Suggestions for comparative titles

[AMObst]

I'm about to start querying my latest book to literary agents in the UK (possibly elsewhere, too), and have been told that including a few comparative titles can be helpful.
The problem is, I'm struggling to come up with some! So far I've got Ben Aaronivich's Rivers of London and not much else that's recently trad published.

My book is urban fantasy with a gay main character, where the magic is modern and rooted in technology/social media. It's also set in Australia.

The nearest I can think of in terms of the magic element are the Matthew Swift books by Kate Griffin/Claire North (A Madness of Angels etc), but that's quite old now.

I would love suggestions on some other works I could check out that pick up on one or more of the above aspects.

Thank you!

 

[Prince of Spires]

It's hard to tell without reading it (and I'm not too familiar with urban fantasy). What are the main points you want to focus on? It feels like the main points are "urban fantasy", "LGBTQ+ characters", and "technology". The fact that it's set in Australia feels irrelevant for comparisson purposes. Unless that's a major selling point of course.

Look for novels that have those aspects. The only one I can think of is Faerie Rising, by our very own A. E. Lowan . Though she might know more of them of course. That is indie published of course. But it's a pretty succesful one, and a very nice read.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Thank you, my prince.

That sounds like a great concept, OP! Definitely mention that your work is LGBTQ+ and set in Australia. Love hearing from the authors down under. If you are unsure about your comparables, I'd say don't include any. They can be helpful, but only to get the literary agency you're querying in a desirable headspace before they open your submission. Doesn't always work and if you miss the mark it can hurt you. That being said, what really needs to stand out is your work. Your concept. Your voice.

Now, I'll admit, my team's been indie since the beginning, so I'm not as up on the traditional side of the industry as I used to be in my 'go trad or go home' days, but we tend to stand back and let others do the comparing, and we're most often compared to Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. And there is nothing wrong with comparing yourself to well-known or well-received indies. I know a lot of MM authors in Urban Fantasy who are fantastic reads. And agents don't always read trad authors. Indies get love, too, especially these days. But in the end, let your work speak for itself. You aren't trying to sell your comparables. You're trying to sell you.

 

[Mad Swede]

Writing this as someone who is traditionally published in Sweden I don't think it is helpful to compare your book or your style to other authors. The advice over here is to keep your query letter short and simple, and to let your summary and book extract speak for themselves.

Given your concept you should be able to find an agent who is interested. Personally I'd also look at US agents. The bigger agencies tend to have informative websites which tell you what they're looking for. Make sure you approach agents who handle urban fantasy and when you do read - and follow - their submission guidelines. And don't forget to check the SFWA Writer Beware webpages for the list of agencies to avoid.