His companions had built five ships, eaten their horses from hunger, and used their shirts for sails. 'In the 1500's,' I read to her, 'three Spaniards and a black North African slave named Esteban came to Mexico City after surviving a shipwreck. The many journeys of discovery began in the eleventh century when seven bishops left Spain and founded the cities of Cibola and Quivira, where they had seen gold, silver, turquoise, pearls and other gems. But first I told her of the failed adventurers who preceded us Just recently I brought my wife here for a visit. But, all the time those riches were in plain view. Through the years many have searched for the cities without success. We all want to know how to obtain their riches. These places have been sought by adventurers for centuries. I never visit the Cities of Gold without her. Here flowers live more abundantly than in Eden, and whether I have come for business or for pleasure, my wife is always at my side, even when she stays at home. These are the magical places of confluence where all of the rivers that have meandered through the hills and forests and abandoned towns of the central coast have come to their place of rest and regeneration. You have no power as a debut author, man.Somewhere near Morro Bay on the Central Coast is the Bay of the Seven Rivers, and the Seven Cities of Gold. I have a friend whose book got described as “Dexter meets Twilight” in marketing material which was ABSURD and probably actually turned away some readers who would’ve loved it because it was nothing like Twilight but she kind of just had to…go with it.

It’s annoying and it’s bullshit but it’s industry mandated, not something authors do as a quirky trend.Īlso authors may not get a say in which comps are used. If your pitch doesn’t come with comps that have “proved” to be popular, it’ll be seen as Too Out There and it’ll be less likely to sell. When deciding whether to acquire a book a publisher WILL look at the success or failures of similar books to figure out how big of an advance they’re willing to risk.

They’re called “comps,” and the industry uses them to gauge the market potential of a story concept.

If you’re baffled by the prevelance of the “THIS meets THAT” format of pitches when it comes to books, it’s because publishers literally make authors come up with it.

Glass sword sequel