Chances are you’ve picked up a new release because it was marketed “for fans of [book you loved]”, or maybe you read a review comparing it to one of your favorite books. And as you read that shiny new novel, you’re likely to have one of several possible epiphanies:
- The comparison is accurate, and you may have found a new favorite book.
- The comparison is not accurate, but you enjoy the book anyway.
- The comparison is accurate, but for some reason you’re just not that into this book.
- The comparison is not accurate, and you really don’t like this book.
Maybe you’ve had better luck in these cases than I have, in which case I am totally envious … and hope you can get something out of this post anyway. For me, I often find myself somewhere between the best and worst case scenarios, and it led me to wonder: Are these “comp titles” actually nice helpful and accurate? Or should I just disregard them?
After all, not every frontlist title can — or should! — be the next Six of Crows, despite what their blurbs say.
Continue reading “Teatime: Are Comp Titles Actually Useful?”