If you want to pursue the traditional publishing route and be signed by a literary agent, you're going to need a query letter to formally introduce yourself and your manuscript. There are multiple components of a query letter, and among the most crucial to get right are comp titles.
And it's not just querying writers who must contend with comp titles, as they're also good for indie and hybrid authors to have, too.
But determining your comp titles isn't always easy. For some writers, they're the hardest part of composing their query letter. And if that sounds like you, you're not alone!
So what exactly are comp titles? Why do you need them? How do you choose comp titles for your book?
In this post, we're pulling back the curtain on comp titles to hopefully make them a little less intimidating.
What Is A Comp Title?
A comparative title, or comp title, is a work of fiction similar to your own. In terms of traditional publishing, comps can give literary agents and editors a sense of your book's marketability based on its genre, reader demographic, or concept, and tend to be a more precise way of describing your book while keeping your pitch concise.
For example, you could say that you've written a dystopian novel about a girl living in a society in which people are segregated based on the results of a once-in-a-lifetime aptitude test and she must conceal her lack of powers as she uncovers the truths buried within the city she thought she knew—or you could say it's Divergent x Lightlark.
Comps are not only useful for querying writers, though! The element of familiarity can be useful for authors of all publication paths because it can help readers decide if a book suits their tastes. Seeing that a new release shares characteristics with a read they enjoyed in the past, they may be more inclined to check it out.
What Should A Comp Title Reflect?
Comp titles can say a lot with just a few words. But what exactly should your comp title say about your book?
Comps need to tell your audience who your book is for, what it is about, and the tone readers can expect.
If you're querying a middle-grade novel, you'll want to use comps that are also geared towards middle-grade readers. Comps should also be chosen based on genre, so chances are you'd want to avoid using a horror novel to pitch your cozy mystery. For example, you might say that your book is a sports romance reminiscent of Icebreaker and Break the Fall.
It's not just about these big-picture elements. Comps can also provide insight into the nuances of your manuscript, like your writing style being similar to another author's or the use of a specific trope resembling how it appears in another work. So in a query letter, you might say that your manuscript will, "appeal to fans of Ali Hazelwood" or "feels similar to The Lost Bookshop."
How Many Comp Titles Do You Need?
Typically speaking, you'll want to use two or three comp titles when pitching your manuscript.
One format you'll commonly see is BOOK A x BOOK B or BOOK A meets BOOK B. It's enough to give your audience a sense of what they can expect from your writing without overloading them with information.
A carefully chosen pair or trio of comps will be enough to tell your prospective readers everything they need to know.
How New Should A Comp Title Be?
This question can yield a variety of answers.
The general rule of thumb for comp titles seems to be that they have been published within the past 2-5 years or so. This means they have been around long enough to be recognizable by readers and give agents and editors enough data to get a feel for your manuscript's potential marketability, but also new enough to indicate any recent trends that could influence how well your book may sell.
There can be exceptions, however. For example, a retelling of a classic novel might use the original work as one of its comps.
While you can use older comps, at least one of them should be more recent.
How Popular Should A Comp Title Be?
Since one job of a comp title is indicating how marketable your manuscript could be, it's a good idea to use popular books for your comps right?
Not necessarily.
While you may want to avoid obscure titles that aren't widely known, as your intended audience may not have the same frame of reference, you may also want to avoid titles that are widely known.
The primary reason is that you want to set realistic sales expectations. While your manuscript may share some similarities with a bestselling novel like It Ends With Us, and you may be super confident in your writing, you cannot guarantee your manuscript will have the same success as Colleen Hoover's works.
Essentially, if a book has become ubiquitous within its genre or subgenre, it's potentially too popular to be a comp. Your best bet is to choose comps that are well-known and reasonably successful but not a global phenomenon.
Does My Comp Title Have To Be A Book?
Not always!
While it is generally a good idea to use other books as comp titles for your own because they're the same medium, there are times when using other forms of storytelling can work.
Let's say you're querying a contemporary office romcom featuring an ensemble cast of side characters. Here, you may wind up using a TV sitcom like The Office or Parks & Recreation depending on if the trajectory of the central romance is friends-to-lovers like Jim and Pam or enemies/rivals-to-lovers like Leslie and Ben.
For a psychological horror writer with a manuscript about a demonic entity thriving off its host's traumatic experiences, the 2022 film Smile could make a suitable comp title.
You might also have a novel about a thief-turned-chaotic-archeologust accidentally uncovering supernatural truths about historic landmarks and use the Uncharted video game series as a comp.
You may also see writers using song titles or albums as comps; you might say that your spicy romance manuscript has similar vibes to Bryce Savage's "Easy To Love."
While your chosen comps should ideally be books, there might be occasions where other forms of media can be supplemental.
Overall, my biggest tip for picking comp titles is to embrace the best parts of your book and use them as a basis for finding good comps. This is your time to tell readers why they'll love your book.
Be authentic in your comp choices while also specific and honest in explaining why you've included a particular title in your query letter to give agents and editors a clear sense of where your manuscript belongs in the market.
Selecting your comp titles can be overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be complicated. Remember, they are meant to be an asset supporting your own book and are there to tell industry professionals and prospective readers why they ought to take a chance on your story.
Because your story is worth reading—they just don't know it yet.
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