How to Design the Back Cover of a Book

A good front cover will ideally cause a reader to pick up a book, but a good back cover will make them want to actually open the book and start reading. This is because good back cover copy contains just enough information to seize a reader’s attention and stir their curiosity. It does this with smart design—from typeface to color scheme—and with just enough text to hook a potential customer.

The back cover text of a book communicates what potential readers can expect from the book. Think of your back book cover as the written equivalent of a movie trailer: You’re giving your target audience a hint of what you have in store for them, and if it’s sufficiently hooky and eye-catching, you might just make a sale.

As you plan your book design, here are some things to feature on the back of your book:

1. 1. Your author bio: This should include some personal details, information about awards you’ve received, and references to your other written work. Err on the side of brevity. First-time self-published authors can make the mistake of using their bio to recount their full resume. This comes off as unintentionally desperate. Published authors will tell you that when it comes to self-description, you should adhere to the rule that less is more.
2. 2. A book blurb: Your blurb should offer a description of what’s inside, often including a quote or an ultra-brief excerpt. Consider structuring your blurb as an introduction to your main character (i.e. “Meet Jack Ryan…”). It’s a good book marketing strategy to tease out the contents of your novel or non-fiction book in the blurb, without leaking any spoilers that would dampen the reading experience.
3. 3. A tagline: Unless your book is a work of literary fiction—ie. the type of reading assigned in high school and college English courses—you’ll often benefit from having a tagline in addition to the other written elements on a back cover. A tagline could be a short, pithy book description, shorter than your back cover blurb.
4. 4. Words of praise: If you have them, include quotes from published authors or excerpts from book reviews that attest to your book’s merits.
5. 5. Important information: You’ll need to include a barcode on the back of your book that includes an ISBN number and a price code. You’ll also need the name of the publisher and a suggested retail price.

The fact is that the cover of your book can have a tangible effect on book sales and, accordingly, a book’s success overall. Undoubtedly you’ve already put forth a massive effort to write a great book, so give this final step the attention it deserves. Remember the goal is to draw in audiences and inspire them to start reading what’s inside that beautiful cover you’ve designed.

Here are some tips to consider when designing the back cover of your book:

1. 1. Hire a professional. One of the best investments you can make in your own book marketing is to hire a professional designer to help you craft the perfect book cover. Book designers are visual layout artists, and like any good graphic designer, they pay equal attention to form and function.
2. 2. Keep it simple. If your back cover looks intentional and well-organized, that reflects positively on you, the author. As a general rule, you don’t want your back cover design to appear cluttered. Even if your front cover image fills every last centimeter of blank space, a professional designer will likely steer you toward a more minimal, economical back cover design.
3. 3. Use a template. Many indie authors can’t afford the expense of professional book designers, and must, therefore, employ a DIY approach to their cover design. There are plenty of websites to get you started, and home software like Adobe Photoshop can make image and text editing fairly painless.

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