When writers hear research your competition, a lot of them immediately feel… kind of icky.
Like: Am I copying people? Am I doing something shady?
Nope.
Let’s talk about why you should research your competition before you publish your book (and why it’s not weird, I promise)
Competition research isn’t about stealing ideas. It’s about learning what readers in your genre already expect … so your book looks like it belongs, gets clicked, and actually sells.
Think of it like opening a bakery. You wouldn’t guess what cupcakes cost. You’d look at what other bakeries charge, how they present them, what flavours are popular … and then you’d price and package your cupcakes with way more confidence.
Books work the same way.
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What Competition Means for Writers
Your competition isn’t every book on Amazon. Your competition is the set of books your ideal reader would happily buy alongside yours.
If someone loves your book, what else would they enjoy? Those are your comparison books, often called comp titles. There are two simple categories:
Direct competition → same genre + subgenre
♦ Example: cozy mystery in a small-town setting.
Indirect competition → similar vibe, trope, or theme
♦ Example: romantic suspense that attracts the same reader appetite.
When you study those books, you’ll notice patterns, and those patterns will help you make smarter publishing decisions.
The Real Reason Competition Research Matters
Most publishing mistakes happen because writers guess the price, the categories, what kind of cover looks good, and what to write in the blurb.
But book-buying websites (like Amazon and Chapters) are busy. Readers scroll fast. They compare fast.
If your book looks like it belongs, they click. If it feels confusing or too different, they keep moving.
Competition research helps you stop guessing and start deciding with factual information.
It helps you answer things like:
♥ What price will readers expect in my genre?
♥ Which categories fit my book and help readers find it?
♥ What cover style signals my genre in two seconds?
♥ What kind of blurb makes readers want more?
That’s not copying. That’s strategy.
Examples of Trends
A few years ago, it felt like every other fantasy or YA title had words like blood or bone in it … because certain keywords signal a vibe readers recognize fast.
And then Fourth Wing helped kick off the sprayed-edges/special-edition craze, so now publishers use fancy edges as a marketing hook because they look amazing online and feel collectible (and make the publishers more money).
How to Research Your Competition
Let’s look at a simple method of researching your competition without turning it into homework.
Step 1: Choose 10–20 comparison books
Start on Amazon and search your genre or a key trope.
Look at:
♥ top results that match your subgenre
♥ Customers also bought rows
♥ authors similar to you
♥ books that feel like your book (tone + topic + reader)
Try to include:
♥ a few bestsellers (to spot trends)
♥ several mid-list books (to see what “normal” looks like)
♥ newer releases (to see current cover + blurb styles)
Step 2: Take Quick Notes on Each Book
Bullet points are perfect. For each book, capture:
♥ title/subtitle style
♥ ebook + paperback price
♥ page count (or length)
♥ Amazon categories
♥ cover style (colours, font, imagery, vibe)
♥ blurb style (tone, structure, tropes)
♥ review patterns (what readers praise and complain about)
Step 3: Look for Patterns
The magic isn’t in one book. The magic is in what shows up again and again.
Repeated patterns = genre expectations.
Genre expectations = confident publishing choices.
That helps you make confident choices.
How Competition Research…
Let’s look at how competition research helps with pricing, cover designs, category guidance and blurbs.
… Helps You Price Your Book
Pricing tells readers what kind of book they’re buying. If your price looks wildly different from similar books, readers notice. And sometimes they assume:
♥ it’s lower quality
♥ it’s not really the genre they wanted
♥ it’s overpriced for what it is
So instead of starting with What do I want to charge? Try: What do readers in my genre already pay?
What to look at:
♥ ebook price
♥ paperback price & page count
♥ hardcover price & page count
♥ audiobook price
When you compare across 10–20 books and you’ll usually see:
♥ a common ebook range
♥ a common paperback range
♥ price differences based on length
♥ different pricing for series vs. standalone
Once you see the normal range, then you can choose your price with intention and not a random guess
♥ Do I want to match the common price?
♥ Do I want to go slightly higher because my book is longer or premium?
♥ Do I want to go lower for a launch, promo, or first-in-series strategy?
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… Helps with Category Guidance
Categories are like bookstore shelves.
Right shelf = right readers find you.
Wrong shelf = Amazon gets confused (and readers do too).
Look at (research) the categories your comp titles use. Note:
♥ the category combinations that repeat
♥ specific subcategories that show up often
Books group up in specific ways, and it’s not an accident. Readers use this to find books, and Amazon uses it to understand your book.
Choose categories that:
♥ match the reader promise (genre + tone + tropes)
♥ match what similar books use (because readers already look there)
… Informs Cover Design
A cover has one primary job:
Tell the reader what kind of book it is fast.
A beautiful cover can still hurt sales if it signals the wrong genre.
What to study on competitor covers:
♥ fonts→ bold, script, clean, dramatic, handwritten
♥ colours→ dark, pastel, bright, muted, high contrast
♥ imagery→ illustrated vs photo, people vs objects, symbols vs landscapes
♥ mood→ cozy, tense, romantic, creepy, epic, funny
♥ trope signals→ couples, weapons, castles, small towns, shadows, flames
♥ series branding→ consistent look across the books
When you do this, you’ll understand your genre’s aesthetic. Covers shouldn’t be identical, but they should reflect the genre and mood.
Instead of I want a cover that’s different, try: I want a cover that fits the genre… with one unique detail.
That’s the sweet spot.
… Create a Compelling Blurb
A blurb is not a book report. It is a short piece of writing that makes the reader want to keep reading without giving the entire plot away.
Competition research helps you learn what blurbs in your genre usually do.
What to study in competitor blurbs:
♥ opening style → question, bold statement, intriguing hook, shocking problem
♥ speed → how fast they introduce character + situation
♥ how they show stakes →what can be lost
♥ tone →funny, dark, romantic, intense, cozy, eerie
♥ trope hints →enemies-to-lovers, found family, locked-room mystery, etc.
♥ formatting →short paragraphs, cliffhanger ending, occasional bolding
You can copy the structure, but not the words. A common blurb shape:
1. Hook
2. Character + problem
3. Complication
4. Stakes
5. Final tension line
Once you know the shape, writing your own gets much easier.
Traditional Publishers and Research
Traditional publishers do this kind of research all the time. I’ve seen it in every marketing plan Ive ever looked at in my time with traditional publishing.
They watch what readers buy right now, what covers and blurbs get clicks, and which shelves (categories) those books sit on.
Then they use what they learn to price the book, shape the cover and description, and plan the marketing … so the book feels like it belongs in the genre, but still has its own spark.
Common Researching Mistakes
Here’s what writers mess up most.
Copying wording or visuals → instead copy patterns and expectations
Only studying huge bestsellers → includes mid-list books too because they show realistic market norms
Researching the wrong subgenre → fantasy romance and epic fantasy can look totally different
Ignoring reviews → reviews show what readers actually care about and what disappointed them which leaves room for you to fulfill those expectations.
Key Takeaways
If your story feels off, ask yourself these questions:
1. Pick 10–20 comp titles
2. Record ebook + paperback + hardcover + audiobook prices and page counts
3. Record Amazon categories
4. Capture cover patterns (font, colour, imagery, mood)
5. Capture blurb patterns (hook, stakes, tone, tropes)
6. Scan reviews for repeated praise + complaints
7. Use what you learned to inform your decisions
Last Words on the Three Act Plot Structure
Competition research gives you clarity. It helps your book look like it belongs, so the right readers click, and it helps you market your book in a way that makes sense to the people you’re trying to reach.
And you don’t need weeks for this. Even one focused hour can save you from weeks of frustration later.
Happy writing!
Linda
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