Compare your idea

A strange strategy that works / Issue 1,191

Oh, hi friends!

When you’re writing a book proposal, you’re supposed to include a short section called Comparable Titles.

You research 3-5 other books that strike the same chord as the book you’re writing. (They should be successful ones!) 

You write a short, tight paragraph about the strengths of the popular book, its similarities to yours, and how your book might be different. (Don’t be mean!) 

I did this for a book proposal that I wrote last year,* and since then have often thought about the exercise. 

It’s incredibly clarifying. 

And it works beyond books.

If you’re creating a script, a business, an offering, a speech, anything, and want to refine your idea…

Why not think of comparable products?

Who’s doing what you’ve done — and how are you going to do it better?

The exercise puts you in the right playground.

It helps you refine your idea.

But it provides motivation, too.

Because these people made something.

You can, too. 

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*If you need some inspiration, here’s a sample from my Comparable Titles section for a book my agent took out last year (not one of my journals!).

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert (Penguin Riverhead, 2016)
With a mix of advice, wisdom, and stories from her personal experience, Gilbert weaved a certain kind of magic in this number one New York Times bestseller. Her playful and conversational tone is comforting and memorable, and [KARA’S BOOK TITLE] will also sound like a pep talk from a friend. While most of Gilbert's anecdotes center around her expertise—writing—my book will incorporate examples from the worlds of film, theater, television, and music, making their stories understandable to an even wider range of readers.

PS — Thanks to everyone who already expressed interest in a Launch the Plane coaching-consulting-liftoff session! Click here to book for August.