tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post8121194122748455245..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: Query Question: My comp is DaVinci CodeJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-81591973317561315712014-04-16T21:14:22.932-04:002014-04-16T21:14:22.932-04:00DLM: Imma read that stuff and then I shall contact...DLM: Imma read that stuff and then I shall contact you through your blog and we can talk Old Provence! Janet once again proves to be A Very Useful Shark!!NotaWarriorPrincesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01754153935155853192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-86786688641159664862014-04-16T18:24:01.233-04:002014-04-16T18:24:01.233-04:00@NotAWarriorPrincess, would love to talk! We can ...@NotAWarriorPrincess, would love to talk! We can start with a gentle punch in the neck for that rimshot. ;P I'm at dianelmajor.blogspot.com (home of Gossamer the Editor Cat, too) and I've just pulled up your blogs as well.<br /><br />The Ax and the Vase is still in the pre-agented phase, but we're getting there ... Some excerpts, an Author's Note, and scads of posting about it at the URL.DLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768285199864217885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-56146290783562574552014-04-16T10:33:05.954-04:002014-04-16T10:33:05.954-04:00"Don't be sniffy about "derivative&q..."Don't be sniffy about "derivative" books like DVC in theme or execution: after all, that's what you intended your book to be."<br /><br />Yes, what RichR said. And really, you can't find ANY other books that relate? They don't have to be exact matches, it could be the intrigue of X combined with the adventure of Y.<br /><br />The fact that no other book will do implies some real problems: that this seriously is a DVC knock-off, or the author isn't widely read enough in the genres. And if this is a straight-up derivative, it's going to show whether the comp title is used or not, and many agents will shy away from it.Jenzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11652680551107638557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-27213559346772140932014-04-16T01:04:17.412-04:002014-04-16T01:04:17.412-04:00Don't use a comp.
You'd be mad to simply...Don't use a comp. <br /><br />You'd be mad to simply trunk the novel. The only things you have to lose are time and postage money, right? Send it out to folks you think might bite. If they don't bite, *maybe* consider the self-pub route. Thing is, by the time you're done sending this one out to everyone, you may have written another novel and you can set about querying that one.<br /><br />It may be hard to get an agent with this novel but it's even harder if you don't actually query them.Mickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382597097367112983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-61647367609443822002014-04-15T21:04:51.236-04:002014-04-15T21:04:51.236-04:00DLM: That would be the DaVinci Cod, then, right? [...DLM: That would be the DaVinci Cod, then, right? [rimshot]<br /><br />I want to read your novel of Merovinge. I want to write one about Caesarius of Arles, trying so valiantly to do away with paganism, same area, a little later. Yeah, we should talk....NotaWarriorPrincesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01754153935155853192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-85451231110291965042014-04-15T21:00:35.823-04:002014-04-15T21:00:35.823-04:00DK, you're correct about the settings of the t...DK, you're correct about the settings of the two books.Michael Seesehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03694187657718931214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-18652824345462386242014-04-15T18:36:07.600-04:002014-04-15T18:36:07.600-04:00I did not comp in my query, and got some very high...I did not comp in my query, and got some very high quality agents requesting fulls. Not all stories necessarily need to be filtered that way; agents are smart, and if the story is self-evident, they don't need to be told.<br /><br />Oddly enough, the novel I wrote (and am polishing for one agent) is about the founder of the Merovingian dynasty. He never claimed to be descended from Jesus - but from a sea monster(/god). He was also the first Catholic king in Western Europe. (And he too never went near Rome. :))DLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768285199864217885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-59498302194346309332014-04-15T17:22:58.574-04:002014-04-15T17:22:58.574-04:00Is it overkill to pile on with the likes of Joyce ...Is it overkill to pile on with the likes of Joyce and Anita? I agree with them and others that the simple solution is to ditch the comp title. I know the idea is to show you know your market, but in the end, I think the query - the story - is ultimately what grabs an agent's eye. <br /><br />If the query sounds too much like DaVinci Code/Angels and Demons (and really, let's not quibble over that), then that familiarity will already have turned off (or on) an agent. Also, take heart: 6 rejections does not a shelved (or turn to self-publishing) novel make. :DProfeJMarie (Janet Rundquist)https://www.blogger.com/profile/10170953918491663287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-89078259414136719762014-04-15T13:16:43.921-04:002014-04-15T13:16:43.921-04:00Big phat phew!
I have been struggling to find c...Big phat phew! <br /><br />I have been struggling to find comps for my latest WIP - just to give my agent a helping hand..., but...maybe that's the good news in some way? I.e. it's uniquely mine? IDK. What I do know is I love all these nuggets from her Sharkliness! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-25934352552317182862014-04-15T11:06:45.648-04:002014-04-15T11:06:45.648-04:00To me, the craziest thing about this question is t...To me, the craziest thing about this question is the idea that the scene from The Da Vinci Code that inspired the questioner was the "chase through Vatican City, Rome." It's been a long time since I read Dan Brown's books, but I'm pretty sure Da Vinci Code never went near Rome. That was Angels and Demons. The Da Vinci Code had a big chase through Paris, France.<br /><br />Granted, The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons were very similar stories, but this seems like an odd detail to get wrong in a question to an agent like this.DKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16718686831211419521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-67370527411915508532014-04-15T10:20:55.464-04:002014-04-15T10:20:55.464-04:00These things are cyclical. By the time you get you...These things are cyclical. By the time you get yours published, it might be time for a new Da Vinci Code. :)Stacyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03365582623380288038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-82058278395091159642014-04-15T09:47:33.650-04:002014-04-15T09:47:33.650-04:00Yeah, don't mention a comp.
But goodness, I d...Yeah, don't mention a comp.<br /><br />But goodness, I don't see any point in trunking the book before you even query it!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-24163634794049747692014-04-15T09:09:08.095-04:002014-04-15T09:09:08.095-04:00I, too, wouldn't mention a comp if you can'...I, too, wouldn't mention a comp if you can't find one similar to your ms. The turnoff is due to agents constantly seeing comparisons to bestsellers that don't deliver.<br /> <br />I think agents and publishers take the "been there, done that" thing too far. I'm with Kitty, I loved the Da Vinci Code and I would love to read another thriller in the same vein, if it's done well. So what if it came out 10 years ago? IMHO, it's time for another! LynnRodzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10796099106913990163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-55534870171310421192014-04-15T08:39:36.129-04:002014-04-15T08:39:36.129-04:00I'm not an agent, but as a former chain book b...I'm not an agent, but as a former chain book buyer, the whole point of comp titles is a realistic clue as to the audience for a book. If a publisher furnished Harry Potter, DVC, or any other runaway bestseller as a comp I would have taken them much less seriously, as that level of success can't be predicted. <br /><br />Don't be sniffy about "derivative" books like DVC in theme or execution: after all, that's what you intended your book to be.RichRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13123324412780578413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-71849260236009073842014-04-15T08:36:53.832-04:002014-04-15T08:36:53.832-04:00Publish it on your own, let us know and we will ma...Publish it on your own, let us know and we will make you famous. <br />Just remember - invite us to the screening of the movie and say nice things about our own self-published hits.<br />Ah, so what was that stuff I put in my coffee this morning?Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-29399449129404030802014-04-15T08:20:46.575-04:002014-04-15T08:20:46.575-04:00I have to agree with Joyce Tremel. Why include a c...I have to agree with Joyce Tremel. Why include a comp at all? Write a killer query and let the story sell itself.AJ Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04529233142099749005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-46435035594866475542014-04-15T08:17:04.608-04:002014-04-15T08:17:04.608-04:00All these pearls of wisdomy-insight are so helpful...All these pearls of wisdomy-insight are so helpful. Thanks.<br /><br />But then again what would you expect from a Shark?...<br /><br />Time to go comp diving.french sojournhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14262858704848580714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-68835563031531941232014-04-15T08:15:14.741-04:002014-04-15T08:15:14.741-04:00My advice is if you send out queries, don't me...My advice is if you send out queries, don't mention a comp at all. There's no rule that you have to use one. I didn't. <br /><br />You really want to make sure your story doesn't sound like a rehash of DaVinci in your query, too. You don't want anyone to think it's basically the same plot in a different setting.Joyce Tremelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00498392016497131719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-17693164462117512162014-04-15T07:33:22.774-04:002014-04-15T07:33:22.774-04:00I don't know why "The DaVinci Code" ...I don't know why "The DaVinci Code" got such a scathing reaction. I loved the book and didn't care if others found problems with its writing or its religious content (and I'm a practicing Catholic). I read it as fiction, <i>not</i> gospel, and absolutely loved the story. What a shame you can't compare your MS to it because I'd love to read another in that genre.Kittyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11772310179223546476noreply@blogger.com