Back Cover Copywriting & Editing

What is back cover copy?

Back cover copy, also known as book jacket copy, is the introductory text found on the back cover of a printed book and its online sales pages. It may include a short synopsis (book description), extracts of book reviews, a punchy tagline, and an author bio.

For self-publishing authors, back cover copy is a major marketing tool. Readers do literally judge a book by its cover. An irresistible book description is a gateway to new readers and future fans. A lacklustre description, on the other hand, turns readers away before they’ve even reached page one.

There’s an art to crafting compelling back cover copy, which is first and foremost a sales pitch. You have only a few moments of a browsing reader’s attention to persuade them that this book is the shiniest one on the shelf. An excellent pitch captures your book’s essence and flaunts its merits in under two hundred words. (Beware the long-winded book description, which is a sign of a long-winded author.)

Should Back Cover Copywriting/Editing?

If the idea of writing marketing selling your book sounds a bit icky or you , hiring a professional to write or edit your back cover copy is a good idea. Ideally, the person writing or editing your back cover copy has read your book and is intimately familiar with the contents.

I provide these services for authors whose book I have

Back Cover Copywriting includes:

☑ A concise synopsis of your story designed to entice the reader(max 200 words)

☑ A short and sweet author bio based on your answers to a brief questionnaire

☑ One round of revisions that incorporates your feedback

Back Cover Editing includes:

☑ Two rounds of editing of your book description/synopsis, tagline (if you have one), blurbs/review extracts, and author bio

☑ Substantive feedback to guide your revisions (e.g., flagging a muddled premise, an ambiguously defined central conflict, too much or too little background information, missing character motivations, or unclear stakes; suggestions to shift the focus away from less relevant plot points; recommendations to spotlight key themes or selling points…)

☑ Confirmation of whether your revisions have hit the mark, with further recommendations if helpful

☑ Line and copy editing to polish your written expression (e.g., re-ordering paragraphs for clarity; omitting extraneous material; tightening wordy sentences; suggesting stronger word choices; revising awkward turns of phrase, correcting errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation…)