I think the most reliable source for getting news about new altcoins you can get is in this forum's announcement section. Almost every new altcoin's or ICO's announcement is being posted here. Also you can check some popular sites like coin market cap, ICO drops, ICO alert.
I agree, it is best to look for projects. Study them and make a decision. If you follow someone, you'll drown with them. And if you succeed, it will be hard to call it a personal achievement.