Thread by @erniechiara

Let's have some fun and talk about comp titles. This relates to part of what we do as agents, too. It's about knowing the current market and knowing where your work fits into it. So I'm going to dive right in, but I'll finish this thread with the comps for my clients' projects.🧵

FYI: This is going to be geared mostly towards newer writers or writers new to querying. But I hope there will be something here for everyone. And I can't speak for all agents, of course, so this is just from my own perspective. Anyway, let's go. 🧵

Since I'm drawn to stories that are unique and original in one way or another, comps can sometimes be tricky to come up with. But as a querying writer, it's important not to force them. Don't use comps just for the sake of including a book in the same genre. 🧵

They have to make sense. They need to apply to some aspect of your book. And they need to be recent. Which means you should read widely within your genre to know where your book would fit into the market.🧵

Whether it's the feel, narrative style, a particular trope, a mood, a setting—the best comps blend 2 or 3 titles along with *details about what makes them relevant*. I'd much rather see "blends the _____ of X with the _____ of Y and the _____ of Z" than just "X meets Y and Z."🧵

The combination should give us an immediate "a-ha" moment. Like, "Okay, I get it. That's hot." So if the comps in a client's query were spot on, they'll be the same ones I use in my pitch to editors. Other times, I might use some and not others if a different comp fits better. 🧵

With all that said, here are some examples here of comp combinations for some of my clients' projects. I hope they're helpful!🧵

Fen Yik's BENEVOLENT FIST blends the myth-based magic of THE LAST FALLEN STAR by Graci Kim with the teacher/student dynamic of Cobra Kai and Marvel's Shang-Chi in a New York middle-school.🧵

Katharine J. Adams's TONIGHT, I BURN blends the atmospheric magic of SORCERY OF THORNS with the gothic prose of HOUSE OF SALT AND SORROWS and the LGBTQ+ romance and rebellion of GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE.🧵

Asia Murphy's RED SUN blends N.K. Jemisin’s THE FIFTH SEASON with invasive species ecology instead of plate tectonics, the alien eco-tech of VanderMeer's ANNIHILATION, and the mythological world building of Okorafor's REMOTE CONTROL.🧵

Meredith Mooring's REDSIGHT blends the cosmic horror of GIDEON THE NINTH with the political intrigue and religious mythos of SISTERS OF THE VAST BLACK and the LGBTQ+ enemies-to-lovers romance of KILLING EVE.🧵

Cassandra Newbould's THINGS I'LL NEVER SAY blends the sibling loss & snippets of verse of Nelson's THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE with the messy after-effects of dealing with an addict of Glasgow's YOU'D BE HOME NOW and the positive fat, bisexual rep of Albertalli's LEAH ON THE OFFBEAT.🧵

Lex Duncan's MIDNIGHT AT THE NEON TIGER blends the gang factions of JADE CITY with the genetic mutations of The Umbrella Academy and the film noir panache of a post-nuclear Casablanca.🧵

Aman Bedi's KAVITHRI is a silkpunk reimagining of post-colonial India that blends THE POPPY WAR with (brown) shades of GIDEON THE NINTH and the atmosphere of Netflix’s Arcane. 🧵

And if anyone has any questions about comps, I'm here. #askagent 🧵/✖️