Recommendations for works to compare to my own

Hello folks,

So one of the most common tips I see on the interwebs is to compare your novel to other novels, so that the publisher has a better idea of the book and its target audience. Problem is, I don't read much. I'm very picky. I will drop a book after reading just the first two pages just on prose, and that's after being intrigued by the blurb.

So about my book:

• Genre: Fantasy
• Tone: Light-Hearted
• The important characters are aged 16-20.

I say light-hearted, despite the main character's life getting progressively worse from the inciting incident, both from unfair treatment of others, as well as his own decisions. At the end, his family assumed he killed himself, and outcast him again, so he goes and does something reckless to probably finish it once and for all. But he meets someone that stops him, so happy ending?

The killcount is 10ish, 5 just from MC. I have another character get kicked out for being out of wedlock child, get molested twice, the tone of those scenes go from uncomfortable to wacky.( and that's only because it was implied to be worse) She also dies off screen as punishment for trying to be an interesting character.

I have a store clerk basically get raped by a monster, but the tone of that is sort of weird, she's able to brush it off and have a normal conversation as if she ate bad fish. Even when the MC sees it, he's annoyed, because she's supposed to be working and he takes it as her being lazy.

Despite all of that, dialogue is very rarely serious. Lame jokes, homoerotic jokes, puns and goofy idiosyncrasies litter the book.

Just to give it a comparison from what I do know.

• The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum: Way way way too dark compared to my work.
• Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: I'm still reading this, I only bring it up because of the dialogue. My work doesn't have any cut away jokes.

I would prefer American author's. I've also read a bit of Bad Omens by Neil Gaiman and its pretty obvious British comedy is written in a similar matter. Or maybe thats how comedy is written. I don't know.

 

Well I wanted to say first off that publishers don't want you to compare your work to others necessarily to understand the target audience. Usually they ask you that to make sure you are knowledgeable of your craft and genre. In my experience anyway.

Beside that I don't have any suggestions for you. I am interested in how you can make that list of terror sound light-hearted. Once you are past your new member period and can post your own work you will have to do so. It must be quite a challenge!

 

Publishers don't want you to compare your books to things that they weren't written to be compared to. Comps are not something you do after the fact. If you want to say that your book is Harry Potter meets The Matrix, you need to have been actually think about those properties when you were working on your book. You need to be conversant in those properties because when they ask you *WHY* it's Harry Potter meets The Matrix, they expect a coherent answer. The reason comps work is because it gives everyone a common frame of reference. If you haven't actually read these books, you're not doing yourself any favors.

 

• Comps are not something you do after the fact.

So I cannot read as I write and be like, wow, this is similar to my work?

• If you want to say that your book is Harry Potter meets The Matrix, you need to have been actually think about those properties when you were working on your book.

So if I come up with the idea of a fake world where the main character has to fight his way to reality, and then watch the movie for the first time, I cannot compare my work to it? (Mind you I actually haven't seen the movie, so if my example is wrong excuse me)

• The reason comps work is because it gives everyone a common frame of reference. If you haven't actually read these books, you're not doing yourself any favors.

Which is my goal, to have a frame of reference. My goal was to read some of the suggestions, not read the title and throw that book in their face. I guess my fault is that I didn't give the plot, only my some scenarios and how conflicted the tone is.

1. MC receives reason to be ostracized.
2. MC is ostracized
3. MC lucks out and gets amazing job.
4. MC does something reckless(for revenge), although it works out, boss reprimands him for being reckless.
5. MC is too worried about being too incompetent for job, does something reckless again, lucks out again.
6. MC gets fired for being reckless.
7. MC goes home in hopes of some sort of belonging.
8. MC gets rejected.
9. MC finds out he accidentally received the reason, and has the opportunity to get his life back at the cost of someone else being outcasted, minus the job.
10. MC realizes the damage is done and decides to keep it for himself. He goes off and does something reckless, hoping its his last. It is not.

If you want to talk about themes. I guess one would be, just because something good came out of a stupid decision, doesn't mean it was the right thing to do.
Now that I've written it out like that, it almost seems like the perfect ending would be for his last decision to not work out. Hehe.

 

Hi @bobsonstevebob, great questions. You should definitely watch the Matrix.

 

I know nothing about what publishers want. But my gut says don't compare your work to existing stuff. It will be different. I'm replying mainly because I get the feeling you like writing similar stuff to me but mine is a hobby. I'd never submit my work to traditional publishers. I know it doesn't have wide appeal, so I'd rather not read 50 rejection letters.

 

I feel like they are not looking for you to compare your work to anyone else, but rather want to know who you are inspired by.
I was reading about how to write query letters and it said that agents like to know your inspiration because it makes it easier to market. For example, someone who is inspired by Tolkien would say " my novel is set in a Tolkien-esque world where the main character must...."
Or if its a single book (ill use American Gods as an example because im im watching that now), "i drew inspiration from American Gods by Neil Gaiman. My novel has a lot of similar themes such as mythology, angsty protagonist looking to find himself, battle between good and evil, etc."

Something like that so they know what to expect without quite reading your novel, and so marketing can do their marketing mumbo jumbo like "Tolkien-esque" and "fans of Neil Gaiman will LOVE thus!" Kind of thing.

If you dont have a novel or author inspiration, what is your inspiration for your novel? Lead with that