5 Tips to Write Your Book’s Back Cover Copy
I see it all the time … an author has finished the book and they’re so excited to be “done” and published, they give exactly half a minute’s thought to one of the most critical pieces: the back cover copy.
I get it. You’ve invested a lot in writing the book and now that it’s time to publish it, the last thing you want to think about is MORE writing. Let alone this critical piece of marketing.
Deep breath, my friend. Writing your book’s back cover copy doesn’t have to be horrible. (But it does have to be done!)
So, just how do you write your book’s back cover copy? Here are five tips:
1. It’s MARKETING copy!
Nobody cares that you spent 3,000 hours writing the book! They want to know what they’re getting. So you need to tell them what’s in it for them – what transformation are they getting.
Think of it as marketing copy that might appear on your website for your opt-in gift: it touches their pain and promises to solve it. The copy wants to convince the readers to pick up the book, buy it, and READ it. Focus on the benefits!
2. Every word of the back cover copy has to pull its weight
How much real estate you have on your back cover is going to depend on all the OTHER stuff that goes on your book’s back cover, as well as your book’s trim size. My suggestion is to write MORE than you could possibly fit and then edit it down to something tightly written and punchy.
You want every single word to count. But trust me, it’s way easier to cut it down to fit than it is to agonize over every word on a super-short piece and then try to add to it when it doesn’t look good on the cover. Keep Reading!