What You’re Getting Wrong About Comp Titles for Your Cookbook or Food Memoir
No one likes coming up with competitive titles, and if someone does, I have not met them. As a cookbook and food memoir coach, this is the most loathed section of the book proposal. It seems like an easy enough assignment. Find books on the market similar to yours that have had good sales and make a case of why your book offers something they don’t.
But it’s hard for a lot of cookbook and food memoir writers to analyze books instead of recapping each title like agents and publishers have never heard of them. (No shade because I’m fairly certain every Shakespeare paper I wrote in college was exactly that.) This is where most writers I’ve worked with want an easy out.
“Just tell me the right answer, so I can move on with the rest of my proposal!”
Only, there is no “right” answer, just some typical guidelines that include:
Traditionally published within the last 5-10 years (but sticking closer to 5, if possible)
Under 100,000 on Amazon’s bestseller list (can find on the title’s sales page under Book Details)
Sold in the United States or North America (this is primarily for authors who want to publish in the US)
Not the bestseller of the moment, unless you’re on their level (there was a moment when every memoir client included Michelle Obama’s Becoming as a comp title…love you so much, but no)
Now, I believe you can make the argument for almost any competitive title; you just have to really believe what you’re selling. That’s why it doesn’t work if someone else gives you a competitive title to include. If you can’t defend it to yourself, agents or publishers, it’s the clearest sign you don’t know the market you’re trying to get into.
And while there is no correct answer, there are some common mistakes you should be aware of as you choose titles for your book proposal. There are always exceptions to the rule, but if you keep these things in mind, you’ll have an easier time with the hardest section. Maybe, you’ll even have a little bit of fun too.
Trying to find the perfect match for your book
This sounds like a lie from the pit of hell, and I know it. Comp titles are supposed to show agents and publishers that books like yours are already selling well, so they should want yours. Right?
Except there is no perfect match for your book. Say you’re pitching a vegan slow cooker cookbook, so you search “vegan slow cooker cookbook”. They’re all similarly titled, but some are for beginners, others emphasize health and flavor, and some focus on using the slow cooker for everything…including dessert.
The instinct for some writers is that “there’s no book like mine, so I don’t have comp titles I can use”. Except, you’re not looking for an exact match. That would be weird if someone had your exact book idea.
Instead, I would look for books with one element of yours, where readers would think: Oh, that reminds me of so-and-so’s book. You could look at someone else’s structure, design, point of view, or even their platform as points of comparison. Agents and publishers don’t need to read 5 identical comp title analyses. They want to know that you’ve intentionally researched and chosen the titles you feel are your top competitors in the market.
Comparing apples to oranges
Once you’ve found a few titles for your comp section, your first pass will skim the puddle. Writers often include the obvious without getting into the nuances. Agents and publishers don’t need a recap of what your competitors books are. They want to know the similarities between the two books, and how yours will fill a gap in the market.
Webster’s Dictionary defines analysis as “a detailed examination of anything complex in order to understand its nature or to determine its essential features”.
This is a technique used in most English classes when examining works, known as the comparison-contrast method. In Writing About Literature, Edgar V. Roberts shares two techniques to use in the method, cause and effect and constant-and-variable analysis ex. How are the two works similar and different?
Roberts goes on to say:
Developing a comparison-contrast analysis enables you to study works in perspective. No matter what works you consider together, the method helps you get at the essence of a work or a writer. Similarities are brought out by comparison; differences, by contrast. In other words, you can enhance your understanding of what a thing is by using comparison-contrast to determine what it is not.
Let’s look at an example.
You’re writing a cookbook about your Sicilian-American heritage and growing up in New York. The largest part of your platform has been filming what you’re cooking with your Nonna, who loves to share stories of her childhood in Palermo. You’ve captured unwritten family recipes on camera and want to preserve even more in a physical cookbook.
So, one comp title you’re looking at is Pasta Grannies, the YouTube channel documenting the recipes of Italian grandma’s that swept the internet.
An easy comparison to make is Pasta Grannies has a collection of grandmas, and your book will only feature your grandma. Okay, so what?
You could also point out that many of the grandmas don’t speak English, and yours does. Okay, so what?
Of you could point out it started out on YouTube, but you did everything on Instagram. Okay, so what?
And last but not least, you could add that Pasta Grannies doesn’t focus on one region in Italy, but you’re focusing on Sicily. Okay, so what?
The so what is where people get stuck on the actual analysis. If you’re sitting there wondering what analysis even is or how to do it well, you’re not alone. Let’s break it down.
Honestly, no one needs another cookbook. So, are you offering a new perspective, a deeper look at the history of Sicilian cooking, or even creating a more interactive experience for readers? Or are there additional cultural aspects you could examine?
For example, the Blue Zone Diet has been touted as the best diet to live into your 100s, but there’s also a case for the Mediterranean diet when it comes to longevity. If you’ve discovered your grandmother’s Sicilian recipes have similarities to the Blue Zone diet, and she’s a Sicilian in her 90’s, that could be something to examine.
You could also analyze book design, layout, ingredient availability, recipe formats, or even how the pantry section is set up. Look at functionality, inconsistency in messaging aka what the book says it is in the introduction vs what it actually is. This is where looking at GoodReads and Amazon reviews can help. And don’t forget about Reddit—the community has some pretty spot on ideas about books and what’s happening in the market. Grab ideas from everywhere, but formulate an opinion you can stand behind.
Cut the filler
No one needs you to fully rehash what your comp title is about, and you don’t need to say “readers love the easy recipes”. You’re wasting space. Get straight to it and find creative ways to pack as many details into a paragraph (or two at the most).
Writers will often want to write a biography of their competition before they get into their own work. Assume to some degree that agents and publishers know the titles you’re including. To be honest, the book report reads like some “reviews” on GoodReads which is just a play-by-play of the entire book with absolutely no comment on what the reviewer actually thought about the book.
If you need help, you can also get help from Grammarly. It’ll point out filler words and how to write more impactful sentences. Agents and publishers don’t have a ton of time to read through all the “here’s where I’ll share” or “blah blah blahs book is about cooking an entire week of meals in 30 minutes and readers love it and the pretty pictures”. No one cares.
How to know you’ve gotten it right
People don’t like this answer, but you’ll know you’ve gotten your comp titles right when you like the section you’ve written. When you know you’re missing something, that’s when you don’t want to reread or revise. But when you’ve done the work and created something you’re proud of and eager to show other people, that’s when you know you’re on the right track.
Still want some help?
Join the waitlist here for The Social Club, a community of food writers supporting each other through the book creation process. From monthly Social Hours with fellow members to themed months crafted with your best book writing year in mind, you’ll find the guidance you need whether it’s your first or fifth book.
