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It's the worst-kept secret in publishing: finding appropriate and exciting comps for your book is critical to piquing an agent's or editor's interest.

Comps are not about art—they are your strongest marketing tools. An agent or editor should immediately understand how to position your book based on your comparison titles. It's publishing shorthand, and it's vital to speak publishing when you enter the query and submission trenches.

If your comps are weak (or nonexistent), Lisa Levy, literary critic and contributing editor at Lit Hub and Crime Reads, is available to work with you. Currently, Lisa covers crime fiction for the Washington Post. Her work has also appeared in the New Republic, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Believer, the Millions, the Rumpus, TLS, and the CBC. Lisa is currently under contract with St. Martin's Press for Funeral in My Brain, a narrative nonfiction book about her twenty years as a chronic migraineur and the enormous cultural impact of migraine throughout art, science, and history.

With her deep knowledge of the book market and years of experience reviewing thousands of titles, Lisa has developed a superpower: conjuring killer comp recommendations on just about any subject.

Comps are not about art—they are your strongest marketing tools. An agent or editor should immediately understand how to position your book based on your comparison titles. It's publishing shorthand, and it's vital to speak publishing when you enter the query and submission trenches.

Find more details about Lisa's two service packages below:

JUST THE COMPS

Included in this package:

• Review of your elevator pitch and synopsis
• Review of your brief bio
• Analysis of your initial comp ideas
• At least 5 curated comp titles tailored to your project
• Guidance on primary vs. secondary comps

Pricing: $150 USD - Select Just the Comps from the dropdown menu

This streamlined service is perfect for writers who need expert comp recommendations without a consultation call.

COMPREHENSIVE COMPS

Included in this package:

• Review of your full query letter or detailed synopsis
• Review of your bio
• Analysis of your initial comp ideas
• 45-minute live brainstorming session with Lisa
• At least 8 curated comp titles tailored to your project
• Strategic discussion of how to position your book in the market
• Follow-up via email

Pricing: $300 USD - Select Comprehensive Comps from the dropdown menu

This comprehensive service provides deeper guidance and personalized consultation to help you understand not just which comps to use, but why they work and how to deploy them effectively.

What Makes a Great Comp?

A great comp is something well-known that clearly resonates with your book. Ideally your comp is from the last two years, but within five years is acceptable. A comp can be a book, a TV show, a movie, or even a cultural trend. Whether you use the "X crossed with Y" formulation or a straightforward comparison, the goal is the same: help agents and editors immediately grasp your book's market position.

Lisa specializes in finding primary comps—titles that have something major in common with your book and demonstrate appeal to a wide audience—as well as secondary comps that illuminate your book's subject, style, or sensibility. Primary comps are sustenance. Secondary comps are seasoning.

Please note: Lisa works with adult trade fiction and nonfiction. She does not provide comp services for YA, children's literature, or poetry. 

Timeline: Comps services will generally take between one and two weeks. Please do not inquire about where your comps are until TWO WEEKS after the day you sent payment.

Testimonials

"Lisa’s comps service saved my query. She came up with titles and approaches I never could have found on my own. She also gave me sharp insight into the process." --Lisa Smith

"Lisa is infinitely knowledgeable about books, the marketplace, and how to locate your place in the literary landscape. Her attention to detail is only strengthened by her simultaneous ability to encourage writers to think big picture and at a macro level to understand how to describe their project. I’ve yet to debut my book yet, but working with Lisa has encouraged me to take the plunge and enter the query trenches. You won’t regret working with someone as insightful, thoughtful, and encouraging as her!" --Amanda Borquaye

"The comps recommended by Lisa Levy were spot-on, tapping into my manuscript’s themes and tone. I appreciate her analysis of the similarities and differences that qualify each as a great comp. I highly recommend her services as a go-to resource when crafting your book proposal and query." --Jess Simpson

"Lisa's comps were spot-on and pulled in so many titles I wouldn't have considered. Lisa's services saved me so much time, energy, and stress and made the comps process FUN!" --Emi Battaglia

"Finding comps for your book can be a complex, frustrating task, but Lisa demystified the process and helped me discern the heart of my novel for comparative purposes. She brought her wealth of knowledge of both literature and the business to help find some recent, relevant titles. Recommend!" --Christine Fischer Guy

About Lisa Levy

Lisa Levy is a writer, essayist, and literary critic whose work has appeared in the New York Times Book Review, New Republic, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Believer, the Millions, the Rumpus, TLS, the CBC, and Lit Hub, where she is a contributing editor. She is a founder and contributing editor to Crime Reads and covers crime fiction for the Washington Post.

Lisa received her MFA in creative nonfiction from Goucher College and holds a Masters in English Literature from Rutgers University. Her academic training made her a careful and close reader, while her many years as a book reviewer have given her an encyclopedic knowledge of the contemporary publishing landscape. She is currently under contract with St. Martin's Press for Funeral in My Brain, a narrative nonfiction book about her twenty-year journey as a chronic migraineur and the enormous cultural impact of migraine throughout history, examining the work and lives of fellow migraineurs including Emily Dickinson, Joan Didion, Virginia Woolf, Edgar Allan Poe, and Sigmund Freud.

Lisa won an Honorable Mention in Best American Essays 2022. An inveterate researcher and multitasker, she reads up to eight books at once and is constantly writing and researching multiple essays. Originally from New York City, she now lives in Toronto with her husband.

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

• Instructor: Lisa Levy
  

• Students are welcome to sign up on a rolling basis.
  
  

Contact us HERE if you have any questions about this service.