Step 3: Title, Genre/Category, Comps
Here’s what you’ve accomplished towards your project so far. You:
If you haven’t done these things yet, you can always catch up!
Here’s where the prep work we’re doing gets a little specific to book-length projects, but bear with me, because this is good general knowledge about terms writers and agents and editors use.
Title
Have you given your project a title yet? Not “Work in Progress” or “Untitled Novel Project,” but a real name? A title is a great way to give your project some energy and clarity. Not just for yourself, but for the people who ask you what you’re working on.
Imagine having this conversation:
“What’s your book called?”
“Jaws.”
Or
“What’s your book called?”
“We Should All Be Millionaires.”
These are great titles: they tell you what the book is about and hint at their genre and who it’s for. Jaws sounds a little scary and WSABM sounds like it would be really useful for someone wanting to generate wealth.
The title you give it now doesn’t have to be the title it ends up with (and most likely it won’t), but it gives your project added flavor and texture and purpose. In both examples above, the titles are compelling to potential readers. That’s what you want for your project.
(Click for my fun, free title brainstorm exercise!)
Genre or category
I don’t think Jaws is nonfiction, and I don’t think WSABM is fiction. How do I know? The titles indicate what kind of books they are, meaning, what genre or category they fall into.
Let’s stay in the same conversations about our books.
“Jaws? That sounds scary! What kind of book is it?”
“It’s a thriller about a shark that terrorizes a small town.”
Or
“Oooh, who doesn’t want to be a millionaire? What’s the book about?”
“It tells you how to earn more, build wealth, and gain economic power. It’s specifically for women but men would find it relevant too.”
In both cases, the genre or category nails down some details and expectations about the books. Once you know Jaws is a thriller, you know there will be suspense and maybe some violence in it, and it will probably both scare and entertain you. Once you know WSABM is a nonfiction book, the subtitle (A Woman’s Guide to Earning More, Building Wealth, and Gaining Economic Power) tells you just about everything else you need to know: it will teach you and help you do what the title promises.
Comps
Comparable or competitive titles are another way the industry talks about books. It helps agents and editors figure out what books yours is similar to, and also where your book fills a gap in the marketplace. Same for readers: if you tell them what other book your book is like, it helps them know what it’s about and sets their expectations.
Continuing the conversations:
“I don’t know if I like thrillers… I get scared easily.”
“Do you like Michael Crichton or Douglas Preston? It’s kind of like those books, where weird stuff happens but there’s usually a good outcome at the end.”
Or
“I’m so far from being a millionaire I’m not sure that book would help me.”
“It’s like if Suze Orman and Oprah had a book baby, you’d get inspiration, motivation, and the step-by-step tools in this book.”
As you figure out what your book is like and not-like, you’re making it findable and understandable, both for yourself as you write it and for others who are interested in what you’re working on.
Your turn:
You’re giving your book a place in the world when you give it a title, a genre or category, and comps. It makes your project real. Again, things can be iterated along the way, but it helps your progress to put a stake in the ground.
What’s your title?
What’s your genre or category?
What are your comps?
What’s next?
Now that you’re working on your project, are you wondering if book coaching is for you? How would you answer these questions:
What if you had someone holding you accountable to a schedule, routine, and process for writing a book?
What if you learned writing craft as you work on your book?
What if someone was your sounding board for ideas?
What if someone helped you differentiate between fears/doubts/blocks and constraints/decision points?
Here's why I think now is the time for you to grab a book coaching spot:
Starting now means you’re this much closer to your goal!
You’re tired of putting off something that’s so important to you
Organization and accountability will help you get there more efficiently and effectively than you will on your own
What’s book coaching all about? Click here and find out!
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