You know how important the front cover is when you design a book. Did you know that you need to pay equal attention to the book back cover? Many authors consider a book back cover a minor part of the overall production, but in truth, the book back cover plays a key role in attracting readers and selling more books.
Why the Book Back Cover Matters
Think of what happens when you’re deciding on a book to buy—or to borrow from your library. You glance over the covers, pull out one that looks interesting, and scan the front cover.
The next thing you do is flip it over to read the book back cover. From this, you get a better sense of what the book is about and whether you think you’ll like it. If you’re still interested, you may read the inside flap of the cover to get more details. At this point, unless something has turned you off about it, you’re close to choosing that book.
Your Book Back Cover Needs to Work Fast
The average reader spends 10 seconds looking at the title, tagline, and subtitle of a book on its cover. If they draw the reader in, the next step is turning the back over to read a synopsis or summary. A reader who reads the entire synopsis and stays intrigued–that’s a buyer who’s about to buy the book, unless something else causes them to get turned off.
What Goes on a Book Back Cover?
Let’s start with the basics. Every book back cover must include certain standard elements. You’ve seen them, you’ve read them, and they should be part of your book, too.
Testimonial
A testimonial is an excerpt from a review or a statement from another writer about the book. A romance book may have a testimonial from a well-known romance writer attesting to the book’s readability. It works because a reader will recognize that name and feel they can trust their opinion. A testimonial is a stamp of approval from a trusted source.
Testimonials are good to have, but they can backfire. Today, many book buyers regard them with suspicion. They know that writers are generous with each other and unwilling to say “no” when asked to provide a testimonial for a new book. They’ll offer a complimentary statement, even if they don’t think that highly of the book.
Reviews on a Book Back Cover
Some writers have become known for offering praise for every book in their genre that gets published. It’s hard to believe that they’ve read all those books and had the same uniformly positive reaction. Readers are so used to seeing these phony testimonials that they shrug them off.
What’ s better than a possibly fake testimonial? A real review from a reader or book reviewer. If your book already has reviews, whether from buyers or book review sites, use them. A glowing statement on a book back cover from a verified buyer or reputable reviewer will carry more weight than a testimonial.
Blurb
The blurb is the pitch for your book. It’s a short statement that gives some idea of the plot and characters without giving away too much. It must set out the premise of the story, the setting, main characters, and the central conflict. You want the reader to beg to know more.
Here’s a blurb from a best-selling romance novel.
Sasha has had it. She cannot bring herself to respond to another email or participate in the corporate employee joyfulness program. She hasn’t seen her friends in months. Even cooking dinner takes far too much planning.
She decides to recuperate at the seaside resort she loved as a child. But it’s the off season, the hotel is a shambles, and she has to share the beach with a grumpy guy named Finn, who seems as stressed as she is. Then curious messages appear in the sand, seemingly intended for Sasha and Finn, and the two of them begin to talk—about everything. Can either of them remember something they used to love? (Answer: surfing!) And what does the energy between them—flaring even in the face of their bone-deep exhaustion—signify?
–“The Burnout” by Sophie Kinsella
Here’s one for a popular self-help book.
Want to overcome your negative feelings? Feel like you aren’t good enough? Need help dealing with stress?
The solution to deal with negative emotions is to understand how your emotions work and apply specific techniques to ensure you manage them as effectively as possible.
Master Your Emotions is the “how-to” manual your parents should have given you at birth. By reading it, you’ll learn how to deal with negative emotions so you can live a happier, more fulfilling life.
–“Master Your Emotions: A Practical Guide to Overcome Negativity and Better Manage Your Feelings” by Thibaut Meurisse
And finally, a blurb for a nonfiction true crime book.
Stéphane Bréitwieser is the most prolific art thief of all time.
He pulled off more than 200 heists, often in crowded museums in broad daylight.
His girlfriend served as his accomplice.
His collection was worth an estimated $2 billion.
He never sold a piece, displaying his stolen art in his attic bedroom.
He felt like a king.
Until everything came to a shocking end.
In this spellbinding portrait of obsession and flawed genius, Michael Finkel gives us one of the most remarkable true-crime narratives of our times, a riveting story of art, theft, love, and an insatiable hunger to possess beauty at any cost.
–“The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime and a Dangerous Obsession” by Michael Finkel
Learn from the Top Sellers
As you can see, the fiction blurb gives you brief information about the main characters and the setting, and it describes the conflict at the center of the story. It leaves you wondering: What happens next?
The nonfiction blurb gets right to the point, asking if you have a specific problem, and explaining how this book will solve it. The blurb for the true crime book describes the criminal, but it doesn’t go into details about his motivations or how he was caught. To get inspiration for your blurb, study the backs of books in your genre.
Author Bio
Always include a brief author bio and your picture as part of the back cover design. If you’ve won awards or have other distinctions, include them in your bio. If you’ve won any awards for your work, include that here, too.
Special Rules for Children’s Books
The artwork is the main selling point of any children’s book, so be sure the potential buyer gets a good idea of what the pictures and style are before they even open the book. Include an illustration on the book back cover.
Use an illustration from the book’s interior that shows what the whole book is like. Choose appealing front and back images that will make readers want to open the book and see more.
Summary: Tips for Your Book Back Cover
- Choose a readable layout. Artistic impact is important for the front cover. For the back cover, choose a clean, clutter-free design.
- Be informative. Without giving away plot twists, give the reader information about the storyline, setting, and central conflict.
- Make it scannable. Use large, clear fonts, and break up your text.
- Include artwork. The graphics and color scheme should be consistent with the front cover.
- Include art in a children’s book.
Make a Fast First Impression with Your Book Back Cover
The front and back covers of a book are all about first impressions. The average reader makes a quick decision when faced with a bunch of competing book covers. The book back cover is a major selling point, so make sure yours is one that keeps the reader wanting to know more.
Professional printing will make your front and back covers pop with readable text and high-quality color resolution. For the best in full-color printing and customer service, contact Dazzle Printing.
