Publisher has book similar to yours-- good or bad?

[RG570]

I really should have thought about this more before subbing. The publisher I just sent my novel to has one book in their catalogue with similar elements to mine.

At first, I thought this would strengthen the case for my book. But now I'm thinking they'll just reject it because of the similarities in plot. Both books have an exploding ship and a colony cut off from Earth. Is that too much of a similarity? As far as I can tell, the actual stories are quite different. I can't help but worry that I'm wasting time with this one, based on those similarities.

[PeeDee]

Hell, I think "exploding ship" and "cut off from earth" describes half of Jack McDevitt's books. :) I suspect you're fine. If it's TOO close, then they may reject you, but a passing similarity is not necessarily a bad thing.

[Carmy]

I'm no expert but I wonder how long the other book will stay in their catalogue. Perhaps, by the time they publish yours, they'll be looking for a book to fill the gap.

Good luck.

[johnzakour]

I really should have thought about this more before subbing. The publisher I just sent my novel to has one book in their catalogue with similar elements to mine.

At first, I thought this would strengthen the case for my book. But now I'm thinking they'll just reject it because of the similarities in plot. Both books have an exploding ship and a colony cut off from Earth. Is that too much of a similarity? As far as I can tell, the actual stories are quite different. I can't help but worry that I'm wasting time with this one, based on those similarities.

I wouldn't worry about this at all.

[Shadow_Ferret]

I wrote an urban fantasy that I thought was totally original. Then I heard that some guy named Jim Butcher has something similar out. I finished a couple drafts and then read his book "Storm Front."

The similarities scare me. But I think I'll submit it to the same agent and see. If the TV show is a hit and his books already are a hit, they might want more of the same.

So, I wouldn't worry about it. If they have something similar, it could mean they want more.

[johnzakour]

I think novels sell or don't sell on their own merits. I don't feel being similar to another line is either a positive or a negative. (At least when trying to get a story published.)

Simon R Green and Wm Mark Simmons have series that could easily help fill the demand for more Jim Butcher type material. I am sure they are not the only ones.

Books live or die on their own stand alone merits.

All writers feed off of the same "vibes" and basic story ideas. How we morph these into our own creations is what makes stand out.

[Azure Skye]

Someone on a sub-forum told me about a mystery for girls and when I went to read the synopsis on amazon I found it had a lot of similarities to mine. I checked the book out of the library and felt relieved to find out the similiarities are few but I admit to feeling a bit freaked about it at first.

I'm glad to hear others are saying don't worry about it. Phew!

[IrishScribbler]

As a reader, I often read new (to me) authors because of similarities with authors I already like and admire. If someone, for example, tells me, "Oh, you should read Shadow Ferret's new book. It made me think of PeeDee's work" and I already like PeeDee (which I don't. Just kidding.), I'm likely to pick up Ferret.

[Melanie Nilles]

Hell, I think "exploding ship" and "cut off from earth" describes half of Jack McDevitt's books. :)

Not to mention many books published by Baen. It's what their readers want. It's the characters and plot that count more than a few elements that may be the same.

Melanie

[victoriastrauss]

My first book for the adult market, The Arm of the Stone, was rejected by one editor because, although he felt mine was the better book, he'd just bought something with a similar theme and style and didn't want to duplicate (since this was said to my agent and not to me, I have no reason to suspect it wasn't true). I watched that publisher's list for two years trying to figure out which book it might have been, but never saw anything that I'd consider similar.

Bottom line--you never know with this stuff, so don't sweat it. Just go ahead and submit.

- Victoria