Is it just me, or does everyone have trouble finding the right comps for your manuscript? I’ve read all the advice — pick books in your genre that are recent and known, but not too popular. Nothing too old, and make sure it is that Goldilocks-type book that will be known to publishers and agents, but not a blockbuster. Threading that needle is THE WORST. (Ok, maybe not as bad as writing a synopsis… but it is still not fun.)

I think comps are one of the areas I struggle with the most when reaching out to agents. On the one hand, my manuscript is a special snowflake that is nothing like anything in the market today. I say that mostly in jest. But honestly: The target audience of my book is ME. I could not find the fantasy novel I wanted to read, exploring the issues and characters I wanted to read about. After reading some lackluster books, I thought to myself, “Self, if this slop can be published, why not write your own damn book?!?” It was WAY harder than I thought it would be, but in the end, I did it.

But that’s not what agents want to hear. And I get their reasoning. They want to know how to market the book to readers. And readers want to know what aspects of this book they will like (if they like it at all). So where did I land on comps? Here are five tips. (As a still-unpublished author, take this advice with a metric ton of salt.)

1) Feel the Vibes: A few weeks ago, I was helping my wife with remarks she would give to a large crowd. While doing so, we talked about what makes a person a good public speaker. In the end, it comes down to the old adage: People may forget what you say, but they will remember how you made them feel. Same goes for books, at least when it comes to comps. Of course your story is a special snowflake. But what feelings does it evoke, and what are other books in the genre that accomplish the same?

2) Common Themes: Again, forget about comparable stories and look at themes in your work. Are you writing a coming-of-age novel? Or does your main character struggle with the meaning of life in a complex era? If so, find books that successfully explore similar themes. This helps agents, publishers, and, eventually, readers know what they are getting into.

3) What’s Different: It might be counter-intuitive, but how is your manuscript different from these comps? Here is where you get to let your uniqueness shine. Agents/publishers want something familiar, but different enough to whet the appetites of readers. I doubt agents (or readers) want a carbon-copy of something that is already out there. What makes your work shine? Sometimes this is accomplished through the combination of two comps (see below).

4) Be Specific: You don’t need to spend a ton of words on your comps, but you definitely need to do more than, “Comps would include BOOK 1 and BOOK 2.” That’s boring and gives the agent/publisher so little information that it is basically useless. Instead, take a brief moment to explain WHY you opted for the comps. For example: “My manuscript has the feeling of helplessness found in COMP-1, combined with the fast-paced adventure theme of AUTHOR’S COMP-2.”

5) Farm It Out: Before you query, it’s key to send your draft to beta readers. These are usually folks who read the same genre of books. So as you get feedback from them, ask this question: “Does this manuscript remind you of anything you read recently? If so, why?” Writing is often a solitary endeavor, but comps are a PERFECT area where beta readers (and writing groups) can be enormously helpful.

Based on these tips, here is what I came up with for my query letter: “The manuscript contains an exploration of religious zealotry akin to Margaret Atwood’s A Handmaid’s Tale and coming-of-age themes found in Sabaa Tahir’s Ember in the Ashes series.”

To reiterate: I am unpublished and without an agent. So either this advice sucks (possible), the rest of my query letter sucks (probable), and/or my manuscript just isn’t that good (we all feel this way sometimes).

What do you think? Is this good advice? What did I miss? What advice do you have? Lemme know in the comments below.