Dear Writing Diary Entry #19

Finding the Right Comp Titles for My Novel

October 16^th, 2024

In this entry, I write about my process for selecting books and movies that are similar to my debut fantasy THE FATED to better pitch the book to potential buyers and ARC readers.

*ANNOUNCEMENT*: I am still seeking ARC Readers for my debut fantasy, THE FATED to be released February 2025! If you are interested in reading and reviewing a free copy in advance, you can fill out the Interest form HERE.

Dear Writing Diary,

I recently compiled a list of books and movies that were similar to my fantasy novel THE FATED to share with my social media followers, and while the process was fun for me, I believe it was also helpful for potential readers. In the same way that pictures can often be worth a thousand words, good comparison titles (or “comp titles”) can convey the “feel” of a book within seconds. When researching titles to compare my book to, I selected books that had one or more of the following things:

1)          Similar themes and plot features

Some of the comparison book titles I selected were The Giver, The Alchemist, and The Midnight Library. This is because these books, while speculative and fantastical in parts, also posed deep questions about the human condition, such as what it means to pursue one’s dream or live a fulfilled life. Like these works, my book too explores complex existential themes like the relationship between luxury and happiness in addition to how our dreams and desires shape our identity. Additionally, my book revolves around a woman who boards a luxurious ship that seems almost too perfect—that is until passengers begin going missing. Such a setup is reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s mysteries, which is why I also listed And Then There Were None as a similar title. The fact that Christie’s novels also largely take place in the 1920s-30s makes her work similar in setting/aesthetic to my novel, which I will talk more about in the following point #2.

2)          Similar setting/aesthetic

While my book takes place in a world other than our own, it has elements of a historical fantasy set in the 1920s-30s with a sweeping love story as well as a luxurious and mysterious setting. During the many late nights I spent writing and revising this story, I could practically hear the creaking of the ship around me along with the jazz music reverberating along its gilded halls. As a result, I wanted to list some comparison titles, such as The Great Gatsby and The Night Circus that had similar ornate settings with undercurrents of darkness.

3)          Similar genre/tropes

This last category is the most obvious and overlaps with #1 and #2 above. Unsurprisingly, I listed some book titles within the same genre of fantasy, such as Hotel Magnifique and Caraval (although these are young adult works while my debut is tailored to an adult audience). More than that, the fantasy works I selected all contained vivid magical and luxurious settings that eventually reveal themselves to in many ways be too good to be true.

While I believe it is important to be able to name comparison book titles, I also made the following separate social media post listing similar movies to broaden my novel’s appeal to potential readers:

If a viewer isn’t familiar with my comparison book titles but happens to love Titanic and/or historical fiction movies with a speculative twist, then these film titles might be enough to compel them to apply to read an ARC or ultimately buy the book when they otherwise might not have.

To whoever’s reading this, how do you feel about comparison titles? If you pick up a book that compares itself to other familiar titles within the genre, do you find this helpful when deciding whether or not you’d like to read it?

Here's to seeing what other publishing adventures tomorrow holds.
-K

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