Friday, December 14, 2018

Discussion: Making a Debut


This Week’s Topic: Making a Debut

Every year, we get a fresh, new crop of writers, who have achieved their dream of being published. And, every year, I take a chance on many of these new authors. I read their debuts, and I can say, it it's always a chance worth taking.

Why I Love Supporting Debuts
  1. I love celebrating someone seeing their dream come to fruition, and what better way then to read and support their book. 


  2. These are new, fresh authors, and I want to see what new and fresh stories they are bringing to the table. 

  3. There's a small part of my former alternative girl still somewhere deep down inside me, and I like finding that little known book, which may blow-up to the next IT book, and then I can tell everyone how I already knew the author's genius. 


  4. I have discovered so many amazing authors this way, and I don't love anything more, than getting in on the ground floor of something great. 

I have participated in the Debut Author Challenge for the past two years. So far, I have read 54 debuts this year, and these are ten of my highest rated debuts.
If you are interested in supporting 2019 MG and YA debuts, check out the Novel Nineteens site. 

Now it's your turn!

What was your favorite debut in 2018? 
Let us know in the comments!

42 comments:

  1. That's one of the things I enjoy about reading Indie authors. I like promoting and reviewing a book that has people leaving comments about never hearing of the author before but wanting to try them. That is enjoyable for me! If my reviews can get a few people to read that book, they can maybe do the same and the author gets more attention. Every little helps!

    I don't generally read a lot of debuts right as they get released. I'm usually later to the party as I have a huge backlog to get through. I did read the Extinction Trials a few months after release this year and loved it!

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    1. It's like rooting for the little guy. There's a big payoff, when you see them succeed in any way.

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  2. I love it when I discover a new favourite author that happens to be a debut author! I really loved One Day in December as well and I am looking forward to finding out what Silver comes out with next. it really is the most exciting part of blogging. Discovering those new faves. ;)

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    1. One Day in December is a favorite and I am hoping Silver gives us more wonderful stories like that soon

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  3. Oh, I’ll have to check out that site. New books are expensive and sometimes hard to find used, so I don’t read many of them. I should probably pay attention to what’s coming out, though.

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. I get most of my books from the eLibrary, so, FREE! for me.

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  4. Great meme. On my way to check them out.
    sherry @ fundinmental

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    1. Thanks. Hope you find something that interests you.

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  5. I love finding hidden gems and watching them grow into something everyone loves too! The feeling of victory and superiority because you already knew it existed way before it became a huge thing has a drug like high :)

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    1. I know that is totally part of the reason I love it too.

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  6. I so agree with you Sam! But I confess that I don't accept ARCs anymore from authors contacting me on the blog. I prefer "picking" my debut authors myself. The Kiss Quotient is twice on my BestBooksof2018 and One Day in December gets so many fantastic reviews that I want to read it too! Sophie @bewareofthereader

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    1. I don't get many requests, but I request a lot of debuts or get them from the library. One Day in December was so good. I love those books that follow characters for long periods of time, and ODiD spans about 10 years of ups and downs, but ultimately I got exactly what I wanted.

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  7. I am just nodding my head to this whole post but, "...and then I can tell everyone how I already knew the author's genius." is 100% me. IT'S JUST SO TRUE. And also, I love seeing new authors emerge for your # 1 reason as well. It's so fun to be able to witness someone's dream come true, even if their first book isn't my cup of tea, you know? I'm just over in the corner waving a pom-pom around, don't mind me.

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    1. I love a success story. I remember letting a few tears escape at the Obsidio signing, when Jay Kristoff said that he could now dedicate himself full time to writing because of the series' success. How awesome to be a part of something like that, even if it's only in a small way.

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  8. The Kiss Quotient was amazing! I just took a chance again on another debut author and loved it: The Winter Sister by Megan Collins. I'll have to check out a few of your favs above.

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    1. I have seen a few reviews for the Winter Sister. *adding on GR*

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  9. I love reading debuts! I really need to participate in the challenge next year. This Kiss Quotient is one of my all-time favorites, and I am SO EXCITED for her next book! I have No Filter, but it slipped through the cracks earlier this year. I guess I need to read that one sooner rather than later! I have One Day in December from my library, so I'll get to it soon.

    Also, I love being able to tell people that I already knew an author was amazing, long before they discovered the book themselves. Is that terrible? ;)
    Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 💬

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    1. I consider reading my thing, and being in on the ground floor of someone's meteoritic rise makes me feel like a super-reader. I love romance, but will admit, very few get higher than 4 stars from me, but TKQ earned higher because there was just something so special about it. I hope you get to a few of those books. I was a black sheep on No Filter, but honestly, I really like it.

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  10. I do really enjoy reading debuts. It is so much fun to spread the work about great new authors and I have to agree that I find some joy in knowing that I was reading an author before they became well known.

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    1. It really does feel good to be supporting them before they blow up, and yeah, I like the cred too.

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  11. Wow, that is a lot of debut novels! I have to admit, I never really notice if I'm reading a debut or not (unless the author is a name I already know). If I really love the book, I might go see if the author has a backlist, and that's when I usually figure it out.

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    1. I have been late to the party with quite a few authors, and I have been getting into backlist a lot. That was what inspired my One Old, One New features, even if I don't always feature the same author.

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  12. I'm normally the one waiting for the reviews to role in before risking reading a debut. I am trying to be better but unless a summary makes me make grabby hands and I need the books then I'm probably gonna take a little while to get around to reading it. I'm the same with authors who have published like 20 books and I've never read anything by them. I am obviously just a little hesitant to try new things. I do want to get better about it though because who doesn't want to be the person who is like 'I knew that book before it was cool'.

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    1. I probably would be more hesitant to try someone new, if I was buying books, but with ARCs and the library, I can get a lot of debuts without any monetary output. There is an investment of my time, but because I DNF books I am not enjoying, I am not really wasting that much of it. But, I understand being careful and more selective too.

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  13. I don't discriminate between veteran and debut authors. If the premise intrigues me, I will definitely read it regardless if the author's name is not familiar with me.

    I actually don't know if any of my 2018 reviews are from debut authors because I don't often check author bios. From your list above, the ones I've read are The Kiss Quotient and The History of Jane Doe. I wanna do better with supporting debut authors next year so I will go ahead and check the Novel 19's site.

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    1. Not a bad policy to have at all. I have tracked my debuts for a reading challenge, which I participated in for the past two years, which is probably the only reason I know, but I like the idea of reading someone's first book, especially if I love it, and can fangirl about it. I hope you find some 19s that interest you. I know I have a bunch on my TBR.

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  14. I'm hoping Jana does the Debut Author Challenge again in 2019, because I really like supporting new authors as well!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. I don't "officially" do it though her blog, because I find all the updates hard to keep track of, but I follow along, and like seeing which debuts everyone is reading.

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  15. I love debuts too, especially because the authors are so genuinely HAPPY and excited, you know? It's all so pure! I have not read ANY of your highest rated though, which I obviously need to change ASAP. I am not sure what mine are, actually. Cait's for sure, umm The Bird and the Blade, Not Even Bones, You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone (which I technically read in 2017 but she was a 2018 debut, so. I count it!)

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    1. You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone is high on my list. I just saw the audiobook on Hoopla, so I hope to get to it once I finish QoAaD (which may never happen) and my other library loans.

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  16. Great post. One of my favorite challenges from this year was a debut author challenge that I did. I read so many great debuts that I might not have come across otherwise. My favorite debut of the year was definitely The Kiss Quotient. Can't wait for the second book to come out!

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    1. I am all over that new Helen Hoang book. I was a Khai fan and can't wait to read his story.

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  17. I too love reading debut authors. I've found some good ones this year. One of my favorites was The Book Of M by Peng Shepherd.I still think about it.

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    1. I feel like I just saw this author on someone's Blogmas post about new authors. It's always get to get someone new in the rotation.

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  18. I have a few favorites of the year but my best book was Sadie. I loved that book and I am still gushing over it.

    Mary

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    1. I really liked Sadie. It was well written, and the podcast was such a great addition, but it was a little dark and bleak for me. I am one of those readers that needs a balance of dark and light.

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  19. I actually don't pay that much attention as to whether I am reading a debut or a second book by an author or so on. I really like that you get to experience fresh ideas and join in on the author's journey through publication though. I can imagine that publishing your first book is such an exciting moment!!

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    1. I think I started seeking them out for the challenge, but I kept prioritizing debuts, for all the reasons I mentioned.

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  20. I'm always amazed when I read a REALLY GOOD BOOK and it turns out to be a debut. Though I understand better now that that does NOT mean it's the first book the author ever wrote.

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    1. With respect to series, I remember my daughter saying the first books tend to be the best, because the author has all that time to polish it, but when the pubs want a book a year, they cannot take that sort of time. Can be true for some debuts too.

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  21. I like finding new authors also. Problem with that is the bad ones and god there are bad ones out there. When I think I can write a better bookthan you, you know you are a terrible writer and it's just not your thing, even if you think it is. But, then on the other hand there are so MANY wonderful new authors that you just fall in love with.

    Mary

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    1. I think I have been pretty lucky with the debuts I have picked, because I don't think I DNFed any of them. I have read books by well established authors, which I set aside. They just weren't for me.

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