"X meets Y" market shorthand. Recent, honest, not vanity comps.

"X meets Y" market shorthand. Recent, honest, not vanity comps. Publishing terms describe market-facing documents (queries, comps, and formats), not manuscript interior craft.

As an industry term, it describes professional practice outside the manuscript text.

Why it matters

Comp title is industry vocabulary for pitching and publication, distinct from on-page craft.

Common pitfalls

Confusing this industry term with an on-page craft move.
Using jargon with collaborators who define the term differently.

Example only

A one-line comp title names hero, goal, and obstacle for an agent skim.

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Comp title

Also called

comparative title

BeginnerPublishing & industryReference

"X meets Y" market shorthand. Recent, honest, not vanity comps.

"X meets Y" market shorthand. Recent, honest, not vanity comps. Publishing terms describe market-facing documents (queries, comps, and formats), not manuscript interior craft.

As an industry term, it describes professional practice outside the manuscript text.

Why it matters

Comp title is industry vocabulary for pitching and publication, distinct from on-page craft.

Common pitfalls

Confusing this industry term with an on-page craft move.
Using jargon with collaborators who define the term differently.

Example only

A one-line comp title names hero, goal, and obstacle for an agent skim.