bloggers, Twitter and Facebook
to my book recommendation sources that expand my comfort zone despite the
protests of my bookshelves.
What sources invite you to step outside your comfort zone?
A lifelong writer turned author, Heather Long's first book
Remembering Ashby is
available for purchase at Sapphire Blue Publishing. Coming soon is the urban
fantasy: Prime Evil. The
Daily Dose explores books, television, writing and more -- all topics
that Heather enjoys.
Comments
12 comments posted.
Re: Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone
Receiving free books, allows me to step into something new. Also I'm more involved in book sites, where I read blogs, watch trailers, and read excerpts. It keeps me in the know about new authors and books. My only problem is finding time to read all the books I want to read.
(Theresa Buckholtz 1:45pm November 17, 2009)
I read alot of reviews and recommendations, and also by word of mouth.
(Vikki Parman 2:51pm November 17, 2009)
Winning free books gets me started with new authors. ALso, having the author blog on a site that I already read (i.e., Fresh Fiction).
(Karin Tillotson 3:57pm November 17, 2009)
I've been introduced to several new authors by winning their books. I now look for those authors websites and new books. Great way to read outside my regular box!!!
(JoAnn White 4:33pm November 17, 2009)
Talking with different author on blogs introduce me into a whole new realm of books. I, too, think that winning books bring new authors into my world. I love it.
(Lisa Glidewell 5:27pm November 17, 2009)
Listening to authors at booksignings and reading blogs has expanded my range of books. I used to never pick up science fiction or war, but now give them a try.
(Alyson Widen 5:46pm November 17, 2009)
Heather: Thanks for your post.
I have a pretty wide comfort zone, one that encompasses several genres and themes. There's no way I can read all that's in it, so looking for material outside it isn't really an issue with me.
What's more, if a type of book is banished to my "I'm not interested" zone, it's usually for a good reason. Even the greatest push in advertising, PR, and word-of-mouth won't send me there.
Having said that, it's good to know what's out there so I can stay up on the market and get an idea of what readers want. And for that, I largely rely on two sources.
One is Facebook, through both my FB friends and the many groups and pages for readers and writers that I belong to.
The other is websites for readers and writers. Fresh Fiction is at the top of the list. And your Daily Dose blog is my favorite!
Keep up the good work!
(Mary Anne Landers 5:51pm November 17, 2009)
Exchanging books with friends is a way to try new authors; also when I've been given gift cards to bookstore That is my cue to try new authors that I would not have purchased otherwise. And of course the many websites we can browse for authors.
(Diane Sadler 6:08pm November 17, 2009)
I've got to agree with the
free books from contests, I've
found several new authors that
I love and read some books
that I might not have bought
but throughly enjoyed. Book
blogs have probably introduced
me to the most new books and
authors. I love to read the
reviews and hear about books
that are coming out months
down the road. My wishlist and
TBR pile has increased beyond
belief. I also have read
several free reads posted by
authors that have caused me to
immediately look for more of
their books, often even
purchasing the one that I just
read free. Thanks to sites
like this, I have have found
new books that I have spent
hours enjoying.
(Lisa Richards 6:49pm November 17, 2009)
The gift of books has certainly widened my choice of reading. Having been introduced to certain authors I have sought more of their work. Word of mouth very is important too.
(Mary Preston 7:40pm November 17, 2009)
Today we have so many ways to discover new authors and try different genres. Publishers and authors have excerpts and/or free reads. I especially love the video trailers. Reading the reviews on new novels is always useful and, of course, we have the old stand-by (word of mouth). E-books certainly have changed our buying and reading habits.
(Rosemary Krejsa 7:52pm November 17, 2009)
I'm no longer actively looking for new authors and books to read; I've got far too big a TBR pile. However, some of the authors blogging here have piqued my interest and there is at least one of them that I was able to find at the library. I've read the first of the series and will probably read more of them.
(Sigrun Schulz 11:29pm November 17, 2009)
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