Publishing graphic novels at the middle-grade level has grown dramatically over the last ten years, and editors are looking for quality stories. Most are looking for new and unique voices but here’s the rub, if you are new and unique they don’t really know how to quantify you so they need some sort of shorthand to at least be able to categorize you.
This is where comp titles come in. So what exactly is a comp title or comparable title? It’s simply a work similar to yours that an agent or editor uses to determine how to categorize your book. They also use your comps to see if you understand the audience (age range) you are writing for. All of the comps don’t have to be in your age range but if you are writing middle-grade and all of your comps are YA, that could be a sign you’re writing for the wrong audience.
Comps also help to give editors a sense of how your work might sell in the marketplace. So you shouldn’t use titles that are the pinnacle of publishing. Comparing your book to Harry Potter or Percy Jackson is not helpful. Yes everyone wants those types of sales numbers but those are not realistic expectations.
Your aim with a comp should be to reference tone not aesthetics. You need to find books that are comparable to yours in terms of character and theme not necessarily plot and surface details.
It’s okay to use a movie or work outside of your book’s category as a comp but the majority of the comps should come from within your category. Meaning if your book is a graphic novel about a kid from a troubled home trying to figure out who he is then you’ll likely want to use Hey, Kiddo by Jarret Krosoczka.
One last note, you should be using comps that have been published within the last five years. This shows that your book is relevant to what is being published currently.
Now that we know what we are looking for, let’s figure out how to find them. Here are the top three ways to research comp titles. (And one bonus you may not have considered).
- Amazon: Determine a book that you think would make a good comp. Look up that book on Amazon then scroll down a bit. There are typically two sections, “Products related to this item” which is usually not too helpful because those books are sponsored. Meaning the publisher is advertising them there. The second is “Similar books based on genre” Go through the titles here and research them to see if they would make a good comp for your book. Also read through the reviews. Frequently reviewers will reference a similar book in their review.
- Libraries: Neil Gaiman sums it up “Google will bring you back a hundred thousand answers. A librarian will bring you back the right one.” Often there is a librarian that is in charge of graphic novels. Tell them what you’re looking for and let the recommendations flow.
- Children’s Bookstores: Similar to libraries, the staff at children’s bookstores are passionate about kid’s books and are great at recommending “If you loved X check out Y.”
- Bonus Search: Check you’re own bookshelf. We tend to write about things that appeal to us, which surprise, surprise that’s probably the same type of things we read. Remember to look for books with a similar tone, not a similar plot or genre. If you’re writing Sci-fi Space Academy about a group of alien kids dealing with feelings and classroom drama you’d do better to comp Best Friends rather than Five Worlds.
One final note. Read the books that you’re comping. You definitely don’t want to put something on your list that is not representative of your work. That kills the whole point of a comp. Good luck and happy researching.
-Write on.
Family Stuff
For the 4th of July we went up to Lake Tahoe. We hadn’t been before so it was extra fun. But really just nice to get away. We did a fair amount of hiking and a little bit of swimming (the water is super cold). The area is beautiful and I found myself taking a bunch of nature shots for Woodland Hills reference. Even though the majority of Woodland does not take place out in nature, I find it inspiring for the bits that do.
If you’re interested in nature pics for art reference I shared a zip of them here.
It was also River’s 2nd birthday. We had sent out invitations and planned for the party to be at the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round. But the week before, Sophia discovered the merry-go-round is closed for repairs. So a quick scramble and we relocated to the mini-train station just around the corner. It was really nice being outdoors and celebrating with friends and family.
Thanks for reading. See you next month!
-Josh
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