Hello writers of the world!
Comp titles are books that share similarities with your WIP (Work-in-progress) in genre, style, theme, setting, and marketability. When choosing comp titles for your book (2-3 max), make sure that they are:
- Recent: Don’t pick an old title that readers, agents, editors might not be familiar with. cult classics or rare finds. Pick a title that can still be found in bookstores.
- Relevant: Does the comp title share similarities with your book in terms of genre, style, setting, theme? Will the people who purchased your comp title want to purchase your book too? (You must go into the publishing process keeping one eye on the market. Being myopic only hurts you in the long run).
- Realistic: Don’t use major bestsellers as comp titles for your WIP. Books like Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, The Hunger Games, the Twilight Series, have all become phenomena, and claiming to have written a book in a similar style turns agents and editors off. Be realistic in your comp title picks.
- If the submission guidelines allow it, you can use movie/tv show titles as comps.
Good luck,
Agent Moe
Moe Shalabi 