The next big thing

I keep hearing agents, readers and writers saying they want or are going to write something like Night Vale. If you're going to do it, I'd get on it now.

Even though I occasionally use the "x meets y and is sort of like z" to describe an idea, it's generally for myself or for a quick descriptor to writing friends. I detest the same thing used in book descriptions. So I'm agreeing with everyone else here: Publishers, quit using it! I want a book that sells on its own merits, not these useless descriptions!

I think the comp title is also just a quick and concise way to give the reader, upon first glance, what the book is about/what concept to expect etc. without having to use so many words. It's like the elevator pitch. Trying to pitch someone a mouth full could just confuse or lose them. X meets Y gives a clear picture right away: this is why you want this book, this is what you can expect, etc.

A book selling on its own merits ... I mean, the only way a book would sell on its own merits is if you read that book first and then decide if you want to buy it. Every book is pitched in some way and relies upon marketing blurbs, pitches, etc. And there's always a chance you can read the marketing blurb, which will ALWAYS be written in a way to make the book as appealing as possible, and then be disappointed at the actual book because the contents of the book didn't match up to marketing blurb. The whole point of marketing is to make as many people as possible read the book.

The only thing I don't like about the comp title is when certain properties are overused. The whole Game of Thrones comp title nonsense is just a lazy way of saying it's fantasy that includes court intrigue, which, what fantasy doesn't, but this is the short hand publishers are currently using/overusing and readers will get tired of it. Tbh, GOT is starting to get used by pubs just to denote fantasy in general and these books are starting to blend together. If every fantasy is Game of Thrones meets X then regardless of what that X is, none of these books will really stand out from each other.

I totally agree, Roly. I was mostly referring to the same five or so comps being used over and over, like Sage talked about. They can be useful in marketing (and I imagine I'll use some comps when I get around to querying) but they lose their meaning when they all start to sound the same.

The problem I have with comp titles is when they obscure the reality of the book. GoT meets RH? What does that even mean? Gritty Robin Hood? Dark fantasy with rebels in tights? I have no idea.

Fuchsia Groan said:

I don't see anyone mashing up Welcome to Night Vale, though it sure is big on Tumblr. Maybe this is my chance to get in on the ground floor?

Then there's the whole fanfiction-with-the-serial-numbers-filed-off trend (the Harry Styles book). Could that make the jump from NA to YA? Or does wildly popular fanfiction need to have an erotica element?

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jtrylch13 said:

I keep hearing agents, readers and writers saying they want or are going to write something like Night Vale. If you're going to do it, I'd get on it now.

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Please write that.

jtrylch13 said:

I keep hearing agents, readers and writers saying they want or are going to write something like Night Vale. If you're going to do it, I'd get on it now.

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Hmm, I never thought about comparing it to Night Vale, but I do have an idea that might be along those lines but more MG then YA...

Liosse de Velishaf said:

The problem I have with comp titles is when they obscure the reality of the book. GoT meets RH? What does that even mean? Gritty Robin Hood? Dark fantasy with rebels in tights? I have no idea.

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Robin of Loxley and Maid Marian are siblings maybe?

Sage said:

I think that when it comes to using the comp titles in selling the book to the readers, it's really more helpful(ish) for the person buying a book for someone else. The buyer may know that the reader really likes certain big books (and may not even know anything about those books), so seeing "Graceling meets The Selection" could attract them when buying for a fan of Graveling and The Selection. But savvy readers know that those type of descriptions are full of it, so we don't really get much out of it.

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I don't know... I think from our perspective as writers and savvy readers (I assume writers who pay attention to industry trends and marketing tricks are also savvy readers), we probably wouldn't be super impressed with the X meets Y formula that's being overused. So maybe we wouldn't buy a book for ourselves based on that pitch (and perhaps we'd only depend on it when buying books for others). But because most readers aren't savvy readers, I do think comp titles do work to sell books, generally. And even for a savvy reader, some comp titles are too good to pass up. Marie Lu's book being hailed as X-Men meets Assassin's Creed sent book bloggers into a tizzy. It just sounds awesome (especially for younger people who will most likely be familiar with both franchises given how hugely popular those franchises are among teens, who are the target audience - well, Assassin's Creed is huge right now, and X-Men is just a really well-known franchise in general and its last movie did hugely well). That's what marketing is supposed to do: it's supposed to make something sound awesome to you so that you buy it; whether it is actually awesome or not is irrelevant lol. Even pitches that don't use comp titles do the same thing: they make something seem awesome, even if it's not. And it may give you false expectations for the actual content in the book, but marketing's job is to get the book in people's hands and the money out of their wallets in the most effective way possible.

What do you think about superhero stuff? Is there a market? Seems that agents get lots of superhero submissions but I don't know about editors and how they feel about it.

The only upcoming YA superhero novel I can think of is that Lois Lane book...can't remember the name though...

*googles*

Fallout, by Gwenda Bond. I wonder if that'll become the trend--superhero novels that are officially sanctioned by Marvel or DC and written by already-successful authors. Since Marvel and DC are planning movies so far into the future, I can't imagine a YA superhero book blowing up unless it's using well-loved and visible characters. Because, why get to know new superheroes when you can watch the Flash and Arrow and young Selina Kyle in Gotham?

-this coming from someone who loves every superhero show/movie AND would also totally be down with something new. Also, this is all speculation (I know nothing).

I believe sci fi will reach for the stars again with new concepts that teens can relate too.

By relate to, it doesn't have to be issue-novel type stuff right? I'm not asking because I don't know, I read enough YA to novel not all are issue novels.

It's just more for a long time I was at a loss of how to write a story about problems teens relate, without making it an issue novel.

So I'm interested in seeing how that turns out. Also I'm just waiting for a Harry Potter meets Game Of Thrones. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Sage said:

Yes, please.

But I have no clue about the market these days. After I saw you bumped the superhero thread, I was hoping to come in here and find you had posted about an expected new trend

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Lol sorry I've been wondering too. Perhaps it has to do with how you do superheroes, but then there must be something to the fact that it seems a lot of agents represent at least one superhero book. Doesn't seem to be a lot of sales specifying superheroes but then perhaps it's just not being marketed like that.

Oh and it terms of Harry Potter meets Game of Thrones I think Red Rising/Half Bad is probably along those lines.

Bloo said:

Robin of Loxley and Maid Marian are siblings maybe?

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The issue I'm having with mashing up Night Vale is that I'm not sure what teens specifically like about it. Is it the romantic m/m relationship? The weirdness? The humor? Or all three at once? I like all three aspects, but a lot of fans seem to be in it mainly for the shipping. So is the message that m/m romance could really take off in YA, or are the Lovecraftian echoes, absurdity and humor also integral? Or the small town setting? Or maybe it's the angels? Or the hooded figures? I dunno.

But Tamika Flynn would make an awesome MG heroine, that's for sure. She even encourages kids to read!

I'm not a teen (24 going on 25 in a couple of weeks), but I love Night Vale as a whole, absurdity and romance and humor and all. I think it's a magical combination. Take away any one component and I don't think it works.

Fuchsia Groan said:

The issue I'm having with mashing up Night Vale is that I'm not sure what teens specifically like about it. Is it the romantic m/m relationship? The weirdness? The humor? Or all three at once? I like all three aspects, but a lot of fans seem to be in it mainly for the shipping. So is the message that m/m romance could really take off in YA, or are the Lovecraftian echoes, absurdity and humor also integral? Or the small town setting? Or maybe it's the angels? Or the hooded figures? I dunno.

But Tamika Flynn would make an awesome MG heroine, that's for sure. She even encourages kids to read!

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IdrisG said:

I'm not a teen (24 going on 25 in a couple of weeks), but I love Night Vale as a whole, absurdity and romance and humor and all. I think it's a magical combination. Take away any one component and I don't think it works.

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Not a teen anymore either, but my experience is that it's all of it.

I don't know how you'd do a Night Vale book, but if someone could, I'd totally read it.

Welcome to Night Vale, Sage

Twilight Zone meets A Prairie Home Companion.

I think the Night Vale thing works for teens on the level that even the normal is bizarre, and it's dark but absurdly so. Carlos' beautiful hair (RIP) didn't hurt either.

CoffeeBeans said:

Welcome to Night Vale, Sage

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Well there goes my weekend...

Cyia said:

Well there goes my weekend...

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You're welcome, just stay out of the dogpark.

ETA - Sage, you can listen on the road when you're not writing! (otherwise, no.)