I began my querying journey in February of 2021 for my May 2024 debut WORTH IT. Rejections and ghosting lasted until October of 2022.

In that one month, I’d gone from crickets in my inbox to an offer of representation by an agent, a revise and resubmit (R&R) from a publisher, and an offer of publication from an independent press. What changed? I swapped comps.

What is a Comp?

A comp is a comparable title to your book, though it doesn’t have to be alike in every aspect. Perhaps the main characters follow a similar story arc or the stories share a related setting. The point is to find what is similar and make it clear within the query. 

Why do you need Comps?

A literary agent needs to know where your book would sit on a shelf in a bookstore. They need to know who is reading what you write to know whether your book will sell. Comps are the most effective way to show them.

What to consider when looking for Comps?

Best practice is to use titles between three to five years old. This shows the agent or publisher your story fits the current publishing landscape. It’s also advised not to use comps that are too big which can impact how your story may be perceived by agents. You can also use movies or television shows, but I’d suggest only using one comp that is not a book since you are pitching a book.

How to find Comps?

Reading in your genre is one of the best way to find great comps. You may find comps outside of your genre that are great. That’s fine, too, just be specific as to why. 

One of my favorite resources on how to find comps is here at The Shit No One Tells You About Writing through Emilie Sommer of East City Bookshop. Go to TSNOTYAW’s website, click on the MORE tab at the top, and select COMP TITLE REQUEST.

You’ll want to provide as much information about your book as possible, such as tone, genre, and target audience. The comps segments are included in Bonus episodes. Emilie does an amazing job at giving authors wonderful titles to consider.

How many Comps to include in a query?

I suggest including two to three comps. Too many and you are taking away valuable word count that could be used to hook the agent during your plot paragraphs. If you’ve wisely selected two to three really good comps, that’s all you need.

Where to place Comps?

For me, as a literary agent, I prefer the comps at the top in the metadata paragraph after personalization, and before the plot paragraphs. This gives me an immediate framework for what I am about to read. Going into a query without the comps can risk reader confusion and the last thing you want is a tired agent confused while reading your query.

Examples (Note that these examples are from books sold several years ago the comps were within an acceptable time frame when these titles sold.)

Here is the comp sentence from my query that finally got my story enough attention to land a publishing deal.

WORTH IT combines the seedy vibe of Ozark’s (Netflix, 2017-2022) trailer park setting, the complex character of Stephanie Land’s single-mom protagonist in Maid (Legacy Lit, 2020) , and the provocative teen narrative in Amber Smith’s The Way I Used to Be (Simon & Schuster, 2017).

I chose a television series for the setting since it’s visual. Maid is a memoir, and my story isn’t, but the main characters follow similar story arcs. The Way I Used to Be I chose because of the similarities in what happens to the main characters. 

Here are a few other examples from critique partners of mine who have gone on to score multiple publishing deals. Had these queries landed in my inbox, these comps would have definitely caught my attention!

MY HEART IS HURTING by S.E. Reed will appeal to fans of contemporary Southern gothic fiction, like Dark and Shallow Lies (Penguin Random House, 2022) by Ginny Meyers Sain, and feminist teen thrillers like The Girls I’ve Been (Penguin Random House, 2024) by Tess Sharpe.

NOT IN THE PLAN by Dana Hawkins will appeal to fans of the humor-plus-heart in Ashley Herring Blake’s Delilah Green Doesn’t Care (Penguin Random House, 2022), the service industry vibe of Ruby Barrett’s Romance Recipe (Carina Adores, 2022), and the steam level of Casey McQuiston’s Red, White, & Royal Blue (Macmillan, 2019).

In Closing

More than likely, you’ve put years into writing and revising your story. You’ve also likely spent months researching dream agents and publishers. But, before you hit send on that query, check your comps one last time. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.