New Author Challenge 2012

New Author Challenge 2012 It’s the fourth year for the New Author Challenge and I’m hoping everyone is still enjoying this reading challenge.  Last year I attempted to do more mini-challenges and wasn’t that successful. So this year I’m not going to promise that I’ll be more consistent with them, but I will say that I am going to attempt to do a few during 2012. So we’ll see if I can’t do better this year.

For those new to the New Author Challenge, the whole idea started when I first started book blogging. I didn’t know that many authors in my favored genre, so I went looking.  I gave myself a goal of finding 50 new authors and ended up reading 56 the first year I did this.  I loved finding these new worlds and cultures, so I want to help others find new ones as well.  Since 2007, I’ve tried over 100 different authors I may not have tried otherwise and I have found some great authors.

The idea behind this is to find new authors that you’ve never tried before, not necessarily ones that are debuting.  They can be in your genre of choice or be brave and try something new.  You never know what you’re going to like until you try it.  If you’re looking for some suggestions, you can check out the Author page here at Literary Escapism or the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Challenge pages.  With over 1000 reviews posted, I’m sure there will be something there for everyone.

Here are the guidelines:

  1. The challenge will run from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012.
  2. Since this is an author challenge, there is no restriction on choosing your novels. They can definitely be from other challenges. However, the authors must be new to you and, preferably from novels.  Anthologies are a great way to try someone new, but only a third of your new authors can be from anthologies.
  3. I want this to be an easy challenge, so you can pick to do either 15, 25 or 50 new authors.  It all depends on how fast you read and how adventurous you want to be.  For me, I want to say I’m going to do another 50 new authors, but with two kids, I didn’t made my goal in 2011, so I’m going to be smarter and say 25.  If you reach your goal halfway through the year, don’t stop.  Any new author you try can be added to Mr. Linky.  We all want to know about your new experience.
  4. After reading your new author, write your review and then come back here and add your link to Mr. Linky.  Make sure you include your name and the author, but adding the title is completely up to you.
  5. Bloggers or Non-Bloggers alike are welcome. You don’t have to have a site to participate. You can link up via Facebook, GoodReads or even Amazon if you’d like.

Once you reach your goal, you don’t have to stop.  Any new author you try, go ahead and head back here and add it to the list.  Introduce us all to whoever you find.  Afterall, there’s no reason to stop trying new authors, right?

Grab the Button! NAC2012.500×323 | NAC2012.300×196 | NAC2012.200×131
Disclaimer: Artwork used for the button is Puget Sound on the Pacific Coast by Albert Bierstadt (1870).

Reviews & Participants:

28 Comments

  1. Just posted links four new-to-me authors: Aimee & David Thurlo, Jennifer Donnelley, Herman Melville, and Courtney Milan. The last three are highly recommended.

    I’m also four books behind on write ups, so I hope to be back soon.

  2. I have a question before joining the challenge. I would like to join. The challenge sounds great. If I join now, towards the end of March, can I count the 4 new authors I have read if I link up posts talking about them and what I thought about them? I think I could make 15 new authors this year if I can count those.

  3. This is just such an awesome idea..

    Thanks for offering us this challenge. Last year I went crazy and discovered a bucketload of new authors, some new to me and some actually new. It was so great.. So this year I need to consider my options..

    Thanks

    Shauni

  4. Signing on for this challenge at 15 authors, since I have so many new authors in my TBR stacks…

    A few days ago I left a comment asking if I can include any new authors I read Jan. 1 to today, since I am signing up so late. If so, great. But I decided to try for it anyway, whatever the answer.

    Thanks, Tracy

  5. Signing up for the 25 new authors. Very excited! I’ve been doing pretty good this year about picking up authors I’ve never heard of. Who knows. Maybe I’ll even venture to 50!

  6. hey, looking forward to this challenge as a new author myself its great to see new authors being promoted in a fun way

  7. Yay! I just completed the 25 New Author Challenge! I’m going to continue keeping track, and maybe I’ll even reach 50 by the end of the year!

  8. Hi! I see this late but would love to join regardless. I’ve been reading numerous authors new for me, without being aware of your read-a-thon. If you permit me to utilize those from January 1st, that corrects a disadvantage. I didn’t review any of them. Write-ups would be fresh, exclusively to honour your rules. There don’t seem to prizes at stake.

    If you permit the recently read authors in keeping with the time period, I’m in and have many to share! Please tell me if “we’re playing for anything”, or whether this is solely about reading. I love talking about authors, more interesting than reviewing individual novel after novel. Thanks!

  9. Hello ‘Literary Escapism’!

    My commitment post is up so please add it wherever you see fit, if it’s supposed to go anywhere. Either way, I bid fellow readers to enjoy my personal introduction. After all it’s for all of you! :) Let me know if there are any prizes or if this is all about reading. I’m cool with that; simply wish to be informed. If e-mail went out way at the start of this challenge, please send it. Thank you! http://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/fresh-author-challenge/

  10. Hi LE. Thanks for the challenge! I already read some new authors for me this year, and I enjoy their books. BTW, I submit with my Goodreads profile since I always reviewing book I’d read with my native (Indonesia) on my blog. And sorry, forgot to set the amount. I plan to read 25 books by new authors. Thanks :)

    • Woo Hoo!! And you still have two months to go Darlene. *grin*

      For those curious, I’ll be posting the announcement for 2013 – NAC’s 5th Birthday – Thursday.

  11. Happy new year to all! I was a rookie x10 when I joined and see my general blog got signed up. Change contestant #163 to: http://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/fresh-author-challenge/. I don’t see a closing post being required and am content to share here! :)

    I aimed for 25 new names and have surpassed them to 33. My reviews are the following: #652, 655, 658, 660, 664, 670, 676, 677, 698, 702, 757, 758, 795-802, 905-912, 1085-1089, 1092. If there’s anything to know about a prize ect, let me know. I declare a done deal! :-)

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