When pitching a book, it's helpful to find comp (comparable) authors who either have a similar writing style or who choose similar trials for their protagonists. This involves reading a lot of authors - because not every writer in your genre will be a good fit.
Here are my comps. If you like any of the following authors, you might like my books, or if you like my books, you may like theirs, too:
Colleen Hoover - We both write realistic stories with some intense scenes that deal with similar issues: sexual abuse, mother-daughter relationships, etc. All of my novels pictured above have teens dealing with tough times.
Rhys Bowen - I read Above the Bay of Angels, which was historical fiction. If you like how her character grows through the story, you might like Peg's Story: Detours, which follows Peg from Christmas 1971 to Christmas 2000.
Catherine Ryan Hyde - Brave Girl, Quiet Girl might be the closest match for Maggie's Story - Running Away - we both do intense, gritty realism that make you keep turning the page.
Kristin Hannah - While Firefly Lane has friendship as the moving force, if you were drawn to the struggles of the character who goes from neglected child of an addict to super-achiever, Peg's Story - Detours may appeal to you as well. We both use gritty moments of realism to convey the larger situation.
