You've seen it haven't you? The way a publisher tries to persuade you to buy their book by comparing it to something popular. It's either a sticker or a big declaration on the cover that screams out at you 'THE NEW HARRY POTTER!!!' or 'If you LOVED the Hunger Games, you'll LOVE this!' And when you read the blurb, it rarely sounds anything like Harry Potter or The Hunger Games! I can't tell you how annoying I find all this! I get why they do it but how does some publisher know what I'll enjoy based on one book I've loved? Hmmm? Got ESP have you matey? Nope, didn't think so!
Or maybe you see the declaration that this is 'The Hunger Games meets Narnia and Lord of the Rings!' Right so we have hobbits running from killer Orcs in a Game show where you need to find an exit through a wardrobe to win a box of turkish delight? Er, no thanks...!
Seriously, it might encourage people to try the book and there is nothing wrong with that but in the long run you might not be doing the author a favour. I've lost count of how many books claim to be the new Harry Potter, and by putting the comparison in my mind, I am going to be disappointed in it because it can NEVER be as good as Harry Potter! The publisher has made the comparison and many people will judge on how alike they are and might then give it a lower mark, thinking 'that was NOTHING like Harry!' I have read really good children's adventure series like Artemis Fowl and H.I.V.E which are great series in their own right and don't try to be cheap copies of something else. Mr Publisher, if you have confidence in these series, market them as new adventures for kids or YA fans-don't pretend they are something they are not!
Have you had any annoying experiences with publisher's promoting books like this? Do you like or dislike publishers using these comparisons? Do you feel you judged a book on what they said it was going to be rather than on what you actually thought of the book itself? What strange comparisons have you seen?
