a glossary of publishing terms

Whether you’re just starting out research into how to get published or you’re looking for a refresher on what a comp title is, anyway, look no further.

COMP TITLE — glossed both as “competitive title” and “comparison title,” these are pieces of media (chiefly books, but film, TV, and others are also accepted) similar in content or tone to your novel. These are both a way for an agent to quickly grasp what your book is about and, further down the line, a useful sales tool.

CRITIQUE PARTNER — a fellow writer with whom you share your work for constructive criticism, and in return do the same for them

FULL REQUEST — a positive response from an agent, asking to see your full manuscript, based on your pitch

(THE) HOOK — what initially grabs the reader’s attention, usually presented early on in a story or a pitch

MWSL — manuscript wishlist. Here’s mine, as an example. Can also be in the form of social media posts hashtagged “MWSL.”

QUERY — a short pitch, usually a few paragraphs long, sent to an agent in the hopes that they will represent you. Querying is the process of sending out queries to agents.

(THE) STAKES — what’s at risk for the main character of your story