Kristen Painter, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, House of Comarre Sometimes it seems like my Twitter and Facebook feeds are nothing but “Buy my book!” posts, which after a while, just slide by without me paying them any real attention. (Hey, I’m an author too, I know how hard promo is, but even I try to avoid the endless pimpage.)

I have a feeling I’m not alone in that.

So how do you find new books? How do you discover new authors? Think about the last great book you read – how did it end up in your hands? Do you rely on the recommendations of review sites? Friends? Booksellers? Tell me!

  1. I am a bookseller so I see a lot of what is coming out that way. I however work in a small format chain store so only see about 1/4 of what a large bookstore would have available. I have found the best way to test waters with authors I am unfamiliar with is to buy anthologies. I have gotten hooked on more than a few good ones that way. I am a sucker for a good cover. make a cool, interesting or unusual cover and I will at least read the book blurb. It was the cover that drew me to your series as well.

  2. To find new books I often walk around the library. I get book one for a new series there. if I really like it I try my best to buy the rest. That’s how I found your books. I also am on twitter, facebook, and goodreads. But a lot of them are ebooks. I like to hold a book. I am getting a nook soon only because one of the series I read book 6 is only an ebook.

  3. Online, I go to my favorite book’s pages on amazon and go to the little ‘customers also bought’ and surf through those sections to find similar series. Or I look up cheap e-books via amazon or bookbub.

    In store, I just hang out for hours, checking out out all the covers, reading first chapters, things like that.

  4. I frequently run out of books of authors I like so I am always looking for new ones. I buy all books online as I have a kindle.

    I have found quite a few new authors for the types of books I like to read on Facebook pages and their sites such as Fierce Fiction or Book Chick City. There are also lots on there which don’t appeal but I tend to find things I like the sound of and download a sample. If I like the book I tend to buy them.

    Some books I find by using ‘people who bought this book also bought’ feature on Amazon. I tend to look through the reviews and then download a sample.

    If I like an author and they have a Facebook page I tend to follow them and sometimes they recommend other books they are reading. I’ve found a couple of authors that way. It also means I am less likely to miss the releases of new titles as they tend to put them on their pages.

    When earlier work from an author is heavily discounted it often encourages me to try it. If I like it I end up working my way through the series until I’ve caught up to their current book.

    These days I’m rarely swayed by the cover of a book. A lot of the covers of the books I’ve read I’ve not actually liked but I don’t tend to see them until I get to the end of whatever I’ve read. Obviously an attractive cover does draw you in but everyone has different tastes.

    Sometimes I just work my way through the best sellers list on Amazon for fantasy and get samples of things I like the sound of.

  5. Actually, Twitter is where I find my new authors, and of course through recommendation. I found you through Roxanne St. Claire 🙂 her website. And yeah, most of the time it is twitter when they follow me.
    I for some reason find it less distracting reading a book on my computer screen then reading a paperback… I can read roughly 100 pages a day. lol. I basically kinda speed read… but can still enjoy it, I have a very vivid imagination, it also depends on how descriptive the writer is too. Of course sometimes my brain is foggy.

  6. I will research a “new to me” author by reviews and recommendations from my reading buddies (bloggers, Goodreads, Shelfair and real life friend). The reviews don’t have to be 5 stars to get my attention.

    And I’m bad about letting a pretty cover grab my attention. Then I’ll read the summary if it sounds like something I would enjoy I marked it and see if anyone I know has read it and liked it. Or if they didn’t like I find out why because what they didn’t like I might like.

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