Why It’s a Good Idea to Compare Your Book to Others

Diet Coke or Pepsi?

Tea or coffee?

Regular water or La Croix?

We compare things all the time. And, let’s face it, as readers, we’re always comparing books. So why do we get so shy when it comes to comparing the book we’re writing to the rest of the literary environment?

One of my editing colleagues jokes about how many of her authors come to her claiming that there’s “nothing else like” their book. Which is not actually true. None of us writes in a vacuum.

And anyway, literary comparisons have been a staple of publishing for a long, long time. In fact, they are a key part of the business. In traditional publishing, these are known as “comps,” and they’re pretty handy.

What comps are and why you should like them

“Comps” is short for comparative titles, or authors. In other words, what other books or writers does this work resemble?

Providing comps is a requirement when you pitch your book to a traditional publisher. The publisher uses this information to make sales projections and craft sales strategy. Why? Because we all make purchase (or beverage) choices like this, all the time.

The people selling books think about comps, readers are constantly comparing your books to other books…and so should you. Not just as part of your sales strategy. But to help as you write and revise the book. Comparing gives you great information and helps you make informed writing choices.

For example, if you are writing in a particular genre and want to set yourself apart, you can take a look at what other books in your genre are doing, and change an important detail.

You can also look at what other books in your genre are doing well, so that you can emulate success.

How to compare your book effectively to others

The first step to compare your book effectively is to compare apples to apples, oranges to oranges. Looking at what a history book does when you are writing self-help doesn’t tell you much. Checking out the latest literary fiction best-seller when you’re writing SciFi won’t, either.

What other books out there are like yours? By this, I mean books that are in your genre, dealing with a topic related to yours, or those that share a certain theme you also address or illuminate. If you want to be funny, look at books you think are funny. If you are writing true crime, look at true crime, and so on.

It’s a good idea to think about what readers of the genre you are writing want and expect. In general, you want to deliver on these expectations. If you prefer to be a rule breaker, you’ll be most successful if you know what rules you are breaking—and why.

You can compare at any point during the writing process, including before you begin. What books out there are like the book you want to write?

What specifically do you admire about those books, or that author? Is it the style? Do they convey information really well? Are they short and sweet? Are they in-depth and comprehensive?

Finally, and this should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: Look for books that are successful. Perhaps they’ve sold well, or are known in their particular field or genre (which is your field or genre!). Maybe they’ve won awards. What have other successful books done well? You want to emulate what works.

Bottom Line

Comparing your book to others gives you a lot of great information you can use as you write and revise—not to mention background for your marketing and sales strategy. Yes, no one else is writing precisely the book you are writing; but the fact is, you’re not writing in a vacuum, either. You’re writing in a space filled with books that are like and unlike yours in different ways. And that’s a good thing. Use it.

== ==

Want to talk through what kind of book you are writing?  A book structure intensive could be for you.

Receive instant access to Finding an Editor: What Indie Writers Need to Know. You’ll get all blogs delivered straight to your inbox, plus an assortment of indie publishing news, opinions (mine), and events.

Comparing oranges to oranges. Compare your book—and do it right. CC image “Orange” courtesy of chriscom on Flickr. Some rights reserved.