Comp Titles
Comparable titles tell an agent or reader where the book sits on the shelf
and who will buy it. Save the agreed list to submission/comps.md.
Template
---
type: comps
updated: YYYY-MM-DD
---
# Comp Titles: {Title}
| Title | Author | Year | Category | Why it comps | Verified by author |
|-------|--------|------|----------|--------------|--------------------|
| | | | | | no |Choosing comps
- Recent. Published in the last three to five years. Older comps suggest the author does not read the current market.
- Same category and genre. Adult, YA, or MG, and the same shelf: a YA fantasy comps YA fantasy.
- Successful but not a phenomenon. A megabestseller that everyone has heard of signals unrealistic expectations. Midlist and breakout titles work best.
- A specific reason. Each comp matches on something concrete: voice, premise, structure, tone, or audience. Write the reason in the table.
- Two in a query. Keep three to five in the file so the author can choose per agent.
- Film and TV can describe tone, paired with at least one book.
Phrasing
- "{TITLE} will appeal to readers of {Comp A} and {Comp B}."
- "{Comp A} meets {Comp B}" is compact but easy to misuse: both halves must be recent and relevant, and the combination must make sense. Use the plain form when in doubt.
- "The voice of {Comp A} with the premise of {Comp B}" when the matches are on different axes.
Verification
Your knowledge of publication dates, categories, and reception has a
cutoff and can be wrong. Mark every proposed comp Verified by author: no
and ask the user to confirm the year, category, and fit before it goes in a
query or blurb. Never state sales figures or awards for a comp.