Comp Titles: How Important Are They?

rosepetal720

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If you pitch your book with the right comp title, it's an extremely useful tool for catching an agent's eye. My question is: what are the consequences of NOT including comp titles?

The reason I ask is that I'm having trouble finding good comp titles (which I realize is a red flag about the marketability of my novel*, but that's an issue for another day). I've heard of agents turning down queries for using the wrong comp titles. It makes the agent question if the author is familiar with the market. I got into the Pass or Pages contest, and both agents had issues with the comp titles I used.

I'm wondering if it would be better not to include comp titles in my query rather than risk using the wrong ones.

Another similar question: how old can a comp title be before it's irrelevant? One of the agents told me 2013 was too old.

Thoughts?


*My novel is a magical realism set in 19th century New Orleans. If you can think of a good comp title for me, I'd love to hear it, lol.
 

lizmonster

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If you pitch your book with the right comp title, it's an extremely useful tool for catching an agent's eye. My question is: what are the consequences of NOT including comp titles?

Not really an answer, but AFAIK a comp title doesn't have to be a book that's just like yours. It should be the same genre, with (maybe) the same "feel," but it doesn't have to have the same plot.

In your case, you should comp with magical realism. I don't think you need another magical realism book set in 19th century NO.

(That said, maybe this one, although it's a novella.)
 

Shoeless

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Another similar question: how old can a comp title be before it's irrelevant? One of the agents told me 2013 was too old.

Thoughts?

Comp titles are definitely gaining more traction, ESPECIALLY for social media/Twitter pitches where word count is at a premium and you need to get to the point fast. From what I've seen of Twitter pitching this year, it's not even necessary to use actual book comp titles. I saw plenty of movie/comic/anime comp titles in addition to actual books. Always remember that it's just a short-hand, so it's not mandatory, it just gives an agent a more concise idea of your book, but only if they're actually familiar with the titles you're referencing. If you cite some obscure book/comic that no one's ever heard of before, you might be better off not using a comp title.

I know agents prefer it if you can reference more recent titles, since that's also a good indicator that you're paying attention to the market, which is always reassuring. But I don't know that a 2013 cut-off date is actually that hard and fast a rule. My SF novel, a genre mash up of cyberpunk with magic, is coming out next year, and in my query, I pitched it as "Neuromancer with magic missiles." That book is from the 80s, but despite being a "dated reference," people still asked to see more. Ultimately a comp title is just one more tool in the tool box, so don't lean too heavily on it as the deal maker/breaker for your query.
 

WeaselFire

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"It's like Interview With A Vampire only it's a dinosaur."
"It's like Field of Dreams but with vampires."
"Readers of Lord Of The Rings would enjoy this book."
"It's Harry Potter meets Animal Farm."

That's kind of how you need to explain your book in an elevator pitch (or Tweet).
 

Woollybear

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I finally found a way that works for me by identifying an element of CompA and crossing it with an element of CompB.

So. Your homework: Find a recent book with a similar setting. A recent book with similar pacing. Narrative style. Stakes. Magical elements. Social commentary. Etc. Etc. Etc. Get ten books on the list. You might specifically look for books that agents like (Station eleven, eg).

Then 'cross' any two on that list. BY ELEMENT.

Pacing of Steeds at Dawn coupled with the high stakes of Gunrunner, set in New Orleans during Mardi Gras.
 
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Gillhoughly

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Forget comp titles. Let the writing stand on its own.

There were NO comp titles for my first book. It sold because it had a solid hook and was different.

Agents are looking for something that makes people turn pages, not recycles of what sold before.

Keep in mind that the shiny "new" bestseller was bought 2-3 years ago, maybe more. That's what sold then, not now.

It also puts a strike against your own work. When I got a sub where the author said "It's like Harry Potter but with..." I tended to wince and go "Thinks rather well of himself, doesn't he?" So my mind, consciously or not, was set up for certain expectations followed by disappointment when the sub fell short.

Agents understand all writers begin the same way, unknown and unpublished, which is perfectly okay.

My agent gives the writer five pages to snag her attention, but will read ten just to be sure. Make those pages count.

When I worked acquisitions I skipped cover letters altogether and went straight to the submission. It had to be something that hooked me with a cold reading. We didn't have time to mess with cover letters unless the submission itself was worth kicking upstairs to the next editor.

I never rejected anything based on what was in (or not in) a cover letter, it was always based on the work itself.

Write a butt-kicking opening that stands on its own, pair it with the simplest cover letter. Less is more.

Your writing
will sell the book, not someone else's writing.

No pressure. ;)
 
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Roxxsmom

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Aren't comp titles more a matter of, "This book should appeal to readers of currently popular author or title X"?

Having said this, I've always wondered how many agents are expecting this sort of statement in a query letter. I get that they like it when new writers know the market, but the market changes quickly and titles that have been popular in the past few years were actually written and acquired even longer ago. Also, aren't they also looking for (as Gillhoughly said) something new and fresh that will create its own fan base?

And frankly, if first-time authors could all be experts on the market, why would they need agents? Is it realistic to expect a newbie writer to know everything about current market conditions or to reject a promising talent because they are more focused on writing than on market research?

I've also never known for sure whether or not the "comparable titles" are meant to be comparable in terms of setting or period type (I write fantasy), voice/narrative style, character type, or plot. And how recent and popular does a work or author need to be to be a good comp title? Does it need to be something currently on the NYT bestseller list, a recent first-time author who is respectably popular within the genre but not necessarily a bestseller, or do they prefer comparisons to works by an author who has been writing for a while and is still popular?
 

lizmonster

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Having said this, I've always wondered how many agents are expecting this sort of statement in a query letter.

Whether or not it's expected, Query Manager forms ask for "market," and one of examples used is a comp. So I think it's not an obsolete question for an author seeking rep.

I've always thought of it as RIYL, which may or may not mean the story is the same.
 

Woollybear

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I'm curious about this comp question, again, probably b/c SFFPIT is tomorrow. So I went to twitter and searched 'comp titles' #askagent

and the opinions are all over the board from doesn't matter to really important! Some agents want them before the hook, some don't say, and opinions on how recent and how big also vary.

Most (not all) twitter-active agents seem newer to the game, and I have no idea if this matters or skews 'what to do.'

I will say this--I've discovered some great new fiction by forcing myself to the library every six months (whether I want to or not!) to review new titles in search of comps.
 
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