If you’re working on a book proposal or preparing to pitch to agents and publishers, sooner or later you’ll come across one essential requirement: comp titles. They’re one of those publishing terms that sound more intimidating than they actually are, and yet choosing the right ones can make a huge difference to how your book is understood and received, especially by a literary agent evaluating where your manuscript fits in the market.

So what exactly are comp titles, and how do you find them? Let’s break it down in a clear, narrative way.

What Are Comp Titles?

“Comp titles” simply means comparative titles: books that share certain qualities with your own. This doesn’t mean your book has to be identical; in fact, it shouldn’t be. But your comps should help publishers and anyone offering literary representation quickly grasp the world your book belongs to: the genre, the tone, the themes, the style, and the audience you’re reaching for.

Think of them as a bridge. When you say, “My book will appeal to readers of X and Y,” you’re giving an editor, or someone trying to find a literary agent for you, a shortcut into understanding your intentions and your market. It helps them imagine where your book would sit in a bookstore and why readers might gravitate toward it.

What Counts as a “Similar” Book?

“Similar” can be surprisingly flexible. It might be a book with the same emotional mood, like a tender mother–daughter memoir. Or something that echoes your structure, maybe a dual-timeline novel or a narrative nonfiction book with reportage woven into personal reflection. It might share themes, such as migration, identity, mental health, or coming-of-age in a specific cultural context.

This is especially important when pitching to a literary agent for fiction or a literary agent for non-fiction, since comps help signal not just what your book is about, but who it’s meant for.

The point is not to find a replica of your book. It’s to show the ecosystem in which your book exists.

Why Comp Titles Matter

From a publisher’s or literary agent’s point of view, comp titles help answer crucial questions: Is there an audience for this? Who is likely to buy it? How do we position it? The right comps tell them that readers are already engaging with books like yours, and that yours brings something fresh enough to stand out, yet familiar enough to be marketable.

But comps aren’t just for the industry. They’re also incredibly useful for you. Choosing comp titles forces you to articulate who you’re writing for, what your book is doing within its genre, and what gap it fills in the market. This clarity is essential when you’re figuring out how to find a literary agent for my book and pitching your work confidently.

How to Find Your Comp Titles

The first place to look is your own bookshelf. The books that inspired your writing or the ones you imagine sitting alongside yours often make the strongest starting point. From there, widen your search. Browse bookstores and look at what’s currently being published in your category.

Explore online retailers and pay attention to the “readers also enjoyed” sections; they’re surprisingly accurate in mapping tone, themes, and audience. Library catalogues can also be helpful, as they categorise books by subject in ways that may align closely with how literary agents accepting submissions think about positioning manuscripts.

As you explore, pay attention to publication dates. Publishing trends shift quickly, so it’s best to choose comp titles from the last three to five years. And remember to think beyond plot: sometimes the most effective comp mirrors your voice, your structure, or your emotional arc.

What Makes a Good Comp Title?

A good comp title does two things at once: it situates your book in a recognisable space and highlights what makes it unique. When you describe your book as sitting “somewhere between X and Y,” you’re essentially saying: Here is the core audience, here is the reading experience they want, and here’s how my book offers something new.

Avoid classics or cultural juggernauts. Editors and agents don’t need to hear that your novel is “the next Harry Potter.” What they want is a sense of your contemporary literary neighbourhood, something that helps them evaluate your book realistically and strategically.

In the End…

Comp titles aren’t meant to confine your book. They’re meant to illuminate it. By choosing comps thoughtfully, you not only strengthen your pitch you also make it easier for a literary agent to advocate for your work and place it effectively.

Take your time with this part. Read widely, think deeply, and choose comp titles that genuinely resonate with the heart of what you’re creating. Your book, and the people who might one day represent and read it, deserve nothing less.