Finding the right comparable titles can be key to a successful query letter. They should instantly give literary agents and editors an idea of what your book is all about and where it fits in the market.

So, of course, comparable titles cause a considerable amount of agony for querying writers. I’m here to help!

So, what is a comparable title?

Well, it’s another book (or tv show or movie) that you compare to your own book in order to help people understand what your book is like, and where it is positioned in the market. When you are writing a query letter to an agent or publisher, you generally need to include at least two comparable titles. When you are writing to a publisher, you get bonus points for using one of their previously published titles. You want to establish how your book is similar enough to show that it has market value, but not so similar that it is redundant. 

My query for “Everyone’s Sleepy but the Baby,” which I have published here, included the lines: 

As the parent of a toddler, I know the value of books that help woo a baby to sleep, from the classic “Goodnight Moon” to the popular baby shower gag gift “Go the F*** to Sleep.” With spare text, “Everyone’s Sleepy but the Baby” acknowledges parents’ frustration but is certainly meant to be read to babies at bedtime, like Familius titles “At the Stroke of Goodnight” and “Goodnight Whispers.”

That’s a little longer than the typical comp title line, but for a very simple 100-word book, there wasn’t much else to say in the query. I included classics, but note that I didn’t really say that my book was a classic. That can make you come off as conceited and unrealistic. Instead, I am more directly comparing it to newer books that aren’t behemoths.

When you are querying agents, it is not so easy to find titles they have worked on, so I wouldn’t worry so much about that. This is easier if you are going straight to publishers, which is common for picture books more than it is for novels.

My typical rules for picking a “good” comp title include: 

Newer: I like to see a book that is published within the last 5 years, or last 10, if it’s a perfect comp title.Realistic: I mean, I don’t think anyone’s book is going to be the next “Goodnight Moon” or “Harry Potter.” If your book is that good, no one is going to believe you. Let reviewers say it. Don’t let it come out of your mouth if you want to be taken seriously! That said, like I did in my query, you can sometimes invoke the name of a classic if it helps explain where your book fits in the market. Just make sure you are including realistic titles as well. Successful: You do want agents to have heard of your comparable titles. If they don’t know a title and have to look it up, you want it to appear successful. Amazon reviews can be a good public indicator of success. For children’s books, I normally look for 50+ reviews on Amazon. For adult books, I look for more like 200+ reviews. That said, I will make an exception on my review rules if the book has “starred reviews” from trade publications like Kirkus. That’s a sign it was at least critically acclaimed.Relevant: Of course, you want the comp title to be relevant to your book. If anything, though, I find myself telling people to relax about this. The comp title doesn’t have to be exactly the same as your book. You can choose one book for concept, and one for vibes. For example, you could be writing a historical detective series a la Maisey Dobbs, but with fantasy elements you’d expect from “The House on the Cerulean Sea” (um, someone please write that). My general rule is that it’s also ok to mix media as long as one of your comp titles is a book. So, your book might have the bleak vibes of “Peaky Blinders” (TV show) but be set in a fantasy world that shares characteristics with Naomi Novik’s Scholomance series. (Again, someone please write that.) Easy to understand: You are looking to create a quick shorthand to help people understand what your book is about. If you said these comp titles at a cocktail party, would a relatively well-read person understand what your book is about? That is your goal! 

You can also carefully choose how to present your comp titles. You will often see them formatted as X title meets Y title. That works, in my opinion, if one title puts a twist on the other–like Maisey Dobbs meets “The House on the Cerulean Sea.” If you are just listing two titles that are similar, though, you can say something like “This book is for fans of ‘At the Stroke of Goodnight’ and ‘Goodnight Whispers.'” It really doesn’t matter either way. Just pick what works best for your book.

Well, that’s probably more than you ever wanted to know about comp titles. As always, I am happy to answer questions! Leave a comment or feel free to contact me! Yes, I do edit query letters, if you are looking for help!