My Search For New Authors

I’m a published author. I’m also an avid reader. I’ll read just about anything that is well done. Of course, I have my favorite authors; about thirty of them. However, some of the most surprising books that I’ve read lately are from authors that I’ve never heard of. Some of these books are new, or first time, authors and some are veterans that I had never encountered. The common thread is that most of them are good. I am, and have always been, on the lookout for interesting new authors as some of my trusty favorites retire, fade away or go too commercial.

My favorite way to search for a new book is to browse the stacks of a bookstore or a scan the archives of a leading bookish website. However, I have a couple of problems with most of the places and sites. One, they tend to present the most popular, fastest selling books: profit is everything. Or, two, they give the most attention to whoever pays the highest fees. I’m not looking for the most profitable books or the one promoted by the richest publisher. One type of site that I never disappoints is library sites where librarians recommend their favorite books. In short, I’m looking unbiased sources for emerging writers.

And I found a site that I particularly like, GoodReads.com and their [book] ‘giveaways’ department. The Goodreads giveaway site is free to member authors. The only expense is that the author (or the author’s agent) has to provide the giveaway prize, usually a copy of the book. Many of these giveaways are posted by struggling authors just like me. I read down through 10 pages of potential giveaways and found a couple of dozen books in genres that I like, by authors that I didn’t know. I like the covers. There was usually a synopsis and/or a profile for the author. I liked that none of the entries were there because the host paid a higher fee to be higher on the giveaway list.

I even entered many of the giveaway contests. Sure, I might not ever be the one person in 1,200 who wins an autographed copy of an interesting book, but the exercise was entertaining. I also, noted the names of several of the books and several of the authors. I’m pretty sure that I will buy some of them.

So, if you want a potential literary diamond in the rough, I recommend the GoodReads.com ‘Giveaways’ page. Happy hunting.

Deer Hawk Publications released my novel, The Defect,  in June of 2016. The Defect is a fictionalized account of what really happened during the accident at Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Station and the reasons for the government coverup that followed.  I’m a Marine is scheduled for release in May of 2017 and is based on my granddaughters service in the U.S. Marines. The Chilcoat Project  is scheduled for release the next year. Jeff’s current project is Wine Country. Wine Country is based, in part, on the true story of the ‘Radioactive Boy Scout.’