Query Question

[Mike]

For query letters, how do you present your work when there are absolutely no comparable titles? I don't like to say that my book is so unique it stands alone, but my beta readers have told me this, and they like the book. Several tell me they have never read anything like it. What am I supposed to say when there are no credible comps or mash-ups that make sense?

[Jane]

I think we tend to imagine comps too narrowly. Think about books with:
Similar narrative structure
A similar theme
A similar voice
Located in similar “world” or location
A similar vibe
Think movies, TV, or songs
And if you need to, extend to classics or books older than 2-5 years.
Then cop to the difficulty of finding comps by identifying the specific things that make your book hard to comp. “Told from the perspective of an umbrella stand that sees and hears everything, this books was particularly hard to find comps for; not many books have inanimate narrators. However, this unusual perspective allowed me to…”