How to Find Comp Titles

What’s a Comp Title?

In publishing, the word “comp” refers to something that’s a bit of an amalgam. Basically a “comp” is a “comparable title.” Sometimes “comp” stands for “competitive title” or “comparison title.” Other times it just means “similar.” Really a comp is a way to let people know who will like your book.

Agents speak in comps. Sometimes it’s in short hand. (Think “Little Witch Hazel meets You Matter.) Other times it’s in the form of a list of 5-10 comps in a proposal submitted to editors for careful consideration. Agents use comps to help people understand what a book is about and who will read it.

In-house editors use comps to help Sales and Marketing sell the book and make projections. They use it to create profit-and-loss statements (P&Ls), by looking at how many copies have sold of similar books. (Friendly reminder: Everyone tries to predict how books will sell, but no one really knows. If they did, they would only publish bestsellers.) Comps also help editors talk about the book, so sales reps know how to explain it to buyers, booksellers know where to shelve it, and customers know what to expect when they find it. Freelance editors often use comps to help writers understand the market and deepen their craft.

Writers think about comps when they’re trying to understand the market, get inspired, study mentor texts, understand what makes their books unique, querying agents, proposing a nonfiction title, and trying to talk about their books with confidence. If you’re a writer, you might want to look at comps at two different phases: first when you’re studying the genre and getting ideas, and then later finally when you are ready to submit to agents. (You might want to avoid reading books that are too similar to yours when you’re actually writing.)

Whether you’re an agent, editor, or writer, you want to show there’s an audience for your book and this is how you know.