I am hoping that this is an appropriate place to ask this and that it doesn't could as self-promotion.
A comp title is a novel comparable to your own that you use in the process of trying to find an agent for representation (agents usually ask for them). They are meant to be popular/mainstream titles from (optimally) within the last 2-3 years (though 5 years is the max).
I am struggling to find comp titles for my novel. I am young, and did not consider all aspects of marketability prior to writing it, so it suffers from some mild genre fluidity. Therefore, it is hard to find popular, recent novels that check enough boxes. I am hoping that someone can lead me in the right direction. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Here are the key points:
- It tows the line between "psychological thriller" and "psychological suspense"
- It is at its heart, and was intended to be, a psychological thriller. It has twists and turns. There is a lot of unnerving uncertainty about what is happening along the way.
- The last third is very fast-paced and "thrilling", but the first two thirds are fairly slow-paced and place the novel more into "suspense". The psychological unrest of the characters throughout the plot was more of the intended focus of the novel than the plot itself.
- Most mainstream "psychological thrillers" are not very comparable to my novel in terms of pacing.
- The novel also dips its toes into horror.
- It is supernatural/paranormal. It involves alternate dimensions. The protagonist is invisible and intangible, but is explicitly NOT a ghost.
- There are two scenes of graphic violence (with blood/gore)
- It is quite dark (includes death of teenage characters, discussion of SA and suicide, etc.)
- The unique/atypical nature of the protagonist is the most important aspect of the novel.
- The protagonist is nameless and highly obscure. He does not reveal any information about himself until very far into the novel. The main intrigue of the novel should come with the reader slowly uncovering the mystery of who he actually is.
- The protagonist is also the villain. The reader is meant both to hate him and be uncertain about whether or not to root for his goals.
- Initially presents itself as a police procedural but gradually shifts away from that.
- Takes place in a small town in (what can inferred to be) the 70's.
by dbo7734