How to Write Great Back Cover Text
Browsing through your favorite bookstore, you spot a book title that looks intriguing and pull the book from the shelf. The front cover draws your attention, so you turn it over to read the text on the back. The information is interesting and well-written, so you thumb through the pages and eventually decide to buy it.
But suppose the back cover text is wordy, uninteresting, or just doesn’t make sense? You’d put the book right back in its place on the shelf. End of story.
No author wants that to be the fate of his or her book, so here are a few hints to help you polish that back cover copy.
There are three main parts of back cover text:
1. A Great Sales Pitch
2. Mechanics of the Book
- Does your book have anecdotes, steps, or teach how to do something?
- What response does it evoke?
3. Author Biography
Avoid including your dog’s name or your hobbies—unless the book is about your dog or that hobby. Leave the small details of where you live, with whom (wife and kids), non-related occupation information, etc. for the one-to-two sentence biography next to your picture.
Additional helpful hints:
- Show, don’t tell—get the reader’s five senses involved.
- Include enough of a fiction novel’s plot to attract attention, but leave them hanging about how it ends.
- Don’t write in first person (I, we); use third person (he, she, the author).
- Use words like practical, proven, simple, or must-have.
- Use your strong points.
- Keep it simple.
- Write tight.
Related articles
- How to Design a Book Cover Using the Billboard Method
- How to Write Back Cover Copy (by WinePress author, Laura Christianson)
- 10 Common Design Requests that Will Make Your Designer Revolt
- How to partner with your book cover designer
Publicize Your Book Through Writing Magazine Articles
Most books only sell 5,000 copies, but most larger magazines have readerships ranging from 10,000 to over 1 million readers.
Think of the exposure your message will get if you write an article for a major Christian publication, based on one of the ideas or chapters in your book. The bio at the end of the article can plug your book and give you unbelievable exposure.
The key is finding the right fit. If your book is geared towards stay-at-home-moms, don’t approach a magazine like Mature Living! Look through Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers’ Market Guide and find the magazines that have the readers who are right for your message.
If your message can cross over to the general market, look in the Writer’s Market, published annually by Writer’s Digest. This will give you many more avenues to check out for possible articles. Other resources to check include the Directory of Newsletters and the Directory of Associations.
Make sure you understand what they are looking for in an article; find some recent issues and see what kind of articles they normally publish.
If the magazine seems like a good fit, send a 1-page (maximum) query letter or a brief e-mail to the editor (follow the instructions in the Market Guide as to their preferences for receiving queries). If you’ve never written a query letter, read a good book or take a class at a Christian Writers’ Conference about how to write a good query letter. If you want to get your foot in the door with several Christian magazines, you’ll need to do a bang-up job at that initial contact.
Once the editor contacts you to express interest in your article, begin the writing process. You might rework a chapter or take an idea from the book and write an article around that. Either way, you will be able to say that the article is adapted from your book; you may even be able to provide ordering information in your bio.
Tweet This!3 Steps to Get Organized
By James Owens
Have you ever thought, “Wow, I have so much to do and have to do this, this, this, and this”?
If you’re nodding your head, then try these three simple steps to get organized.
- Create a “To-Do” box or bin.
- Create an effective filing system.
- Use checklists.
1. Create a “To-Do” box or bin.
2. Create an effective filing system.
3. Use checklists.
As doctors are now figuring out, that they can cut surgical deaths in half if they use a checklist,* Shouldn’t we take the hint, too? A checklist can help you take your manuscript from beginning to end, or help you know what you need to get done in your day, so you can get to writing that next bestseller.
*http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28662096/
James Owens is the office assistant to the manager of Notation Printing and Marketing Group. He’s 17 years old and attends White River Online Learning.
Tweet This!How to Market Your Book as a Resource for Ministries
Non-profit organizations are always looking for books they can offer as a resource for their members/donors, to use as a premium (to thank members for a donation), or as a fundraiser.
Here are some success stories from WinePress authors who have sold bulk copies of their books to various non-profits:
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Marvin Michaels was involved with Missionary Aviation Fellowship and dedicated a chapter or two to his experiences with that ministry. When WinePress published his book, A Passion for Flying: Exciting Stories of a Boeing Test Pilot, he negotiated a sale to the ministry for 1,000 copies. This helped offset the cost of his initial printing and gave his story some great exposure. The ministry offered the book to their donor base for a stated donation so it helped them with their fundraising efforts at the same time. A win-win situation all the way around.
Janice Lemke, author of Five Loaves and Two Bowls of Borscht: Discovering God’s Power in Ukraine, made a contact with the headquarters office who managed the United Methodist Women’s Reading & Discussion Groups around the country. They had an interest in books about missions and agreed to review her book for their Suggested Reading List. They were so encouraged by its message; they listed the book for their 2003 list of recommended books and ordered over 1,000 copies.
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Carol Vandesteeg’s When Duty Calls: A Guide to Equip Active Duty, Guard, and Reserve Personnel and Their Loved Ones for Military Separations, has been a great resource for many military ministries around the world. An online ministry, Military Wives, ordered large quantities to offer to the women they minister to. Also, because it is such a tremendous resource to the military, we have sold tens of thousands of copies to military bases around the world, in lots of 100, 500, 1,000 and 1,500!
If you’re interested in developing a ministry marketing plan, ask yourself the following questions:
- What ministries have mission statements that align with my book’s message?
- What non-profit organizations have a membership that would be most blessed by my resource?
- What church groups meet the needs of those who most need to read my book?
- What groups need new resources for their membership?
- Do I mention specific ministries in my book?
Most ministries expect at least a 50-60 percent discount when buying quantities in excess of 100 copies. Price your book so you are able to offer the discount and still cover your costs and build in a profit.
Tweet This!5 Tips to Overcoming Writer’s Block
By Mike Owens
I don’t know what to write!
All writers have moments when the brick wall looks more inviting than the keyboard. That’s why I decided to share some ideas on how to overcome the most common problem among writers.
1. Don’t become a writer
2. Distract Yourself
3. Read a Book
4. Just Write
5. Move On
Now you no longer have an excuse for that unfinished manuscript. Give some of these a try and see if you get past the initial wall to the greener grass on the other side.
Mike Owens is a Solutions Advisor for the WinePress Group. He specializes in helping authors decide the best method of publishing their book.
