Choosing Smart 'Comps'

I came across an insightful Writer's Digest piece on publishers’ “Pet Peeves” in book proposals.

Peeve #5 jumped out at me because I frequently see it in proposals I edit: the Comparable Books section (in publishing shorthand, the “Comps” section).

Here’s the trap many debut authors fall into: comparing their manuscript to mega-bestsellers. Think Untamed for an inspirational memoir or The Body Keeps the Score for a book on healing trauma.

Agents know the chances of reaching those dizzying bestseller heights are next to none. If you compare your book to the heavyweight champions of the bestseller lists, it can suggest you don’t understand the market or are overestimating your book’s commercial potential. Agents and editors want to see you as clear-eyed and strategic. Not naively unrealistic.

As Jane Friedman advises in this helpful how-to post on writing a book proposal: “When choosing comps, look for books published within the last few years that share style, themes, or narrative elements with your own work.”

Yes, cite successful recent books (check Amazon rankings and number of reviews), but leave out the mega-miracles.