Check out selected results from nypl title quest 2019, held august 2, 2019, as well as title quest 2018. Nov 22, 2017 finding a book when youve forgotten its title by gwen glazer, communicationsnovember 22, 2017. A front cover will often be the first thing a reader will see when they stumble across your book and possibly the only thing youve needed so far, if youve. There are nine things every nonfiction book cover must include in order to generate appeal and interest, and to make your book an effective marketing tool for your business. John boltons book named room where it happened, after. For novels, a back cover text or teaser that gives a hint of the story in an attractive way. Blurbs are what sell your book when your front cover has attracted prospective readers enough to click on the novel from a huge list of options. In this video, well share with you five important tips to keep in mind when submitting your ideas for the design of your cover. This is a good place to start your search for your next book.
Youll want it to have a design that grabs their attention and portrays an accurate idea of what your book is about. The back of a book cover is called different things, but the back matter on the cover is really important no matter what you call it. A streetcar named desire by tennessee williams, paperback. Your cover design is the front line of advertising for your book, a key marketing tool to sell your product. Note the front cover, back cover, spine, layout, picture, fonts, and other elements of. See more ideas about cover, book cover design and cover design.
Sometimes its called book jacket copy or back cover copy. The words synopsis or summary mean to summarize the entire plot, whereas blurb specifically means a description for a book or movie or the likes that it is intended for promotional purposes. It may be written by the author or publisher or quote praise from others. Our friends at bookbub carried out an a b test in which they sent group a a book description with a testimonial and group b a version without a testimonial. Sep 25, 20 at wise ink, we believe that one of the most important things we do is help indie authors put their best foot forward when marketing and selling their book. It showed the loyal friend following the assassin looking dude in a turban holding what looked like a laser rifle.
What is the summary written on the cover at the back of a book called. Above the list, speak directly to the readers, and give them the primary reason why they should read your book. Quite often the back of the book will include pages from the authors next novel a teaser to inspire you to buy the next book too. Nonfiction back cover copy for nonfiction, establishing yourself as an expert and differentiating your book from the others written about the same topic will help sell your book.
The summary that appears on the back cover or the inside of the dust jacket of a hard cover book is called a synopsis. The easiest way to bring the art into your full print cover template, is to make the front, spine and back art unique, 1 piece layers, without the text. It is a brief description of a book and book plot that should immediately attract the attention of your readers. Oct 26, 2018 the back of a book cover is the perfect place to put this social proof. 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. Back cover copy is the blurb on the back of a book. A blurb is a short promotional piece accompanying a piece of creative work. Most run several paragraphs, but some publishers want them shorter or in a special format so be sure to check with your publishers guidelines before you begin work. May 17, 20 every author knows the importance of a welldesigned book cover can never be overstated. Some informative blog posts have addressed techniques for creating an effective front cover, but an often overlooked aspect of book cover design is the back of the book.
Below are a few examples of back cover copy for fiction. Its not every day you run into someone whose specialty is back cover copy for your book. Aug 17, 2010 since a book cover is so significant in your books success, you have to squeeze all the power you can from the things you include on it. Summary and synopsis are also used but, in my experience, are used only in. How to write kickbutt bcc back cover copy the wise ink blog. A hard cover book is usually a book that has a hard cover. What is the writing on the back cover of a book called. How to find that book youve spent years looking for utne.
The first book cover was the 3 people on horseback or walking. Once a reader has flipped the book over to read the back cover, its safe to assume you have their attention. This is an update of a previous post by sharon rickson. Our friends at bookbub carried out an ab test in which they sent group a a book description with a testimonial and group b a version without a testimonial. Book s intended audience anything else you remember about the title, author, illustrations, cover, characters, setting, binding, or size of book its easier for members to read your message if you use standard spelling, capitalization, and punctuation, along with breaking longer sections into paragraphs. For nonfiction, establishing yourself as an expert and differentiating your book from the others written about the same. The back cover copy you write for your book is among the most important marketing messages youll craft. Book design is the art of incorporating the content, style, format, design, and sequence of the various components and elements of a book into a coherent unit.
I really suggest you go on a field trip to a bookstore for this exercise. A child called it is a real life story of the indomitable human spirit told through the eyes of a childwho will pay any price in order to succeed. It can be tough to remember the title and author of a book you read a long time ago. How to design the front and back covers of your book. However, moments after being engaged by your cover, readers are going to flip your book over to read the back cover. The front cover is the first of the physical parts of a book. Nine things that need to be on your book cover alicia dunams.
Other times the back of the book gives information about the type and graphic design, or a short. Nov 22, 2017 the first book cover was the 3 people on horseback or walking. In your new mindset you will see in a few minutes why you need to provide categories on your book. An index is an optional but highly desirable element for nonfiction works. When you hear about authors being asked to blurb a book, its this endorsement theyve been asked to provide. Unlike traditional publishing, selfpublishing requires the author to produce a book cover design.
For novels, the novel title in large letters, author name, tagline and symbol of publisher in corner back cover also called lower cover contents may usually be. According to john gall, art director for vintage and anchor books, many authors find. You might ask, does the back of the book even matter. But once that reader picks up your book and flips to your back cover, this is your chance to sell your book. Engaging front and back covers can entice a reader to pick up the book, but poorly designed covers can cause readers to pass it by.
Nov 15, 20 it goes without saying that the cover of your book is key. Sophie, ive been writing back cover copy and catalog copy for a publisher for thirteen years, nearly 2,000 books, both nonfiction and fiction. How to build the back of a book cover with template reedsy blog. Wondering what the back of a book cover is called and why its so important, then this is the article for you. Book cover design is comprised of text and images that conveys a single message. It is a brief description of a book and book plot that should immediately attract the attention of your. You already know that, in fact, everyone does judge a book by its cover. Finding a book when youve forgotten its title by gwen glazer, communicationsnovember 22, 2017. Sinclair wrote the novel to portray the harsh conditions and exploited lives of immigrants in the united states in chicago and similar industrialized cities. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Most often seen in nonfiction like a biography or an academic text, a bibliography lists the references and sources used in researching or reporting the book.
You want to look at the bookstore in a new way, as a publisher. The name and term stuck for any publishers contents on a books back cover, even after the. What is the name of a summary at the back of a book answers. This should be broader in scope than the reasons you put in your bulleted list. Its called a blurb and it isnt in the back of the book, its on the back cover of the book, on the outside. John boltons book named room where it happened, after hamilton anthem of corruption. This is one of the most important pieces of copy youll write, since it has a lot of work to do representing your book and showing people whats unique, interesting, or especially. The summary on the back cover of the book is called blurb. A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a book s contents. One way you can help them is by printing the principal category the book belongs in on the back 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.
Its design matches the front endpaper and, in accordance with it, contains either plain paper or pattern, image etc. Finding a book when youve forgotten its title the new. How to create a back book cover blurb that sells kindlepreneur. Faith, expectations, and a little girl named penny amy julia becker an honest, hopeful look at unexpected challenges challenging surprises often lead to unexpected joy.
Nov 18, 2016 im a published novelist, and i participate in several writing groups and online communities. The description on the back cover of a book is called different things. Testimonials are incredibly persuasive in transforming potential readers into readers. The cover of your book is important because its the first thing a reader sees. Optional elements include the subtitle if there is one and photos, background images or graphics. The pages at the beginning and end of a book are called the endpapers or the. Blurb distinct from the back book cover blurb is this 12 line endorsement of a book by a celebrity or another author that sits on the book s front cover. In the words of renowned typographer jan tschichold 19021974, book design, though largely forgotten today, relies upon methods and rules upon which it is impossible to improve, and which have been. After the book title and front cover, the back cover is the next thing readers look at when deciding whether to make a purchase. Read this book back in high school and when i went to recommend it for someone else it was gone, anyways all i can remember is a scene where the main characters, a group of teenagers are sitting in a basement with candles and the cover might be like a purply maroon color.
How to write a back cover book synopsis pen and the pad. Books intended audience anything else you remember about the title, author, illustrations, cover, characters, setting, binding, or size of book its easier for members to read your message if you use standard spelling, capitalization, and punctuation, along with breaking longer sections into paragraphs. One way to write this primary reason is to present it as a question. Back cover copy includes the book summary and author bio.
But when it comes to the back cover of their printed book, many new. The jungle is a 1906 novel by the american journalist and novelist upton sinclair 18781968. Regardless where you choose to put it, your photograph should always be included somewhere on the front or back cover of your book. Finding a book when youve forgotten its title the new york. The back cover often contains biographical matter about the author or editor, and quotes from other sources praising the book. Amy julia opens eyes and softens hearts as she brings readers into her own story of disappointment turned to blessing. The title is a little cliche or hokey but when you combine all of the associating factors its hitting the nail right on the head.
This is all great advice, not just for the back cover but also for query letters, website copy, etc. Learn how to write a back book cover blurb that not only intrigues readers but gets. Blurbs were originally printed on the back or rear dustjacket of a book, and. See if you can pin what works well in this description, and that would work as a killer pitch. A child called it, written 1995, is a firsthand account of the abuse pelzer suffered from the ages of 4 to 12, at the hands of his alcoholic mother. Tennessee williams 19111983 is the acclaimed author of many books of letters, short stories, poems, essays, and a large collection of plays, including the glass menagerie, a streetcar named desire, camino real, cat on a hot tin roof, orpheus descending, the night of the iguana, and the rose tattoo.
Ill say it impossible, without examining dust jackets from successful novels, that is. Writers use the term blurb to describe the text on the back of the book. Book cover or book board the front and back covers of books are often referred to as book covers or book boards as they are often made of bookbinding board and cover the book. A soft back book also known as a paperback however is very flimsy, and breaks easily. The back of a book cover is the perfect place to put this social proof. Aug 07, 2008 the front of the book is defined by the cover that the reader opens the back is the side opposite the front the head is the top of the book when it is held to be read the tail is the bottom. Joint the joint of a book is the small groove which runs vertically down the book itself between the book boards book cover and the spine. The front of the book is defined by the cover that the reader opens the back is the side opposite the front the head is the top of the. What are the things on the back of the book called. The hard front and back covers of a book are called the boards. The glossary is a list of term definitions used throughout the book that might be unfamiliar to the reader. Im a published novelist, and i participate in several writing groups and online communities. So far, weve blogged about how to discover your books brand, how to craft a professional author bio, how to hook people you talk to on the concept of your book, and even how to become a marketing expert in just a few steps.
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. It helps readers connect with you and gives them that personal feeling of knowing you. An honest, hopeful look at unexpected challenges challenging surprises often lead to unexpected joy. At age 12 dave was finally rescued and placed in a series of foster homes until he enlisted in the u. How to build the back of a book cover with template. Joint the joint of a book is the small groove which runs vertically down the book itself between the book boards book cover and the. Jan 27, 2020 john boltons book named room where it happened, after hamilton anthem of corruption. His primary purpose in describing the meat industry and its working conditions was to advance socialism in the united states. Back cover definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Its why ive pulled the back cover for mitch alboms the five people you meet in heaven for us to examine. You also know that you have only two or three seconds to attract a potential reader with your front cover. The back cover is the second most important book marketing tool on the book. Just be careful of how and what you put on your back cover and how you organize it.
Take a look at the walmart books best sellers section. If youve already made an ebook front cover using my templates, youll have to adjust the text a bit, because now you have extra margins on the top, bottom and sides. The next step is grabbing the readers interest with a tempting back cover synopsis that leaves her guessing. As you can see in this back cover that it is quiet the same as the front cover because it adds balance to whole book visual imagery, at the back there is only visual imagery which the book is clearly about cooking and there is a quote saying the book is brilliant which attract a lot of readers because they like to get different and professional opinion. Besides the blurb there are also some other elements that are included in the back cover of the book. Why you should ignore the superlatives on book jackets. It typically serves as the foundation for your online book descriptions, as well as any press releases or pitches you make to the media. I recall the cover of the second book was a cave like setting with a sad looking girl facing down. His primary purpose in describing the meat industry and its working conditions was to. The essential elements of a front cover include title and author name. It goes without saying that the cover of your book is key.
Five tips for a professional cover design authorhouse. Often people think back cover copy will be easy to write because its short. Aug, 2015 put the bulleted list in the middle of the copy you write for your back cover. While the front of the book cover design is primarily for getting attention and catching the eye, the back covers purpose should increase book sales, or the likelihood of a sale. The book is listed under mysterythriller and romantic suspense and if i were to judge it by its cover i would agree with that assessment. A successful front cover attracts a browsers attention, while back cover content assures the reader a book is worth investing time and money in the literary journey. They keep dirt, water, even oil from damaging the covers of your paperback books. On the inside of the back cover page, extending from the facing page before it, is the endpaper. Jul 31, 2014 my first attempt for a book i enjoyed immensely, but was slightly disappointed with the ending left the editor somewhat cold.
The backcover copy also functions as the primary ad for your book. Not only will it appear on the book itself, but youll probably use it as your amazon description. Put the bulleted list in the middle of the copy you write for your back cover. Its the essence of your books most exciting features, distilled into a few hundred words. Then the girl out front kind of on a mountain edge. Apr 28, 2016 the back cover copy you write for your book is among the most important marketing messages youll craft. The most important is the cover illustrationdesign. What is the summary written on the cover at the back of a. Youll find modern classics such as game of thrones or the harry potter books and books that are the basis for movies such as a wrinkle in time. Paperback book covers clear protective book covers.
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