Drafting an eye-catching query letter is no easy task, and the right comp titles can make all the difference. We tackle what they are, why they’re essential to querying agents, and how to find the right ones for you.

What Is a Comp Title Anyway?

In this instance, “comp” is short for the word comparable or comparative. As the name implies, a comparable title is a published book that is, well, comparable to your book and may share a target audience. In other words, a comp title is a book (sometimes a television show or movie) that has similar story elements or themes, making it attractive to an already-established readership. It’s also a quick way to help differentiate your title within its genre. For example, fantasy novels are split into multiple subgenres that differ drastically from each other. Comp titles can help show where your book fits without getting too granular.

Why Comp Titles Matter

Comp titles aren’t just an industry trend—they’re a useful tool for both agents and authors. Not only do they help show your knowledge of your chosen genre, but they also help communicate complex market-related information. Literary agents are often strapped for time, meaning they don’t have all day to sift through paragraphs of story summary and suss out who might want to read a certain book. You have to grab their interest first, and that’s where comp titles work their magic. By finding published titles with themes and story elements similar to yours, you can show the agent that your idea isn’t just interesting, but potentially profitable with a clear readership pool.

Agents will also use your comp titles to pitch your book to potential publishing houses. The more exciting the comp titles, the more attractive your manuscript becomes.

But what does a comp title actually look like?

Formatting Comparable Titles

Comparable titles don’t have a set place in a query letter. Some authors lead with their comps, while others will leave them for the end to close with a bang. However, there are three standard formats:

  • “My story is X meets Y.” This is best when you have two titles that are unrelated but, when combined, make your story concept clear. When using this format, you want to avoid comparing two titles that share a lot of similarities. The goal is to use contrast to generate interest.
  • “It’s X but with Y.” This format works best when your book puts a unique spin on a well-known story.
  • “If you like X, you’ll like Y.” A format like this is less for what your book is about and more geared toward communicating your target audience. This format works well if your book has several supporting comp titles that help show the agent your commercial value.

Good vs. Bad Comp Titles

Choosing comp titles is simple in theory, but it can be difficult in practice. A good comp title is one that communicates story, target readership, and potential market value—the trifecta of what makes publishing it attractive. A bad or weak comp title is one that misrepresents your book or doesn’t highlight its most exciting selling points.

Surprisingly, using comp titles that are recent blockbuster successes isn’t always the best move. A title that’s too recent or too popular may indicate to the agent that you’re writing for a saturated market. A good comp title should be at least somewhat successful, but not so successful that there isn’t room for a similar story on a person’s bookshelf.

It’s also a smart move to customize your comp titles to the agent you’re querying. Use titles their agency is associated with to highlight your interest in working with them specifically. Most agents also maintain a blog or submit articles to literary publications, and reading their content might be another way to get insider information on great comp titles.

How to Find the Right Comparable Titles For You

Finding the right comp title can be tricky, but it can also be a lot of fun. Plus, several tools make it easy for you to search for the perfect match.

By the time you’re ready to query an agent, you should be familiar with the genre you’re writing in. One of the first things you can do to find comp titles is to search books within your genre that you know share tone, style, themes, or subject matter found in your book. Even if these aren’t perfect matches, they can help you start your search.

Once you have a solid title or two to start your journey, you can use the suggestion features on websites like Amazon or Goodreads to help you find something perfect.

You can use Goodreads to create a bookshelf of titles in your genre or related to your story. From there, you can click on “Recommendations,” and Goodreads will take care of the rest. As a bonus, Goodreads will also tell you about other related titles that readers have enjoyed.

On Amazon, you can use the “Advanced Search” option to narrow your list. It lets you customize your results by selecting keywords, subject, reader age, and date of publication. After that, you can sift through book synopses and reader reviews to find a well-received match. Similar to Goodreads, Amazon has a “Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought” feature that will show you other books with a similar readership.

As useful as these resources are, don’t underestimate the value of talking to your beta readers, editors, or other critique partners for additional input. They may even surprise you with their insight and point you in a direction you never would have considered.

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