Comp Titles That Sell: Positioning Your Book for Success

Want to grab an agent’s attention? Nail your comp titles. The right comparative titles don’t just showcase where your book fits in the market—they make it irresistible. But finding the perfect comps? That’s where most writers get stuck.

In this power-packed, one-hour session, we’ll demystify the art of selecting comps that work for you—titles that highlight your book’s unique appeal while proving its marketability. You’ll learn:

• Why comps matter—and how they can make or break an agent’s interest.
• How to find the right comps (Hint: It’s not just picking your favorite books).
• How to position your book as fresh, exciting, and sellable without forcing awkward comparisons.

By the end of this session, you’ll have a comp title strategy that strengthens your pitch, makes your book stand out, and gives you an edge in today’s competitive market.

Authors know that marketing their books is 100% their responsibility but most don’t have the skillset or knowledge to create a winning marketing plan for their project. The truth is: everybody would like to have a plan that works, but getting it written, done, and executed properly out in the marketplace to attract attention and grow your sales can seem like it will take years. It’s time to build a plan to successfully market your book that can save you time, energy and money and can ensure you get results during the most pivotal times. In this presentation, Jennifer S. Wilkov, the founder of Your Book Is Your Hook, LLC, will show you how to master the art of determining what belongs in your marketing platform—and what doesn’t —before, during, and after your book has been published.

Expect to learn:

• Set goals for your marketing by taking the time to plan your efforts before you start executing them
• How to use digital marketing to leverage the internet, build awareness online, and generate more sales before, during, and after your book is published
• Proven techniques for offline strategies to get your message out
• Measure, correct and keep your marketing momentum going, no matter what
• Key reasons why you must measure and track your performance
• Fool-proof ways to master your book marketing efforts to take control of your project’s success

Choosing the correct point of view is one of the key elements of dramatic storytelling. Bestselling author John Gilstrap has been praised by Publishers Weekly for “flawless characterization” in his books, and in this interactive session, he’ll walk you through the critical decisions that help you propel your story through the most dramatic set of eyes. Bring paper and a pen, because there’ll be a writing exercise.

Show! Don't Tell! You've heard it, but how are you supposed to use it? What does it really mean? How do you actually do it? In this workshop, we will break down the basics of this common writing advice as well as revise sections from actual works-in-progress.

Conquer the structural elements of character-driven fiction to write romance novels that readers love. This presentation teaches romance fiction from a structural standpoint. You’ll learn about goal, motivation, and conflict, which are the cornerstones of fiction writing. But then we dive deeper to cover character arcs, flaws and stakes, which are vital in character-driven stories like romance. You’ll understand how each element hinges on the others to build the infrastructure of your story, and you’ll gain the confidence to utilize these elements to improve your own books.

Every writer needs a good editing team. Learn how to get the advice that gets results, and how to help other writers make their work shine.

Ever wanted to see a podcast recorded in real time? Join Shannon & MB as we record an episode of our true crime podcast with an author guest from PPWC 2025.