Comps and Marketing Strategies

By Cindy Williams Schrauben

Reading blog posts is a crazy thing… what speaks to you at one juncture of your writing journey might not be relevant later and vise-versa. That’s why it often helps to go back and read them again once your perspective has changed. 

I thought I had written all I could about comparison titles (COMPS), but with a new book coming out (THIS COULD BE YOU, April ‘22), I am looking at them with fresh eyes - marketing eyes.

 

I feel extremely inept when it comes to marketing, but I will share what I’ve learned. Please comment below with any additional tips.

 

As I’ve said many times, comps help to place a book in the marketplace… where does it belong in the bookstore, who will be interested, etc. I read an example recently that hit me like a fish in the face: the movie Cujo was pitched as ‘Jaws on paws.’ Short, simple, and not so sweet, but so powerful.

 

A couple of the titles I have chosen as comps for my upcoming book are Y IS FOR YET by Shannon Anderson & Jake Souva and THE MAGICAL YET by Angela DiTerlizzi & Lorena Alvarez.

 

Following comp titles and their authors closely can help to learn more about the category, audience, and marketing opportunities for your own book.

Here are a few tips:

 

Study the book blurbs to choose categories as well as create your pitch/description, and keywords for your book. This can lead to being listed in the “You Might Also Like’ section following their books = more exposure.

 

Read your comps’ reviews to find out what people like and don’t like about your category and to find potential influencers to ask for reviews.

 

Comps can help you find like-minded authors to team up with for promotions or marketing.

 

Write reviews for your comps - put them on SM, and add them to your website to create more interest in your category.

Cindy Williams Schrauben is a ReFoReMo blog contributor. Check out her new bio on our Coordinators page.