Can your book be too similar to another?

I'd probably read the other book to see how similar it was to my own and then decide.

If it's not really close, then I'd at least try to peddle my wares after spending so much time working on it.

Some books I've read kind of run close to mine-- as in the just the outter layer of the storyline. Best friends-->one leaves town-->the other dies-->the one who left town comes home. My story is a murder mystery tied with romance and I've read the plot so many times, but that's what you gotta do to make your story different from all the others. You have to put your own spin on things. That's what I'm doing.

Yeah, definitely read the book and find out just how similar we're talking.

Yes, I agree that you'd probably need to read the book in order to really know.

Think about the following blurb:

A kind girl is distraught when her father dies. Her stepmother becomes her guardian and the two don't get along. Eventually, the girl meets a guy who's perfect for her, but her bitter stepmother is determined to sabotage any success the girl might have in her life.

This could fit either the story of Cinderella or Snow White fairly well, but the details of the two stories and even the actual plots are different in numerous ways. Snow White doesn't have any stepsisters in the equation, and Cinderella doesn't involve poisoned apples. Most people can tell the stories apart.

No.

As the fantasy genre proves you cannot write a book with elves and orcs and have it sell. People will simply not buy it.

You can't have a courtroom thriller with a lawyer as the protagonist.

You cannot have a Sci-Fi story about an advanced alien race declaring war on the earth.

No children's books about farm animals, either.

This just doesn't apply to books, but movies as well. I mean, how many movies a year can come out about magic in the 1800's in a short period of time?

Im short: How many times have you, yourself, read the same story only to find and enjoy and cherish the details? Do not sweat it in the least. Unless your story takes place in Pogwarts school for Wizards I don't think you have much to worry about.

Read the other story. There are very few plots in the world. It's all about what you do with it.

Don't read the other story, and don't fret.
A few years ago I got an idea to write a story about a kid spy.
I learned about the Alex Rider books by Anthony Horowitz shortly after, and around the same time the Cody Banks films were released. Neither of those books stopped Jonas Boets from writing the Sam Smith books, and none of them had any effect on the Cherub books. The people will cherish the details, not the general idea. And once I can get some details ironed out, I WILL write the book.

Don't be put off. You will have your own writing style and who's to say a reader may just give the other book a miss and read yours!

Stories, plots, and characters may sound similar but it's all about the execution: style, voice, structure, prose, etc. etc. So definitely read the book and see if there are too many similarities.

When you query, however, try to set your book apart from the other book. So what if your story is about boy wizards in wizard school fighting a bit evil meanie? Make it your own and unique so your query doesn't sound like a knock-off of Harry Potter.

Yeah, unless you're writing a book about Bodo the Grobbit, taking the One Medallion of Power to Mount Not Very Nice to destroy it, then you're probably fine.

My book has a similarity to Charmed. In fact, the publisher said it reminded her of the tv series. Other than that, the story was well written and she enjoyed the 3 chapters I had sent her. Of course, she rejected it and asked to make a few changes and try again. I am rewriting the story but pretty much keeping the story line intact but adding a few details here and there to make the character older and more mature.

The main difference with Charmed and my story is the fact that Emily is solving mysteries in her own home and keeping her family secret from the small town. The three sisters in Charmed fight demons every episode. I don't have demons who keep attacking the two sisters in my story. The family element is quite different as well. Paranormal is very popular now so she really thought it would sell, just needed some fine tuning.

I've never read any of the books but I watch the show all the time so I can see the differences and the similarities. I second the notion on reading the book so you can see those too for your book. If you have to rewrite some of it, go ahead but keep the main elements if you like them. So what if both characters are musicians. That in itself doesn't make it the same story. What happens to these two people will be different, the style will be different. The other characters will be different too making the story all together very different.

Amber

I recently came up with a minor character who is Indian. With a very non typical Indian name. Guess what? My little sisters lends me her book to read over the break, and there is an Indian character with the same frigging name. Now, I'm going to have to rename him.

I've also found some of the stories I came up with to have been already written. I'm deathly afraid of being unoriginal. But in the end, I think it comes down to the unique detail that you put into your own stories --the plot, characterizations, painstaking attention to detail, style of writing, and vivid imagination that will set authors apart.

That's just how I'm trying to rational my fear.

Cham