Readers really do judge books by their covers. That is what your cover is designed to do – communicate the value of all of the great material in between. Keep this in mind when developing your back cover copy and make sure it’s professionally drafted by your self-publishing provider – this is marketing writing; artistic writing.
The BACK COVER COPY is restricted by the size of the book’s back cover. Ideally, the size of the cover should be taken into account when composing the back cover copy to ensure the ultimate balance between font size and aesthetics. You don’t want too much copy so as to require an illegibly small font. You also don’t want too little copy, leaving big empty spaces on the back cover. There are three main components to the back cover copy: 1) the headline, 2) the synopsis or marketing copy, and 3) the author biography. There may also be quotes, cover blurbs, or other testimonials about either the book or the author. In some cases, these cover blurbs may justify more exposure than the summary of the book. Ultimately, the entire back copy should be composed with the goal of getting a browser to become a buyer. Bullet point and numbered lists are good, effective elements of back cover copy for non-fiction books. Cover copy for fiction books should demonstrate highly effective prose.
Have fun and keep writing.
– Karl Schroeder
Self Publishing Advisor 