Having trouble finding adult t4t comps...y'all got any?

[ChaseJxyz]

My current novel is a fantasy, with a romance in the background. They're both trans men, so it's t4t AND mlm. Also one of them is a monster, and there is some heat level. So adult, not YA.

I did a lot of looking on my own (including using a spy to infiltrate a monster fucker book group on Facebook lol) and I can't find ANYTHING that has all of these things...in the trade published world. There is a small handful of such books in Amazon self published land, but that's not what I want to do. So I need trade comps.

These are the closest things I've found:

* Starless by Jacqueline Carey. You know, the Kushiel's Dart person. Very much not a debut like me. And also it might not be very good queer rep?
* Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix. t4t mlm, and even historical! But it's a YA

There are a LOT of at-least-one-person-is-trans stories in YA. And in Amazon KDP in adult. As a trans guy, I am KEENLY aware that we essentially do not exist in media. Or if we do, we're fetishized and used as a unique flavor of woman. We are so non-existent that we don't even come up in "trans people are evil, and here's why!" debates.

So like. What the heck do I do. The fact that there are not any trade books with this combination of thing implies that these books don't sell, but isn't that a really shitty thing to conclude? That no one wants to read about gay trans men since no such books have been published, so we shouldn't bother trying to trade publish any to change that fact?

Or are there some hidden gems out there that I'm not aware of. Please, let me know!!!!

 

[Unimportant]

Big 5? I doubt you'll find all that many. Especially recent -- there was a spate of more queer books being published 10 - 20 years ago, but political shifts have lost that.

I'd suggest looking at the 'bigger' of the small presses that specialise in queer: Circlet, Cleis, Bold Strokes, Pride, Tin House, 7 Stories, etc (note I am not necessarily saying I recommend any or all of these publishers, just mentioning their existence). Look at which books have recently won the Lambda Literary awards and the Otherwise Award (aka James Tiptree Jr. Award).

 

[Clovitide]

So like. What the heck do I do. The fact that there are not any trade books with this combination of thing implies that these books don't sell, but isn't that a really shitty thing to conclude? That no one wants to read about gay trans men since no such books have been published, so we shouldn't bother trying to trade publish any to change that fact?

I don't know if that's exactly what that concludes... I'd consider finding elements in one or two novels and comping just those elements that match. Ex: my story resembles the romantic elements of this book, and the queer representation of this book. Yada, Yada, you know?

Anyway, I did a chatgpt search to find something with those parameters and it summarized these few books. Not a lot and not within the 5 year range usual of comps and the few I searched didn't seem to be about trans men... and they were heavy on the romance at times, but maybe they'll help you out? Or at least lead you to other books by these authors that might be more up your book's alley.

Good luck on your search!

--
Certainly! Here are some fantasy books with LGBTQ+ representation, including romance between two Trans men, up to 2021:

1. "The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps" by Kai Ashante Wilson
2. "Peter Darling" by Austin Chant
3. "An Unkindness of Ghosts" by Rivers Solomon
4. "The Black Tides of Heaven" by JY Yang
5. "The Gilda Stories" by Jewelle Gomez
6. "When the Moon Was Ours" by Anna-Marie McLemore
7. "The Devourers" by Indra Das
8. "The Sorcerer's Equal" by E.E. Ottoman

 

[ChaseJxyz]

Anyway, I did a chatgpt search to

I stopped reading your post at this point. ChatGPT is not capable of searching anything. It does not know the most recent books, since its dataset was built several years ago. Whatever "information" it came up with is not going to be helpful, assuming it's even factually accurate (which it probably isn't).

 

[Clovitide]

I stopped reading your post at this point. ChatGPT is not capable of searching anything. It does not know the most recent books, since its dataset was built several years ago. Whatever "information" it came up with is not going to be helpful, assuming it's even factually accurate (which it probably isn't).

Definitely use chatgpt sparingly. its database goes up to 2021, but I don't think the information it spit out is completely without means...might want to check those books out or the authors, especially since you sound out of options already?

 

[Unimportant]

Comps don't have to be exact. It's fine to have "combines a transgender MC like book A with a monster like book B in a futuristic setting like book C.

Consider:
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
The Unraveling by Benjamin Rosenbaum
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

 

[Brigid Barry]

Didn't read other comments but I'm sure I'm repeating people.

Janet Reid says don't try to match all of the elements. It can be the tone of one comp, a theme of another, similar characters, etc. When people try to get too specific is when there are problems.

 

[ChaseJxyz]

I already knew about Cemetery Boys, but that's YA. I thought it was no bueno to comp something in a different age category?

 

[Unimportant]

Oops, sorry, didn't realise that.