Writing comp titles really is an art form. Boiling a story down to “when x meets y” requires a lot of skill. Some tips I’ve heard before are:
- Nix the bestselling titles (a.k.a. Please don’t think you’re John Grisham)
- Try to use semi-current works
- Use ones in a similar genre (some folks recommend using just books, while others are okay with references to short stories or films)
I thought I’d try my hand at making up a comp for my short story, “Those Holiday Blues.” It’s part of Festive Mayhem, a recently released anthology collection by an amazing group of diverse crime fiction writers.
I also asked the other contributors to come up with individual comps for their stories. Here goes (this is organized by story title in the anthology):
“The New Year’s Hex” by Carolyn Marie Wilkins:
Ghost meets Murder She Wrote meets black history circa 1920.
“Pipe Dreams” by S.G. Wong:
Raymond Chandler’s The Little Sister meets Wong Kar-Wai’s In the Mood for Love.
“A Christmas Tip” by Elizabeth Wilkerson:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo meets Good Girls
“The Stranger in the House” by Stella Oni:
Miss Marple meets Mma Ramotswe
“What Lies Inside” by Kia Dennis:
The Tell-tale Heart meets You
“A Deadly First” by Delia C. Pitts:
Motherless Brooklyn meets Hemingway’s “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place.”
“The Holiday Murder Mélange” by Myra Jolivet:
MC Beaton’s Quiche of Death meets the movie, Eve’s Bayou.
“Those Holiday Blues” by Jennifer J. Chow:
Nancy Drew meets He’s Just Not That Into You and set on the beach
“Holiday Holdup” by Paige Sleuth:
Mimi Lee Gets a Clue meets Bad Santa
(P.S. I can’t believe Mimi Lee Gets a Clue was used in a comp. I’m so flattered!)
Can’t wait to read what we’ve written, given those stellar comps?
Share your favorite comps below (ones that you’ve written or others that you’ve read):
These are great. I’m terrible with comps. I always feel like I shouldn’t be daring to compare myself to other (better) writers. I did, however, love the tag for my Homefront Mysteries a friend gave me – Rosie the Riveter meets Sam Spade. 🙂
Perfect, Liz! Sold me.
Such an exciting comp, Liz!
ROSIE!! Intriguing for sure.
Love these! I agree that writing comps is an art form, one I’m not good at. It would probably help if I watched more movies. Thanks so much for featuring Festive Mayhem today!
Yay! Happy release week to us!
I’ve tried to make my Natalie McMasters Mysteries as original as possible, so it is really difficult to find other books to compare them to. Rather than write a comp, I focus on finding books whose also boughts I can use for keywords on Amazon ads. This strategy has netted me a steady stream of sales since I’ve been doing it.
Great approach, Tom!
Those keywords are powerful, Tom!
Jen, this anthology sounds amazing—what an awesome group of writers and stories! I used “If Angela Lansbury and Cameron Diaz teamed up to solve murders in Southwesr FL—Murder She Wrote meets In Her Shoes.” (Ladies Smythe & Westin Mysteries).
Ooh, Lisa. That’s a great one!
Really great, Jen. Making a comp list is an art form, as you say. As a mostly nonfiction writer, I know how hard it is to come up with a cohesive list. As others here have said, I spend a lot of time perfecting “key words” before I even get started. And then I try to think of the “elevator pitch” I”d give friends, family and strangers: “X meets Y meets Z.” Keeping the list to publications within the last few years is key, too — influences often start in our childhoods!
Thanks so much, Julia. You outlined a great way to create a comp!
(Also, it was fun seeing you at the Sisters in Crime House Arrest event last night.)
Just reading about this collection over on the Wickeds. Great fun to see how the authors comp their stories.
Thanks, Mark! Yes, we’re doing double duty today: here at the Chicks and on the Wickeds.
Comps are scary to me. Now you’ve got me thinking of them more. Thanks, I needed that. And congrats on the collection! Can’t wait to read it.
Comps are scary, El. Fitting that this post comes right before Halloween, right?
Thanks about the anthology!
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. meets Julie and Julia. Don’t think it exists, but please somebody write this one so I can read it!
Ooh, Leslie, I’d like to read that one!
Another new series idea for you, Leslie? 🙂
So excited to be part of this terrific anthology. Thanks for helping to spread the word.
Thanks, Carolyn. It was so fun to collaborate!
These comps totally grabbed me — look forward to reading! (You had me at Nancy Drew, Jen!)
I pitched The Liv & Di series as a little bit Lucy and Ethel, a little bit Thelma and Louise.
Yes to Nancy Drew! Nice pitch for the Liv & Di series, Vickie!
Love that one, V!!
I write my titles before I write my books, so I’m good with finding the perfect comp then writing a book to match! That said, for my middle grade time travel romps my comp was “Peabody and Sherman meet Quantum Leap.”
Oh, Quantum Leap…the memories. You’re so on top of it, Becky–wonderful comps and titles!
It was terrific working with you on Festive Mayhem, Jen! I’m so proud of how it turned out!
Thanks, Delia! Yes, it looks great. Glad we all got to work together.
Congratulations to all of the contributors! Love this, Jen–comps ARE so hard. But the contributors referenced here, in every case, made me want to read their stories immediately! Terrific.
Aww, so sweet of you to say, Cyn!
The anthology sounds amazing, and I absolutely love the comps. Kudos to all, and I can’t WAIT to read. <3
Thank you for the kind words, Kathy!