Latest posts tagged with #comparables on Bluesky
When you are talking within your genre to pros in your genre, they will talk about books. You may hear about a few films but films are not your genre. A film is not a book. A book comp is a book. This detail is often missed by new writers when comping.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables #books
As a new writer you are trying to be associated with the top novels in your genre.
Take the freely available concrete information on what is working today with the readers you want to become fans and apply that data to your own novel. Deliver satisfaction.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables
You should be an up-to-date READER of your genre. You should be enthusiastic and knowledgeable and know the top authors, agents and editors names. By reading the top your will become informed what your future readers expect from your new novel.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables #agents
Did the book win awards?
List the awards
Is the novel first person?
Present or past tense?
Does it head hop?
POV?
Is it controversial in forums?
Length of chapters?
Cliffhangers?
You note these things as often the details shape the readers expectations.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables
Book data includes:
* Measure the size of the book
* Measure the margins in the book
* Measure the font and leading
* Count the number of pages
* Count the average number of words per page
* Obtain an estimated word count
* Did this book include art
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables #data
Every Thursday I talk about comp reading first.
A comparable is a novel with similar characteristics to your own.
A comparable was written and published in the last 3 years.
A comparable is NOT A FILM.
A comparable should be selling well today!
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables #queries
When a reader consumes a novel their 'feeling' about it is within a set of expectations they already have for what they want from a novel in your genre. They read FOR a certain type of experience. When you read comps you learn what their expectations are.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables
Good Morning Beautiful People!!!
What are you reading today?
You should have a 12-book ongoing stack of books or titles to be read this year specializing in your exact genre with top-selling newly published (3 years) titles. You should be reading book 2.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables
Hello Thursday.
Thursdays are all about intentional reading. This is reading to move your writing career forward. If you are heading toward an agent then you should be reading all the top current comparables. Focus on identifying them today.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables #agents
By reading your comps you become up to date on your genre. You will read/see how long the current favorite novels are, how they are written, what pov, what tense, is there head hopping, is there graphic sex, is there key writing qualities the fans like?
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables #read
Ask in forums where other readers get their tips from on what next novel to read. Follow up on their tips. You are actively trying to locate how and where readers are finding their next titles. You are looking 2 years out for your launch marketing strategy.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables
You will be writing yourself a book report on the comp you are reading. The hardcover is for you to handle upclose the cover art, take the book data from. After reading 12 comps this year you won't remember them clearly. Write a book report on story and data.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables
One day a week I encourage you to do intentional reading. We start with reading comparable novels in the exact subgenre you are writing in. Many writers find this super hard. The first procrastinator is they don't known what genre they are writing in. ....
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables
Good morning worshippers of Thor. It's a raise-your-hammer day for sure.
Thursdays are all about reading to help your writing career success.
Start with your comps list. You should be finishing your first comp read of 2026. No comps list? Tsk tsk...
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables #Thor
I encourage you to find your sub-genre, read your comps and do a detailed data collection on each book. Not only should you summarize what the book is about, you should be data collecting HOW it was written. These details are factual and not vague.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables #reading
In general, the cell-phone generation has grown up on very short text. This has altered their reading patterns. Often this means they experience text as short and fast compared to the pre-cell phone generation. They are conditioned to the short/fast trend.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables
I encourage you to stay within the 3-5 year limit for reading as trends within sub-genre change and older books are not on trend for current publishing. Again, you are writing for current reader demographics. The age of genre reading always becomes younger.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables
These comps will inform you of the readers preference for POV, tense, style, length of paragraph, length of chapter, length of novel.
The averages within a subgenre take away the mystery of reader expectation for basic satisfaction when reading.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables #reading
Your competency in the subgenre where you are writing informs your novel. By reading what your future readers are reading you will be exposed to their expectations of within-genre satisfaction. These titles will show you what is expected from your novel.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables
You solidify exactly what subgenre is correct by reading. You are somewhat likely to get it wrong at first.. Your novel may have 2 or 3 themes collected together. This simply means you need to read more. When you find the right category check how its listed.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables
Literary or Classic is generally awarded to novels in some alignment of popularity or infamy. That's not your novel.
Go to your genre list and subgenre list and work hard to find out where current novels sharing your key story features are listed.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables #reading
Your issue is that your novel, of whatever genre, shouldn't be positioned as literary simply because you don't know what you are writing. The writing world expects you to do the work of locating other similar books (content wise) right from the start. You.
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Many writers are surprised to realize that a vampire novel by Anne Rice was/is often listed as 'literary' rather than as horror under speculative fiction. It isn't alone. Frankenstein is listed as classic or foundational, science fiction and gothic.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables #fiction
I identify comparables for writers as novels published within the last 3 years that have or are selling well in your EXACT subgenre.
I have discovered many writers don't actually know their exact subgenre. They may know their genre. They may be wrong. #writingcommunity #booksky #comparables #read
You can read any version of a comp novel for story. You should handle the most expensive version for data about how it was made. This is usually your hardcover. Order these through your local library system. They will take awhile to come in so do it early.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables
I encourage you to read the top ten NEWLY published, good selling novels in your exact subgenre to become really up to speed on what your future readers want. You need these comps for queries if you are going trad. You need them for readers if you self-pub.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables
It's Thursday which means it is the day for you to be reading in your genre or toward the business aspect of your writing career.
You should be able to order Libby books today to read if you have been procrastinating again. Shift your behavior.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables #business
Writing success requires efforts in many different areas. Most writers find it really hard to keep up. They want to write, not to sell, not to account, not to invest. I get it. Doesn't matter what you don't like here. I have no EASY pitch to sell you.
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Unpublished writers have no track record in terms of sales.
They are 100% risk of a publishers working capital. The publisher must believe, based on zero track record, that the new novel can meet the needs of their established audience for similar books.
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables
Is real publishing easy?
What do you think the REAL demands are on marketing ANY product into a marketplace. You know, real business stuff. Why do you persist in thinking publishing isn't a real business. This isn't amateur night at the roxie...
#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables #books
