Finding Comp Titles for Your Novel

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Annie Neugebauer

What’s a comp title?

In spite of the fact that I’m still (or at least should be) in revising/editing mode for another month or so, lately I’ve found my mind wandering more and more in the direction of comps. For those of you not familiar, a comparable title, or ‘comp,’ is a published book that you use to help explain the intended target audience of your own WIP (work in progress).

This is something that every writer needs to do at the query-writing stage. In one of the paragraphs in your query letter to agents, you need to give one to three comp titles to send your potential agent’s mind down the right track. What readers are you reaching for? Where would your book be shelved in the store? What frame of mind should they be in when they read your first pages? Comps help to answer all of these questions.

My experiences so far.

When I first started querying back in 2007 (oh my sheesh that’s a long time) for Book 1, I had no idea what I was doing and I didn’t even really include comps. I just tagged “vampire fans” for the most part, which was a pretty lazy way out. The query was a flop – absolutely no requests for anything (although I can hardly blame that on the comps alone).

When Book 2 magicked its way to the surface, the comp titles were easy. I was modernizing classic gothic novels, so I specified the lineage with two choice books and explained the updating. That query got a couple of requests. The revised version got several more.

My original query for Book 3 didn’t even have comps. At all. It had a stellar, knock-you-on-your-ass hook/summary (thanks in large part to my super-human critique group) that led straight into my bio. I got so many requests so fast I had whiplash. I was convinced, at the time, that no comp titles was secretly the way to go. I mean, I hadn’t mentioned a single other book and look at the response!

Turns out I was wrong. My lack of comps had short-changed me, in the long run. Several of the agents who’d requested my manuscript weren’t in the right mind frame genre-wise when they read my pages, and I had no one to blame for that but myself. (Not to mention that I’d rushed to respond to the requests and undercut my revisions. Lesson well learned.) By the time I sent out a revised query to a new round of agents, I’d overcorrected, going on too much about the genre and comparables and not nearly enough about the book itself.

And now I’m within eyesight of the query process for Book 4. I’m flexing every mental muscle I have to be patient and not make the same mistakes I made before. And for some reason, out of all the things I learned about every stage of the process, I just can’t stop thinking about those damn comps. Which brings me to today’s blog post. I’d love to talk a little bit about comparable titles, both to share what I’ve learned and to get some input.

What to look for.

When choosing which books to compare your books to, there are several things to keep in mind.

Choose books that have an obvious connection to your WIP. If you’re describing a romance for your whole query and then suddenly list a fantasy novel as a comp, you’d better have a good reason. And more importantly, you’d better explain that reason. Writing style? Themes? Why the drastic difference, and what makes you think those readers could be your readers?

Choose books published within the past 10 years – the more recent, the better. Market trends matter. If you’re comparing your book to Stephen King’s The Shining, you might want to rethink. The Shining is old – really old in publishing terms – and if you can’t think of any similar books published since then, it could send warning signals to your potential agent. They want books they can sell now, not 32 years ago. (Yes, The Shining really is over 3 decades old.)

Choose successful books. Why would you want to compare yourself to a flop? Remember, you’re trying to make your book as marketable as possible.

Don’t choose super famous books. I know this might seem in conflict with the tip above, but it’s not. Choose successful books that sold well, but don’t choose massive super-bestsellers. Why? Well for one thing, it sounds arrogant. Claiming you’re the next Anne Rice makes you look a little presumptuous. But for another thing, it makes the potential agent doubt if you’ve truly done your market research. Is Harry Potter the only YA fantasy novel you’ve read? This, too, can set off warning signs, so tread cautiously with big names.

Choose 1-3 books, and make them different enough to be worth listing. Try to cover what you think of as the 3 most important aspects of your WIP (genre, style, and main character, for instance). And if you can make one of those comps a book your potential agent actually represents, all the better – but no cheating. Only do this if it’s really applicable.

A shortcut.

Yay! We’ve reached the fun part. (Maybe you’ve all already thought of this, but I just figured it out.) There is an easier way to find these comps than by chance or personal recommendations: Goodreads. Like Pandora and Amazon, Goodreads has a recommendations feature that automatically suggests new books for you based on your bookshelves. You can use this to your advantage.

Today, I created a bookshelf called “WIP-comps.” In it, I placed 6 books that I strongly believe, for one reason or another, are comparable to my WIP. (They need to be in their own shelf so you can isolate them from your other random reads.) Then I clicked on my “recommendations” tab at the top of the page and selected that shelf. Voila. 50 books that Goodreads thinks might interest me.

Now this doesn’t mean these 50 books will have anything in common with my WIP. Goodreads can’t know why I added which book. But the cool thing is that if you mouse over each recommendation without clicking, it will tell you which book it’s basing its recommendation on at the bottom, with a little note that says “Because you added…” and the cover of one of the books on that shelf. Using this and the blurbs, you can eliminate a lot of options, and then add some intriguing ones to your “to read” shelf. (And you should definitely read them. You couldn’t pay me enough money to compare my WIP to a book I haven’t actually read.)

By doing this, I’ve found several new books to read before I send my query, in hopes that one or more of them might be the most precise comparable yet. Pretty cool, huh?

My request for your recommendations.

Finally, no matter how much fun the Goodreads trick is, it’s still a computer-generated list, which makes it flawed. What I’d love to hear from you all is if you happen to have any more suggestions for me. What I’m really looking for right now is a post-apocalyptic horror novel that isn’t based around zombies or vampires. If you want brownie points, I would also love it with a wide scope, on the literary side, and starring a female protagonist. Adult is preferred. Any suggestions?

Also, I’d love to hear what your experience is with comparables. Any tips, thoughts, or discussions are welcome! Have you chosen comparables before? Did you enjoy it, or did it stress you out? How’d you decide which books and how many to list? Do you think they’re a necessary part of a good query?

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What Is Commercial Fiction?

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Annie Neugebauer

And why you should stop assuming it’s trash.

Book collection1

  •  Myth: The quality of writing in commercial fiction is low.
  •  Myth: Commercial fiction is less intelligent than literary fiction.
  •  Myth: Commercial fiction isn’t “deep.”
  •  Myth: Commercial fiction is trashy.
  •  Myth: Commercial fiction is the same thing as “genre fiction.”
  •  Myth: Commercial fiction is always simple.

As you can see, commercial fiction has its share of prejudices. I am truly passionate about both commercial and literary fiction (and the blending of the two), but I’ve found that not all readers are. Everyone has different tastes and preferences, and that’s perfectly okay. However, many commercial lovers don’t even consider literary novels in their options, and many lit-fic lovers shut themselves off to commercial novels – when in reality, most readers could probably be enjoying some of both. Part of this, I believe, is due to the misconceptions and stereotypes associated with commercial fiction.

Unlike lit-fic, I don’t think commercial fiction is three separate things (not usually, anyway) – which might explain why people are generally less confused about what comprises it than what comprises the ever-elusive “literary” fiction. Plus, “commercial” is a pretty universally understood term that means “to make money,” so one way to look at it is that commercial fiction is specifically written to drive big sales by reaching lots of readers.

But still, commercial fiction can be discussed in the same three categories to highlight the differences between commercial and literary.

1) Style-

sentence structure, vocabulary, pacing, and a generally easier to read quality.

I’ve heard it said by an industry professional that the difference between literary and commercial fiction is the motivation of the author. Literary fiction is written for the love of the art form, whereas commercial fiction is written to make money. While at its root I have no problem with that definition, I do see a lot of potential there for insult and hurt feelings. For one thing, it implies that a writer can’t want both, which is silly. Ask any literary fiction author if they want to make money; if they say no, tell them their pants are on fire. And secondly, it implies that commercial fiction writers don’t care about the artistry of their craft. This, quite simply, is untrue.

Both types of fiction require talent, practice, and honing of the craft; they just have different goals.

Literary fiction does put the artistry first. If they have a gorgeous, complex metaphor that’s perfect for a passage, they keep it at the risk of isolating some readers because they believe the art form is the priority. But commercial fiction puts the reader first. If they have that same metaphor and know it will confuse some of their readers, they’re more likely to simplify it to reach the greatest number of people with their message. (Or, I suppose, you could just argue that they have such different readers that it’s unclear when artistry or readers win out, or if they are one in the same.)

Ultimately, the end-goal drives style. Commercial fiction tends to go by the type of writing rules laid out by Stephen King and Elmore Leonard: few adverbs, economy of words, and clear meaning… As opposed to literary fiction, that often experiments more (and thus risks losing a portion of its readers). Both can be executed well or poorly. “Good writing” is not only a matter of taste, but of style.

2) Genre-

established plot and character expectations, usually within a specific genre (romance, mystery, horror, etc.).

Here’s another important distinction: “genre fiction” is not the same thing as “commercial fiction,” although most genre fiction is commercial (see my lit-fic post for a quick discussion of “upmarket”). But a book can be commercial without fitting neatly under the category of fantasy, sci-fi, etc. When people say “mainstream,” they usually mean contemporary commercial fiction, meaning it’s written for the general public (commercial) and set within the last fifty years or so (contemporary) but doesn’t fit into one of the big genres.

So what makes a book commercial in genre? Plot and characters.

Specifically, something needs to really happen in the plot. Something big, definite, and external. As Melissa Crytzer Fry pointed out in the comments of the literary fiction post, internal plots are often dubbed as “no plot” or “weak plot,” and are generally less commercial and more literary. This doesn’t mean that commercial fiction can’t have internal plots, it just means that they’re usually mixed with external plots. Commercial readers prefer to be consistently entertained, so when I say “lots” needs to happen, I mean that the external (action) plot must not be far away throughout the duration of the book – not just at the climax. (And by “action” I don’t just mean explosions and gunfights. Divorce papers and dinner scenes can be action-driven as well.)

In the literary fiction post, we talked about intentionally unlikable characters. In commercial fiction, it’s generally accepted that the main character needs to be likable, vibrant, and memorable. This is where you often hear phrases like “larger than life,” etc. While literary readers might prefer a protagonist who is so flawed as to make the reader contemplate humanity, etc., commercial readers are more likely to love a protagonist they can root for. This doesn’t mean an oversimplified, one-dimensional character; it just means a (preferably deep, complex) character worth liking (in contrast with a character still worth reading but not worth liking). Again, this is a matter of taste – with plenty of space for gray areas.

3) Qualifier-

poses a larger question and answers it through plot and/or character.

Here’s the biggest misconception. Literary digs deeper, but commercial can too. Commercial fiction can just as strongly tell a message, make a point, change the world. I repeat: commercial fiction can be very, very deep. It can pose big questions and answer them, changing readers forever.

But it does so through plot and character, whereas lit-fic does so through other devices. What this means for the reader is that the message is easier to find and understand – often because the main character or narrator tells you as she herself learns it. Usually that lesson is inherent in the plot itself, which is the vehicle to force that character to change.

So let’s say an author wants to say something about how time is anecdotal and ever-present rather than linear. A lit-fic author might go about that by telling the story unchronologically through varied narrators to force the reader to ponder what effect that has on the information within. A commercial fiction author might go about it by setting a story in a world that allows the main character to time travel and experience those effects first-hand. Both can say the exact same thing – and have equally deep meaning – but literary fiction makes the reader dig while commercial fiction makes the protagonist dig. Which you prefer (when done equally well) is a matter of taste, not quality.

The Takeaway

I think we’ve all witnessed lit-fic and commercial fiction fans throwing tomatoes at each other over the years, but the truth is that no one is ever going to win the big fight. And the reason for that is simple: both types of literature have their own value for different tastes and different readers at different points in their lives. Why does one have to win? Why do they even have to be pitted against each other? At the end of the day, they both belong in the same realm: literature.

So what do you think? Do you like commercial fiction? Disdain it? What are your favorites of all time, and when does a commercial novel make you throw in the towel?

Like this post? Check out all posts in the What is Genre? series!

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Tools for Writers Part 2

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Annie Neugebauer

This is Part 2 to my post “Tools for Writers Part 1.” Part 1 covers tools for the writing process from research through drafting, and this part will share tools for editing through time management.

HK Causeway Bay Hysan Place Eslite Bookstore LAMY China pens writing tools Aug-2012

Please note that all of these ratings and reviews are my opinion. For each tool here, including the ones I gave one and two stars, I personally know people who absolutely swear by them – so take it all with a grain of salt.

My Rating System:
* Not worth it
** Worth a try
*** Great stuff
**** Indispensable

Wordle

Uses: Creating a word-cloud to see which words you overuse.

Pros: Free and easy to use. Fun to play with.

Cons: Word-cloud can be too large/hectic for entire novels. Best for shorter works.

My rating: *** Great stuff

Where to get it: here

Tips to use it: Play around with font, color, and text orientation to make the program the most useful for you. You can also remove common words (the, an, in) and words in other languages. Try making a Wordle out of your WIP and setting it as your computer’s desktop background for inspiration!

Cliché Cleaner

Uses: Searching your word document for clichés.

Pros: The first few tries are free, and can help you become more aware of which clichés you’re most guilty of abusing.

Cons: You have to convert your files to .txt files first. Larger documents take forever to scan or don’t scan at all. Plus, some of the words and phrases listed aren’t truly clichés, and it misses phrases that aren’t exactly like the version in their database.

My rating: ** Worth a try

Where to get it: here

Tips to use it: Be sure to adjust your “output options” before you run your scan, where you can choose how strict you want it to be in catching clichés and repeated phrases, plus how you want them sorted.

Dropbox

Uses: Backing up your work.

Pros: Since Dropbox updates automatically, you will never lose work again. Also, it sincs to all of your devices, so no more carrying (and losing) that zip drive. It uses password-protected internet storage to save all of the documents you “drop” into your “Dropbox” – which you can just setup as your “My Documents” folder.

Cons: If you’re not very computer-savvy, it might take you a minute or two to figure out where to put the Dropbox folder in your computer. It also might take a little readjusting of your habits. Plus, if you want lots of storage, you’ll have to pay extra.

My rating: **** Indispensable

Where to get it: Get up to 18 GB free. Use my referral link.

Tips to use it: You can get extra free storage by completing certain setup steps, such as including other computers, inviting friends (like the link above), and taking the tour. If you use Google Docs (which I personally loathe but know many writers adore), you can also sinc them together. (Thanks to Brandon McLeod for that tip!)

GoogleReader

Uses: RSS feed reader. Streamlining social media/platform-building (blogs) to make way for more writing time.

Pros: You can keep all of your blogs in one place, allowing you to read them on your time. This way you can schedule yourself one hour a day (or whatever) to read and comment on blogs, as opposed to all of your email subscriptions popping up as they’re posted – which can lead down time-sucking rabbit holes. It’s also much more efficient than bookmarking your blogs and checking them for new posts periodically, as nothing shows up in your reader unless it’s new.

Cons: Some people have trouble remembering to go to their reader – especially if they’re used to email subscriptions.

My rating: *** Great stuff

Where to get it: Attach it to your Google account.

Tips to use it: Put the bookmark in your favorites bar right at the top of your screen along with Facebook, Twitter, and all of your other dailies so you don’t forget to check in. More tips here.

RescueTime

Uses: Monitoring and reporting how you spend time on your computer, breaking it down into categories of “productive” and “unproductive.”

Pros: This program can help you pinpoint where you’re spending valuable hours doing unproductive tasks. It can also tell you at what times of day and on which days of the week you’re most and least productive, as well as help you manage productivity goals.

Cons: So far, I’ve found it a bit confusing. You do have to spend some time filling out what’s productive for you, and even then, some sites you visit will show up as “uncategorized,” which is annoying. I have a feeling that this tool could become my best friend, but to do that I will need to put in more time, which is the problem I was trying to avoid in the first place.

My rating: ** Worth a try

Where to get it: Use my referral link. (Thanks to Porter Anderson.)

Tips to use it: Be sure to check out all of the options for personalization. You can signify which categories are most and least distracting to you, as well as block specific websites or set time goals for yourself.

Closing

Those are my thoughts on some tools I’ve come to love and loathe. Do you have any writing tools that you’ve found indispensable over the years? Any tips to add to the ones I’ve listed?

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Tools for Writers Part 1

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Annie Neugebauer

I’ve been experimenting with some new (and old) writing tools lately, so I thought I would share my experiences with them. This Monday I’m reviewing the first five (from research to drafting), and next Monday I will share the second five (from editing to time management).

Please note that all of these ratings and reviews are my opinion. For each tool here, including the ones I gave one and two stars, I personally know people who absolutely swear by them – so take it all with a grain of salt.

My Rating System:
* Not worth it
** Worth a try
*** Great stuff
**** Indispensable

Google Earth

Uses: Research for settings you can’t visit in real life.

Pros: Free and relatively easy to use. Allows you to “fly” over places you’ve never been, and even “sit down” into some for a 3-d effect.

Cons: Can be laggy/slow. Some more remote locations are not very visible.

My rating: *** Great stuff

Where to get it: here

Tips to use it: Experiment with the “layers” you can add and take away from the map. And don’t forget to save your most-visited research spots to your “Places” for a quicker find next time.

Children’s Cross-section Books

Uses: In-depth research and visualization.

Pros: Visual representation of your topic broken down into simple explanations. Much less overwhelming and confusing than huge volumes of written research.

Cons: There can be a limited selection, and even books about your topic don’t always show exactly the things you want them to show. (For example, I wanted a book about 17th century war ships but could only find one about 18th century war ships.)

My rating: *** Great stuff

Where to get it: Your local bookstore or Amazon – but don’t forget to click through Denton Poets’ Assembly first! (It’s the same shopping experience for you, but a small percentage of your total purchase goes to support a Denton non-profit poetry organization. Just click on the Amazon banner at the top of the page.)

Tips to use it: I highly recommend Stephen Biesty’s Incredible Cross-Sections. And I also suggest looking at a cross-section as one of the very first steps, before you write your historical fiction or whatever, because some facts that surprise you might be vital to your plot or setting.

Microsoft Word

Uses: Drafting, editing, formatting.

Pros: Everyone uses it. Almost every venue (publications, agents, editors) ask you to submit in the .doc or .docx formats. Word is the bread and butter of a writer’s meal.

Cons: Cost. Buying Microsoft Office isn’t cheap, but it’s necessary. There’s also a learning curve for each new version, and sometimes there are annoying compatibility issues with .doc and .dox, etc.

My rating: **** Indispensable

Where to get it: Your local computer/office supply store, or Amazon – but don’t forget to click through Denton Poets’ Assembly first!

Tips to use it: Check out some tips on this site.

Dragon Naturally Speaking

Uses: Oral drafting.

Pros: If you’re facing Carpal tunnel, tendonitis, or some other type of hand/wrist- immobilizing injury, this is pretty much the only way to write without pain.

Cons: The program takes a long time to “train,” meaning you have to be very, very patient to make it useful. I still haven’t gotten to the point where I can speak naturally and have it be 90% correct, although people who have swear it’s worth it. It’s also very slow, laggy, and generally frustrating.

My rating: * Not worth it (if you can type just fine) / ** Worth a try (if you’re patient and/or desperate)

Where to get it: Your local computer/office supply store or Amazon – but don’t forget to click through Denton Poets’ Assembly first!

Tips to use it: Many people have trouble using the crummy headphone set it comes with, so if you’re going to make the time and money investment, I’d say go ahead and buy a decent headset, too.

Scrivener

Uses: Plotting, re-arranging, and brainstorming your chaotic manuscript.

Pros: Multiple features all in one place. Scrivener is like the corkboard with index cards, the 3-ring binder, and the files of research all rolled into one digital program. If you don’t write in order, or need to do major structural work on a book, Scrivener will save you time and paper. If you’re a poet compiling your poems into a chapbook or manuscript, Scrivener will save your sanity.

Cons: Not great for drafting, fine-tuning, or final printing. Also, very overwhelming if you don’t take the tutorial, which lasts about 2 hours. You have to have great patience to make this tool useful, as it has dozens of features to learn and consider.

My rating: ** Worth a try (novelists) / *** Great stuff (poets)

Where to get it: Start with your free 30-day trial.

Tips to use it: My favorite thing so far is putting different media into folders for inspiration. I created a folder of inspiring photos — like Pinterest/Tumblr just for me & this book — and I can arrow through them to create a flipbook effect that almost looks like a book trailer. If I do this while playing some of my inspiration songs, the effect is pretty awesome. More tips here at Writer Unboxed.

Closing

Those are my thoughts on some tools I’ve come to love and loathe. Do you have any writing tools that you’ve found indispensable over the years? Any tips to add to the ones I’ve listed?

Part 2 to come next Monday!

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What It’s Like To Be Married To a Writer

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Annie Neugebauer

Back in February, erotic romance author Roni Loren shared a really interesting post: AmyBeth Iverness interviewed Roni’s husband Donnie on her blog. The post centered around what it was like to be married to an erotic romance writer.

Well, Febe Moss and I were absolutely smitten. Donnie’s answers were so much fun to read, and it instantly set us to wondering how our own husbands would reply to similar questions. To satiate that curiosity, we’ve decided to cook up a version of the same concept. Here, below, you will find Daniel’s answers about his wife, Febe. On Febe’s blog you will find my husband Kyle’s answers about me. We hope you enjoy!

***

Annie: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done to help your wife with writing?

Daniel: I really have not done anything that I would call “weird.” I brainstorm and read over some of her stuff. I read a lot of fantasy and my fantasy knowledge has helped with her current book. I often cook dinner for her (I make a mean cheddar biscuit), and clean the litter box for Noodles.

Annie: What’s your favorite thing she’s ever written?

Daniel: Despite my outright dislike of poetry, I would have to say two pieces that she did are my favorites. Both are poems, one being about her Dog Jules, while the other is about the contents of her mother’s purse. The bits and pieces she’s shown me of her current novel, “Kissing a gorgon” have been really funny too. Like laugh out loud funny.

Annie: What do you do with yourself when your wife is working on a big project?

Daniel: Read, play Red Dead Redemption on the PS3, TV, Videogames, Go to the library, Videogames, do laundry. Did I mention videogames?

‎‎Annie: How do you feel when people ask about your wife’s job?

Daniel: Well, I simply tell them that she is working in the Admin office at TWU for now, but she is working on a novel and would like to eventually write full time. I get a sense of pride when I tell people this. Febe is not just chasing a dream, she is making it a goal and really going for it.

Annie: What is the worst part of being married to a writer? The best thing?

Daniel: That is a loaded question. I find the best and worst thing are the same thing. On one hand, the worst is you have to pick up some slack. Do more around the house. Take care of things your partner normally might do, because she is away at a conference, at a writing group, or in her office writing. But, that is also the very best thing. Because each task is something she does not have to do. She can keep moving forward and achieving that goal she has set. Though it is extra work, it is also something that is helping your spouse get to where she wants to be.

Annie: And as we all know, every good writer has a cat or two. How do you and your writer’s cat get along?

Sir Daniel with Sir Noodles

Daniel: I love our little/big Noodles. He can be a pain at times due to his love of scratching furniture. He also requires A LOT of attention for a cat. He takes after his “Mommy” in the fact that whenever he gets in trouble, he stops and will look at us as if pretending he was not doing anything.

Annie: Thanks Daniel!

***

So many thanks to our wonderful husbands who took time out of their busy days to answer our silly questions and always support us in what we do. We love you guys!

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