comp-title-finder

name	comp-title-finder
description	Find and analyze comparable titles for query letters, marketing, and positioning strategy
author	Writing Secrets
version	1.0.0
triggers	["comp title","comp titles","comparable","comparison title","query letter comp","market position","books like mine","similar books"]
permissions	["file:read","web:search"]

Comp Title Finder — Premium Skill

Find perfect comparable titles for query letters, Amazon categories, marketing copy, and positioning strategy. Stop guessing — know exactly where your book fits in the market.

Comp Title Discovery

Feed it your manuscript details and get strategic comp title recommendations:

Input

book:
  title: "The Silent Hour"
  genre: "Psychological Thriller"
  subgenre: "Domestic Suspense"
  themes:
    - "gaslighting"
    - "unreliable narrator"
    - "small-town secrets"
  tone: "Dark, atmospheric, slow burn"
  protagonist: "Woman uncovering her husband's hidden life"
  setting: "Pacific Northwest, present day"
  word_count: 82000
  target_audience: "Readers of Gillian Flynn and Ruth Ware"
  unique_elements:
    - "Dual timeline (present/10 years ago)"
    - "Epistolary elements (found journals)"

Output

Comp Title Analysis: "The Silent Hour"

═══ PRIMARY COMPS (Best for Query Letters) ═══

1. "The Wife Between Us" by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen (2018)
   Match Score: 92%
   Why: Domestic suspense, unreliable narrator, husband's secrets
   Market proof: NYT Bestseller, 500K+ copies
   ⚠️ Freshness: 2018 — still relevant but agents prefer 2-5 year window
   Pitch angle: "For readers who loved the twist in The Wife Between Us"

2. "The Last Thing He Told Me" by Laura Dave (2021)
   Match Score: 87%
   Why: Woman uncovering husband's hidden past, atmospheric, slow burn
   Market proof: #1 NYT, Apple TV+ adaptation
   ✅ Freshness: Perfect window
   Pitch angle: "The atmospheric dread of The Last Thing He Told Me meets..."

3. "The Maid" by Nita Prose (2022)
   Match Score: 71%
   Why: Mystery, distinctive voice, slow reveal
   ⚠️ Note: Different subgenre — use only if emphasizing voice/style

═══ SECONDARY COMPS (Marketing & Categories) ═══

4-6. [Additional comps for Amazon categories, BookBub, social media]

═══ COMPS TO AVOID ═══
❌ "Gone Girl" — Too obvious, agents will eye-roll
❌ "The Girl on the Train" — Overused as comp, signals lazy research
❌ Any book 10+ years old (unless a classic touchstone)

═══ QUERY LETTER COMP FORMULA ═══
"THE SILENT HOUR is a 82,000-word psychological thriller —
The Last Thing He Told Me meets The Wife Between Us
with the atmospheric Pacific Northwest setting of Megan Miranda's
The Last House Guest."

Comp Validation

Already have comp titles? Validate them:

• Relevance check — Does this comp actually match your book?
• Freshness check — Is this comp too old? (Agents want 2-5 years)
• Sales check — Did this comp sell well enough to reference?
• Overuse check — Is every query letter citing this book?
• Audience overlap — Do readers of this comp want YOUR book?
• Agent/editor perception — What does citing this comp signal?

Market Positioning Map

Visual map of where your book sits in the competitive landscape:

Market Position Map: Psychological Thriller (Domestic)

DARKER ←────────────────────────→ LIGHTER
  │                                    │
  │  "Behind        ★ YOUR BOOK       │
  │   Closed        "The Silent       │
  │   Doors"         Hour"            │
SLOW │                                │ FAST
BURN │    "The Wife          "The     │ PACED
  │     Between Us"     Maid"         │
  │                                    │
  │  "Gone           "The Last        │
  │   Girl"           Thing He        │
  │                    Told Me"        │
  │                                    │

Your Niche: Dark + Slow Burn quadrant
Competition density: MODERATE (good — not oversaturated)
Reader appetite: HIGH (this quadrant is trending up)

Category Strategy

Recommend optimal Amazon/BISAC categories based on comp analysis:

1. Primary BISAC — Where your book belongs by content
2. Strategic BISAC — Where you'll rank fastest
3. Amazon Browse Categories — Up to 10 specific categories
4. Keyword Strategy — 7 backend keywords for KDP
5. Category rank analysis — Competition density per category

Agent Research Integration

When used with comp titles, enhance your query letter research:

• Which agents repped your comp titles?
• Which editors acquired them?
• Which imprints publish in this space?
• Recent deals in your comp zone (from Publishers Marketplace style analysis)
• Submission strategy based on comp alignment

Trend Analysis

Analyze whether your book's positioning is trending up or down:

• Subgenre trajectory — Is domestic suspense growing or saturating?
• Theme trends — Are unreliable narrators still fresh?
• Format trends — Are dual timelines hot or tired?
• Audience sentiment — What are readers asking for on Goodreads/BookTok?

Commands

• find comps — Full comp title discovery from your book details
• validate comps [title1, title2] — Check if your comps work
• market position — Visual positioning map
• category strategy — Amazon/BISAC category recommendations
• comp for query — Generate query-letter-ready comp formula
• trend check [subgenre] — Is your positioning trending up or down?