How hard can it be to discover new books and authors? Back in the dim and distant past of my youth, you discovered new books the old fashioned way – either from a recommendation or browsing a bookstore. The first method still works, but the second has become more difficult. Whether it’s the disappearance of your favorite bookstore or the business challenges forcing even the largest chains to reduce inventory, discovering new books at bookstores has gotten harder.
What about Publishers?
Changes in the publishing industry only compound the problem. More titles are released every day than ever before. Yet consolidation among publishers, self-publishing, COVID, and competition for entertainment dollars have pulled money away from marketing budgets. Even big name authors are expected to drive a lot of their own marketing activity. The squeeze hits newer and less well-known authors the hardest.
Big Internet to the Rescue?
Given the power attributed to search engines, you would think it would be easy to discover new books online. Unfortunately, the proverbial algorithmic pendulum has swung too far to one side. Search engine optimization or SEO as it’s commonly called is as emotionless as the name suggests. Big department store-like retailers market their wares as if they’re selling commodities. That’s appropriate for many things, but not books. A good book should elicit passion in the reader. Whether it’s the picture on the cover, the smell of the paper, or the heft of the book in your hands the emotional connection begins before you read the first word.
A Better Way?
The team at Shepherd.com think there’s a better way. Working directly with authors, they’ve created a site that combines the power of search engines with the passion of reading. Invited authors create a list of their favorite books that are similar to their own work. Their list includes a brief description of what makes the listed books great. There are numerous ways to search the site including by author, title, description, and more.
My recommendation page for books similar to my Warders series (spoiler pic of covers to the right) is titled ‘Fantasy Stories You’ll Love at Any Age’. Why not give it a try? It’s got to be better than blindly searching the internet in the hope that you’ll find something you like.
As always thanks for reading.
Armen
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