Book back cover writing tips

Here are top 11 book cover design tips for independent authors 01. I also thought about my first businessa bookstorewhere we flipped through used books in search of autographs the equivalent of a literary jackpot. When writing a novel, there are few selling tools as important as a solidly written book blurb. But your back cover is what will inspire potential readers to take your book to the register. Apply these 9 secret techniques to improve your book cover design book cover design. And even if youre planning on only selling through online retailers, bcc is still incredibly useful. An independent author should work closely with a book cover designer to create the cover.

Its the essence of your book s most exciting features, distilled into a few hundred words. The back cover texts can be divided into three main parts. At the end of 20 i put out a package of diy book cover templates in microsoft word and revolutionized publishing with a howto guide to designing amazing book covers in an easy to use program youre already familiar with. Nov 20, 2019 when you need to write a cover letter to apply for a job, its sometimes the small things that can make a big difference. For the curious, twilights back cover copy is 57 words and 5 sentences. Youve just put your feet up when you get a reminder from the designer that they still need text for the back cover. Bestselling author dan gutman helps kids master this important skill with his fun, informative writing guide, my weird writing tips. Use these tips to help you craft a winning book cover that you can be proud of.

Check out this article for more indepth tips and examples on writing a great blurb for your novel. We explored the impact typography has on human emotion, cognitive recognition, and ultimate action plus, some book cover designs that. In a novel that shows bitter rivalry between sisters to ascend a kingdoms throne, for example, the backstory could describe the origins of this strife in their fathers favouritism this is the premise of shakespeares king lear the oxford dictionary defines backstory simply. Writing your author bio can be a daunting task, but a wellcrafted bio can help readers learn more about what makes you and your books so interesting. Jodie renner has published two books to date in her series, an editors guide to writing compelling fiction. Im a published novelist, and i participate in several writing groups and online communities. But, if you have caught a potential readers attention, the blurb is what will sell your book and convert readers. Heres how to write back cover that will hook new readers and sell your book.

A boring back cover text will cause the reader to lose interest and put the book back on the shelf. Depending on your topic, your writing should emanate authority, compassion, wisdom, insight, humor, suspense, intrigue, mystery, etc. Jan 15, 2015 this article is by jessica strawser, editor of writer s digest. These 50 awesome book covers will inspire you learn. Thata a lot of buying potential just waiting to be claimed by a snappy back cover. How to write backstory but not bog down your book now novel. The blurb that appears on the back cover of your book, and on your amazon page, will either. Write only a paragraph or two, and include the hooksthe storys most engaging plot points. Summary and synopsis are also used but, in my experience, are used only in.

Writing a great story has little value if no one reads or buys the book. Editor jessi rita hoffman explains how to craft professional and compelling back cover copy for your book. Below are a few examples of back cover copy for fiction. The closer to perfect your letter is, the better your chances are of impressing the hiring manager. The teaser is similar to the snippet found on the back cover. I edit nonfiction books for selfpublished authors, and i have steered many toward professional copywriters. One way to write this primary reason is to present it as a question. But the headline of your back cover should be short, simple, and actionoriented. In order to write a book book in full, you need to have all the moving parts to make it not only good but also effective.

Writers use the term blurb to describe the text on the back of the book. Fiction readers are looking to escape into a scene. You have one shot at introducing your story to your reader make it count. It typically serves as the foundation for your online book descriptions, as well as any press releases or pitches you make to the media. Apr 11, 2016 a good childrens book is a distillation of an idea and the most successful writers use only a few potent words to say the most important and entertaining things. The ability to put thoughts into writing is an essential skill vital to success in schoolfrom elementary school through college. Five essential tips for anyone trying to write a book. So, the authors involvement in designing the cover becomes all the more critical. When a buyer picks up your book in a bookstore or book signing event, he or she will usually look at the front cover first, then flip to the back to learn more about it. Get an accountant, abstain from sex and similes, cut, rewrite, then cut and rewrite again if all else fails, pray. You already know that, in fact, everyone does judge a book by its cover. Follow these tips and techniques for sending a topnotch cover letter, and you will increase your chances of getting an. Author julie broad shares 5 back cover tips that will help sell your nonfiction book on amazon and elsewhere. While there is no universal standard for the length of a book or novel synopsis, agents usually favor one to two pages, singlespaced.

Then part 2 contains tips from our top designers on the best ways to design an aesthetically beautiful jacket. Before writing your own backcover copy, examine the backs of other books in your genre. Aug 27, 2019 nonfiction back cover copy must spell out the benefits for readers as well as the authors expertise in order for the book to be taken seriously. In the internet age that means the thumb nail image needs to be interesting enough to click on. In this video, well share with you five important tips to keep in mind when submitting your ideas for the design of your cover. Dec 08, 2017 author julie broad shares 5 back cover tips that will help sell your nonfiction book on amazon and elsewhere. How book cover typography can enhance the book itself luckily, understanding how fonts can work in your favor is easier than you think. Julie broad is an author and the founder of book launchers, a selfpublishing company. Recently a new author asked me how she should handle autographing her books.

You also know that you have only two or three seconds to attract a potential reader with your front cover. Tips for writing a back cover that sells inspire action. That sounds complicated enough but take the sheer amount of book genres out there, and coming up with a book cover to attract readers can be a monumental task. The book industry study group offers 51 significant subjects for books. Top 10 cover letter writing tips the balance careers. A large block of text in the body copy of your back cover may lose your. How to write a back cover book synopsis pen and the pad.

As much as book covers catch readers attention, blurbs grip shoppers. As a writer, you may love long, lyrical descriptions. But once that reader picks up your book and flips to your back cover, this is your chance to sell your book. Caring about fantastic book cover design is one of those nonnegotiables for all authors. So lets take a closer look at these five aspects of the back cover. See if you can pin what works well in this description, and that would work as a killer pitch. The words on the cover of your book are intended to offer a brief description of the book that will hook your readers into your story and motivate them to open the pages and buy your books. If you are a novelist, your back cover should provide a short summary of what your book is about. Additionally, be careful if you want to change the dimensions of an image.

The 5 most common mistakes in book cover design and how to. Jul 06, 2011 this isnt to say, however, that you cant be extremely successful writing your own back cover copy it just presents its own unique challenges. Tips for writing a back cover that sells steuben press. But there are parts that you can write at any stage of the process. What is the summary written on the cover at the back of a. Many authors write the book blurb as an afterthought.

Your ebook will look amateurish, and readers may well be put off from buying it. And, when youre done, come back and share it with us. In fiction, backstory refers to the events that precede the narrative frame of the story itself. Unless youre a professional designer, creating your own cover is a hugely damaging mistake. Sep 25, 20 thata a lot of buying potential just waiting to be claimed by a snappy back cover. When you need to write a cover letter to apply for a job, its sometimes the small things that can make a big difference. Back cover blurbs for books tips for wrting blurbs that. Writing back cover copy for your nonfiction book xulon. Focus on clarity in your writing and avoid wordiness. Treat your back cover with the same respect as your front cover. The third example shows how part of the back cover copy the author bio, in this case can show up on the inside flap of a hard cover book.

Sep 12, 2018 creating a book blurb, while still technically writing, is closer to a science than an art. Steps to writing your own back book blurb and back cover. Above the list, speak directly to the readers, and give them the primary reason why they should read your book. Indeed, it can help you focus if you write your blurb before you even start writing the book. Here are four tips to maximize your nonfiction back cover copy. Back cover copy is the blurb on the back of a book.

I think a tricky part about writing back cover copy for fiction is writing it with a sense of urgency to grab a readers attention. Remember that the cover should give a hint of what is inside of the pages. If you are using amazons recommended cover dimensions 2,560 by 1,600 pixels, and your background image is much wider at 2,560 by 2,600 pixels, you should crop the image to get rid of the extra width. The back cover of your as yet unwritten book can help you write a better book, and write it faster, too. The next step is grabbing the readers interest with a tempting back cover. Its not writing the book but writing the back cover text.

Its why ive pulled the back cover for mitch alboms the five people you meet in heaven for us to examine. Its so tempting to think if everyone is doing x and i do y. The fiction category alone is broken down into 140 subgenresthats a lot of book. Julie broad is an author and the founder of book launchers, a. Apr 28, 2016 the back cover copy you write for your book is among the most important marketing messages youll craft. It took me back to when i had published my first book, remembering how awkward it felt to sign copies. The cover of your book is important because its the first thing a reader sees. Writing a strategic, concise and easytoread back cover can be your key to making money as a selfpublished author. A good childrens book is a distillation of an idea and the most successful writers use only a few potent words to say the most important and entertaining things. To fully cover both points, weve split this post into two sections.

How to write kickbutt bcc back cover copy wise ink blog. For more info, please visit jodies author website or editor website, her other. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more. Like it or not, everyone judges books by their covers. How to create a back of the book cover blurb that sells 1. Aug 23, 2012 writing killer back cover copy is crucial for authors because, like me, people who create what goes on covers and sales sheets often havent read your book. Jun 02, 2014 but before starting work on my next book i went back to school to work on my writing too. Work by convincing readers to take a chance on it, or fail to engage your target readers.

How to create a back book cover blurb that sells kindlepreneur. Make sure that any incident that occurs before the main narrative events of your story is relevant and illustrative. Think of your back cover copy like a movie trailer, giving enough details to interest readers, but not so much to spoil their fun. Inspire by elmore leonards 10 rules of writing, we asked authors for their. Choose a voice for your back cover that matches your book and fuel it with emotion. It will lead readers to your pages and because of its role as an ambassador, your book cover deserves thoughtful planning. Youve finished writing your book, its edited, designed and is just about ready to go to press. If your character has quit their job before the story starts, it only makes sense to mention this in passing or devote a flashback scene. Although it should give a broad overview of the story, it should never contain spoilers for the book. Sample book back cover a man can never truly run away from his past, jack preacher thought, as four mysterious horsemen appeared from beyond the desert threatening to throw the quiet and dusty town of cameron into disarray. Five tips for a professional cover design authorhouse. For nonfiction, establishing yourself as an expert and differentiating your book from the others written about the same. Youll want it to have a design that grabs their attention and portrays an accurate idea of what your book is about. Ive seen too many back covers that are slammed from margin to margin with text with the blurb in the largest font possible.

Top 11 book cover design tips for independent authors. How to hire the perfect cover designer for your next book. Book covers today are often simple, revolving around a central imagery thats symbolic and can capture the essence or theme of the plot with one glance. But it took me a while longer to figure out how to customize your front cover into a full print cover for createspace or other pod providers. You have to invest everything you are into creating an important p. Also, a lot of introductory material can go at the back of the book i strongly recommend having an about the author page at the back, because its a great opportunity to point readers to your website, mailing list, and so on. Learn how to write a back book cover blurb that not only intrigues readers but gets them to buy. Our senior production manager, nina, gave the following tips for crafting effective summary copy. Writing a killer thriller and fire up your fiction, which has won two book awards so far and is a finalist for 3 more. The back cover copy you write for your book is among the most important marketing messages youll craft. The back cover copy of your book is your sales pitch to prospective readers and book buyers.

In that sense, a good blurb is anything but subjective. Cover art serves one purpose, and one purpose only, to get potential customers interested long enough to pick up the book to read the back cover blurb. A successful back cover text is the result of a careful balance between the needs of the publisher and the needs of the reader. The front cover has a critical role to play, of course, but todays post is about the strategic use of the back cover.

Work by convincing readers to take a chance on it, or. Some programs will allow you to simply drag the image smaller, and create a smushed version of the original. This article is by jessica strawser, editor of writer s digest. How to write successful back cover copy mascot books.

Back cover copy includes the book summary and author bio. Books with great back cover texts usually go up in high sales. Fail to engage your target readers in that sense, a good blurb is anything but subjective. How to write a catchy backcover blurb that sells 2020. Jan 27, 2020 here are 6 mustdo tips for brainstorming back cover copy. Heres how to write backcover that will hook new readers and sell your book. Parts of a book make up the entirety of the book, including the title, introduction, body, conclusion, and back cover. If youve written a book belong to the fantasy genre, or one of its subgenres and need a cover designed for it, below weve featured of the best fantasy book cover artists. If you queried agents or editors at any point, you might be able to start with the hook from your query letter. This is essential when it comes to writing backstory. Book promotion expert ben cameron always says writing the blurb is the hardest 100 words youll ever write, and many authors are also stumped when it comes to writing the front and back matter another task that usually falls just when youre feeling least like writing another word, after completing your book s final edit. Creating a book blurb, while still technically writing, is closer to a science than an art. One example is the common practice among the big publishing companies to adorn book covers with endorsements from high profile readers.

Its the essence of your books most exciting features, distilled into a few hundred words. Look for the third book in the series, captivate your readers, out in late 2014. Derek murphy of creativindie covers is a brilliant designer and has designed a number of my own book covers. Tips for writing compelling back cover copy blogger. Tips for writing the best back cover copy design for books. As a reader, i wont usually buy a book unless i can read the back cover copy to see what the book is about. Something, ironically, every author i know hates writing. Now that we know how much space we are working with, lets look at the elements of the back cover copy. To accomplish this, you need to put a lot of care and attention into your back cover copy. Let your text breathe a little and still be selective in the blurb and supporting text you place on the back cover.

It takes a lot of time and effort, especially if you want to do it right, which means creating something that people will find entertaining or useful and then polishing, marketing, and promoting it. Do you still feel like writing your back cover copy is as difficult as drafting your resume. How to write kickbutt bcc back cover copy the wise. You have a few paragraphs about the book andor its author on the back about 100 to 200 words to hook the potential. But although i personally believe in paying professionals, im also aware that some people want to have a go themselves, or need to because of. This should be broader in scope than the reasons you put in your bulleted list. Visit a bookstore or library and read the back covers of bestselling books in your genre. Oct 22, 2015 writing your author bio can be a daunting task, but a wellcrafted bio can help readers learn more about what makes you and your books so interesting. Theres a reason why these books are bestsellers back cover copy is the second thing book buyers look at to help them make a buying decision the front cover is first.

How to build the back of a book cover with template. You have just a few sentences to get the point across. Sometimes an agent might ask for a chapter outline instead, which is a synopsis. In this article, i offer 10 steps for writing a book along with 10 bonus steps to getting your book done. Make sure you make your summary thorough so your reader knows the general subject.

How to write a back cover for a book writing a back cover identify your audience. Ill say it impossible, without examining dust jackets from successful novels, that is. Blurbs are a brief description of a book typically found on the back of a. Bookfly design an oregonbased business, bookfly design consists of a small team which involves james t. Finish off with a questionkeylineteaser that will leave them wondering what.

How to build the back of a book cover with template reedsy blog. Aug, 2015 put the bulleted list in the middle of the copy you write for your back cover. Oct 16, 2014 the last words that you write for your book will be the first that your audience reads. You should regularly maintain your bio on places like your bookbub author profile so fans and potential readers seeking you out can learn more about you and why they should pick up your latest book. The hard part of writing a book isnt getting published. Everyone judges a book by its cover, so make sure yours is tip top. Once youve drafted the rest of your book, youll know what needs to go in the introduction. Create a definite, confident voice for your back cover. Put the bulleted list in the middle of the copy you write for your back cover.