book reviews back cover

Back cover design: A guide to creating an effective book cover

1 February 2024

Magda Wojcik

The back cover of a book is the outer surface on the opposite side of the front cover. Its primary function is to provide a brief summary of the book, author information, endorsements and other relevant details to attract potential readers and give them a glimpse of the content before they decide to purchase or read the book.

But it is not just about including these elements; it is about creating an informative and engaging back cover that stands out. In this blog post, we’ll explore the components of a back cover with examples from bestselling fiction and non-fiction books, design and accessibility considerations, free back cover templates, and the role of editing services.

So whether you are an author looking to design your back cover or a reader interested in understanding the elements of a back cover, read on to learn all you need to know.

What does a book back cover consist of?

The back cover usually consists of the following elements:

• endorsements and reviews
• ISBN, barcode and publisher’s details .

They may not necessarily all appear on the back cover. For instance, the cover may not include the author’s bio if they are famous because readers may already be familiar with their name, publications and achievements. Later in this article, you can see back cover templates , which illustrate this point.

Now, let’s delve into the elements of the book back cover in more detail.

A tagline on the back cover is a catchy and memorable phrase that encapsulates the book’s essence. It often reinforces the main theme or draws attention to a key aspect.

To write a compelling book back cover tagline:

• Capture essence : Distil your book’s core theme or message into a few words.
• Invoke curiosity : Create intrigue by posing a question, using wordplay or hinting at a mystery.
• Be concise : Keep it extremely brief, typically one to two sentences.
• Continue in the blurb : create a sense of mystery, urgency and engagement that will be further explored in the blurb.

A  book blurb  on the back cover is a concise and engaging summary of the book’s content. It is usually written to capture the reader’s interest and provide a sneak peek into the storyline.

To write an effective book back cover blurb:

• Hook the reader : Start with a compelling hook or question to capture immediate interest.
• Introduce the core : Briefly introduce the main character and the central conflict to establish the story’s core elements of the fiction book. For a non-fiction book, explain the main discoveries and arguments.
• Highlight importance : Convey what is at stake to create a sense of urgency. This may include what the protagonist stands to lose/experience or how the discoveries enclosed in the book can improve the reader’s life.
• Avoid spoilers : Provide enough information to generate curiosity without giving away crucial plot twists or spoilers.
• End with a call-to-action : Conclude with a call-to-action that encourages readers to delve into the book to uncover the full narrative or findings.
• Be brief : Aim for around 150 to 250 words.
• Create continuity : Develop further the sense of mystery started in the tagline.

An effective fiction book blurb example

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

EVERY DAY THE SAME Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost. UNTIL TODAY And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

This blurb is effective because it:

• creates an intriguing routine
• introduces key characters and their seemingly perfect lives
• promises a significant and shocking event (‘UNTIL TODAY’)
• raises questions about the protagonist’s reliability
• implies complications and consequences, building suspense and interest.

An effective non-fiction book blurb example

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

FIRE gave us power

FARMING made us hungry for more

MONEY gave us purpose

SCIENCE made us deadly

This is the thrilling account of our extraordinary history — from insignificant apes to rulers of the world.

This book blurb is effective because it:

• distils complex historical themes into four concise elements
• uses impactful words (FIRE, FARMING, MONEY, SCIENCE) to symbolise key developments
• creates a dynamic narrative flow of human history
• concludes with a bold statement.

Endorsements and reviews

Back covers often include endorsements from notable individuals or excerpts from reviews that highlight positive feedback about the book. Any awards or accolades received may also be mentioned.

Good reviews or endorsements on a book’s back cover should contain the following elements to be effective:

• Specific praise : Highlight specific aspects of the book that stood out, such as writing style, character development, plot twists or thematic depth.
• Relevance to target audience : Express how the book will resonate with the target audience, indicating the genre or themes that make it compelling for certain readers.
• Credibility of the reviewer : If the reviewer is well-known or has expertise in a relevant field, mention their credentials to enhance credibility.
• Brief and impactful : Keep the review concise, focusing on the most compelling points to capture attention quickly.
• Call to action : Encourage the readers to buy and read the book by creating a sense of urgency or importance.

Examples of impactful endorsements and reviews

‘You don’t know how much you need this book. It will change your life.’ — Melissa Hartwig Urban about  Quit Like a Woman  by Holly Whitaker

‘Interesting and provocative … It gives you a sense of perspective on how briefly we’ve been on this Earth.’ — Barack Obama about  Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind  by Yuval Noah Harari

‘A fantasy like you’ve never read before.’ — #1NYT bestselling author Jennifer Armentrout about  Iron Flame  by Rebecca Yarros

‘Smart and sharp. Fast-paced and twisty.’ — Megan Miranda, author of  The Only Survivors  about  First Lie Wins  by Ashley Elston

The author bio found on the back cover includes information about the author, including a brief biography, a photo, and details about other books they have written. This helps readers understand the author’s background and explore additional works. Moreover, it illustrates the author’s credibility and authority in the topic of the book.

Examples of effective author bios

Fairy Tale  by Stephen King

Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes Silly Summers, If It Bleeds, The Institute, The Outsider, and Sleeping Beauties (cowritten with his son Owen King). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by the New York Times Book Review. He is the recipient of the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist, Tabitha King .

This author bio is effective because it:

• highlights King’s extensive bibliography and success as a worldwide bestselling author, establishing credibility
• mentions recent publications, showcasing the author’s continued work and relevance
• includes prestigious awards and honours
• adds a personal touch by mentioning his residence and family, providing readers with a glimpse into the author’s life.

The Psychology of Money  by Morgan Housel

Morgan Housel is a partner at The Collaborative Fund and a former columnist at The Motley Fool and The Wall Street Journal. He is a two-time winner of the Best in Business Award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, winner of the New York Times Sidney Award, and a two-time finalist for the Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism.

• showcases multiple awards, emphasising the Housel’s excellence in business and financial journalism
• established professional credibility by highlighting author’s background as a writer for reputable and relevant magazines.

ISBN, barcode and publisher’s details

Finally, the back cover contains the three important elements associated with retail. First, the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) uniquely identifies the book, which is helpful for bookstores, warehouses and libraries storing the book. Next, the barcode is scannable for retail purposes. Last, publisher details provide information about the entity responsible for publishing the book, including the name and logo of the publisher or press.

International Standard Book Number (ISBN)

ISBN is a unique thirteen-digit book identifier assigned to each edition of the book. In other words, an eBook, audiobook, hardcover and paperback edition of the same book will have different ISBNs.

How to obtain an ISBN?

Each country has a different ISBN issuer, but they are all overseen by the  International ISBN Agency , which introduced ISBN in 1970. You can contact the ISBN provider from your country online. Some offer ISBNs for free, and others sell ISBNs in packs of one, ten, hundred, or a thousand. For instance, in the UK, USA and Australia, ISBN providers sell with prices decreasing the larger the package. On the other hand, in New Zealand, South Africa and Canada, self-publishing writers and publishers can obtain ISBNs for free.

Note that print-on-demand (POD) platforms like  Amazon KDP ,  Ingram Sparks  and  Lulu  provide their free versions of ISBNs but with a caveat. If you choose their identifiers instead of the officially recognised ISBNs often, they will limit where you can sell your book.

Like ISBN, a barcode is necessary for books that will be sold. Barcodes can be obtained for free. For instance, you can try the Online Barcode Generator to get a free barcode for your back cover. POD platforms like Amazon KDP , IngramSpark and Lulu also provide them for free with their cover templates.

How to design a back cover?

Here are some key considerations when designing a back cover of a book.

• Function over flair : Prioritise conveying essential information like the blurb, author details, and ISBN over excessive design elements. Avoid clutter, and leave ample white space for a clean and organised look.
• Look at other books in the same genre : Analyse successful books in your genre to understand design trends and audience expectations. This helps your book fit in while also standing out.
• Use style to tell a story : Align the back cover design with the book’s tone and content. The design should offer a glimpse into the narrative or themes, creating a cohesive visual experience.
• Match the front cover : Ensure consistency between the front and back covers. The design elements, colour scheme and typography should complement each other, presenting a unified visual identity.
• DIY vs hiring somebody : Consider your design skills and the complexity of your vision. If confident, DIY may be cost-effective. However, hiring a professional designer can ensure a polished and effective result. To DIY a book cover, try one of the automated tools, such as  Canva’s Magic Studio ,  Midjourney AI ,  Adobe Firefly  or  Microsoft Design .

How to incorporate accessibility into a back cover design?

Accessibility in the context of  book cover design  refers to creating covers that are inclusive and can be easily understood, navigated, and appreciated by individuals with diverse abilities. This includes considerations for people with visual, cognitive, or motor impairments. Designing with accessibility in mind ensures that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can access and engage with the book cover content.

Key aspects of accessibility in book cover design may involve:

• Contrast and legibility : Ensure there is sufficient contrast between text and background colours to aid readability. High contrast is especially important for readers with visual impairments.
• Font size and style : Choose a clear and legible font with a size that is easily readable, even for those with visual impairments. For instance, Arial, Comic Sans, Verdana, Tahoma, Century Gothic, Trebuchet, Calibri and Open Sans typefaces are more accessible.
• Alternative text for images : If your back cover includes images, provide alternative text (alt text) for each image. Alt text is crucial for individuals using screen readers to understand the visual elements.
• Readability in various formats : Ensure that the back cover is readable in different formats, including print and digital. Digital versions should maintain readability when viewed on various devices and screen sizes.
• Consider readers with colour blindness : Be mindful of colour choices, as some readers may have colour vision deficiencies. Avoid relying solely on colour to convey important information. Also, avoid combining red and green and instead try blue and red (or orange and yellow combination). Finally, use highly contrasting colours and play with the dark/light saturation to make the contrast more pronounced.
• Readable layout : Organising information in a clear and logical manner, allowing easy navigation for individuals with cognitive or attention-related challenges.

How can editing services help elevate a back cover?

There are several benefits of using professional editing services when designing a book back cover. For instance, thorough proofreading can catch any typos, spelling errors or formatting issues, maintaining a polished and error-free appearance. Likewise, copyediting can help ensure consistency with the front cover, the book’s content and other books in the series. Here are some other examples of how editing services can help in a back cover design:

• Clarity and conciseness : Editors ensure the back cover text is clear, concise and effectively communicates the book’s essence, helping readers quickly understand the content.
• Grammar and language : Editing services correct grammar, syntax and language issues to present a polished and professional back cover, enhancing the overall impression of the book.
• Target audience appeal : Editors assess the language and tone to ensure it resonates with the target audience, maximising the back cover’s impact on potential readers.
• Consistency with content : Editors help align the back cover text with the book’s content, ensuring accuracy and coherence in presenting the narrative, genre or themes.
• Feedback on blurb effectiveness : Professionals can provide feedback on the effectiveness of the blurb, suggesting improvements to make it more engaging, intriguing and aligned with market expectations.

Back cover templates

Here are four free back cover templates for your inspiration.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, creating an impactful back cover is essential to presenting a book to potential readers. This comprehensive guide has explored the crucial elements of an engaging back cover, ranging from taglines and blurbs to endorsements, author bios and technical details like ISBN and barcode. Remember, the back cover serves as a gateway to the world within the book, enticing readers with a glimpse of the content. By carefully considering design and accessibility and utilising editing services, authors can elevate their back covers to effectively connect with their target audience and make a lasting impression. 

I am an  experienced editor  working with non-fiction, academic and business books. If you need a second pair of eyes,  proofreading  and  editing  the text selected for the back cover or preparing your manuscript for publication, contact me for a  free sample edit  (and remember to use my  early bird discount ).

I'm a freelance editor and indexer with a PhD in literary history. I work with non-fiction, academic and business texts.

Memberships

Incorporated in England and Wales. Company number: 10809565. Registered office: 124 City Road, London, England, EC1V 2NX

© MWEditing 2023

Kindlepreneur

Book Marketing for Self-Publishing Authors

Home / Cover Design / How to Create a Back-Cover Blurb that Sells

How to Create a Back-Cover Blurb that Sells

We all know how important our book’s title and cover  are when it comes to grabbing a reader’s attention and drawing them in. But, very few readers will ever make a buying decision based on those two elements alone.

What’s usually the deciding factor?

The back of the book cover and blurb of course.

Something, ironically, every author I know hates writing.

• What a back book cover blurb is and what it isn't
• Explanations and back book cover Examples for both fiction and nonfiction
• Steps to writing your own back book blurb and back cover copy

This is a guest post by the talented author and editor, Kelly Exeter of  Swish Publishing .

Table of Contents

Podcast episode – crafting a winning book description.

• Why Do Self-Publishers on Amazon Care?
• 1. Give the reader what they expect
• 2. Put yourself in the reader’s shoes
• 3. Keep it short
• 4. Make it scannable
• 5. Don’t tell the reader everything
• 6. Nail that first line (or two)
• A base template for FICTION blurb writing
• A base template for NON-FICTION blurb writing

What Is a Back Book Cover Blurb?

Before we get into why most authors hate writing their back book cover blurb, let’s clarify what it actually is.

In a nutshell, it’s the 200 odd words on the back cover of your book that describes the book to the reader. These words, if written well, will hook the reader and convince them they need to buy your book.

Which means, they’re effectively a sales pitch.

Now you’re seeing why most authors find them so hard to write.  Never fear, we will help with that today.

Side note: Another element on the back of the book is your bar code. Go here to get one custom made for you.

But first, I want to quickly clarify some terms you might equate with a back book blurb (but shouldn’t because they represent different parts of a book ).

• Synopsis – this is a detailed outline of the book that covers all the major points. It’s usually geared towards selling the book idea to an editor or publisher (not a reader).
• Blurb – distinct from the ‘back-cover blurb’ is this 1-2 line endorsement of a book by a celebrity or another author that sits on the book’s front cover. When you hear about authors being asked to ‘blurb’ a book, it’s this endorsement they’ve been asked to provide.
• Reviews – these are effectively longer versions of author endorsement blurbs, or short excerpts of book reviews by significant publications (like the New York Times ). These are often placed on the back cover of a book along with the back book blurb. They act like testimonials for the book.
• Book Description – these are the words that accompany your book’s listing on online sites like Amazon and Book Depository. The book description will often include the back book blurb text plus endorsements and reviews (much like the entire back cover of a book). If you don’t have a print version of your book and it’s only sold online, everything in this article about back book blurbs can be applied to your book description in online listings.

For two simple reasons, Self publishers on Amazon should care about their back book cover blurb because:

• If you publish on KDP Print or IngramSpark, you're going to need a back book cover design
• Because now, Amazon allows people to see the back of books on the book sales page

That last one is pretty big!

Book Marketing Made Simple

Over 47,000+ authors, NYT bestsellers, and publishing companies use Publisher Rocket to gain key insight to the market.  Help your book now

How to Create a Back of the Book Cover Blurb that Sells

As already noted, writing a back book blurb is a marketing exercise . This means all the focus needs to be on the potential reader – their needs and expectations. Here are six rules to be mindful of before you put pen to paper on your back book cover blurb.

It’s so tempting to think “If everyone is doing x and I do y, then I’ll stand out from the crowd.” And sure, this works for a lot of things. Not with back book cover blurbs though. If you’ve written a non-fiction business book and your back blurb reads like a thriller novel, the reader is going to be very confused.

Do you know what confused readers do?

They put books back on the shelf or click on to the next Amazon book.

Before writing your back book blurb, choose 3-5 of the bestselling books in your genre and make a note of stylistic similarities. Then ensure you incorporate them into your back book jacket blurb.

This can be really hard for authors. We get so caught up in delivering an enthralling story or a big idea, we forget who we’re writing for. And we forget why someone would actually want to read our book. Remember:

Fiction readers are looking for entertainment and escapism.

Here’s the book blurb for Stephanie Myers’ Twilight :

“About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him – and I didn't know how dominant that part might be – that thirsted for my blood. Third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.”

Regardless of whether or not you're a Twilight fan or not, that is a CAPTIVATING back cover blurb.

Non-fiction readers have a problem that needs to be solved.

Tony Robbins’ Unshakeable book blurb makes it very clear that if financial instability is a problem for you, his book can solve it.  Plus, in an ever crowded publishing world, Tony's blurb also proves why he's the writer to do just that:

“From the man who brought you one of the bestselling investment books of the decade comes a playbook to help millions of people achieve financial freedom.

After interviewing fifty of the world's greatest financial minds, and penning the #1 New York Times bestseller Money: Master the Game, Tony Robbins returns with a step-by-step playbook, taking you on a journey to transform your financial life and accelerate your path to financial freedom.”

250 words is a good ceiling for a good blurb. If you need more words than that to ‘sell’ your book, fiction or non-fiction, you might be in a bit of trouble!

Remember that a book description is not a summary of your book, it's a form of sales copy. The goal is to get people to want to find out more, not explain everything that happens.

For fiction, use short paragraphs. Note how Twilight  has its sentences laid out:

For non-fiction, bullet points are great. Here's a back book cover example for Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad:

Remember, a book blurb is not a synopsis. You need to make a strong promise to the reader (“I can help you,” “I will entertain you”), but don’t give away the whole story or big idea otherwise the reader has no reason to … read!

Oh boy. If the first few lines of a book’s blurb don't grab you, that doesn’t bode well for the rest of the book, does it? Here are some great ‘first line’ techniques:

Ask a question

Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles? (Marie Kondo, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up .)

Set a scene

At first sight, Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet, a curmudgeon with staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People think him bitter, and he thinks himself surrounded by idiots. (Fredrik Backman,  A Man Called Ove .)

Speak directly to the reader’s problems

Entrepreneurs often suffer from the misconception that to be successful, they must do everything themselves. (Chris Ducker,  Virtual Freedom .)

Make a promise

Fitness, money and wisdom – here are the tools. (Tim Ferriss,  Tools of Titans .)

7. Include an Author Bio (Optional)

Many books have author bios and a profile picture attached. These are just a few short words that capture the readers attention. It's a great place for nonfiction authors to show off their credentials. But they aren't required, especially for fiction authors.

Steps to writing your back book blurb

Once you’ve taken in all of the above and gotten a feel for the promise you want to make to the reader, use the outlines below to write your book cover blurb.

Need Help with Your Keywords?

Take my full featured video course on how to select the best keywords and categories for your book.

Beth Bacon, an award-winning author and marketer, suggests this formula for writing a fiction book blurb:

• Situation .  Briefly, describe the circumstances of the story.
• Problem . Next write about the situation or hitch that makes change inevitable.
• Hopeful Possibility .  Here you provide the hope of overcoming the crisis. This is the cool main character or long shot possibility that gives hope that the difficult problem can be overcome.
• Mood .  This part describes the emotional state that readers will have from reading your story.  Example phrases include: “dark, dystopian tragedy”, “humorous chick lit cotton candy”, or “suspenseful, romantic and awash in…magic”.

Here’s a back book blurb example for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone ticking all the boxes above:

“Till now there's been no magic for Harry Potter. He lives with the miserable Dursleys and their abominable son, Dudley. Harry's room is a tiny closet beneath the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.

But then a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And there he finds not only friends, flying sports on broomsticks, and magic in everything from classes to meals, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him … if Harry can survive the encounter.”

This is a formula I’ve developed over the course of three non-fiction books of my own, and it’s served me well:

• Introduce the problem
• Outline how you propose to solve it (bullet points are good)
• Tell the reader how their lives will be better after reading your book

Here's a back book cover copy example of Jen Sincero’s You Are a Badass follows this formula:

“You Are a Badass is the self-help book for people who desperately want to improve their lives but don't want to get busted doing it.

In a refreshingly entertaining how-to guide … Jen Sincero serves up 27 bite-sized chapters … helping you to:

• Identify and change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that stop you from getting what you want.
• Create a life you totally love. And create it NOW.
• Make some damn money already. The kind you've never made before.

By the end of You Are a Badass , you'll understand why you are how you are, how to love what you can't change, how to change what you don't love, and how to use The Force to kick some serious ass.”

Over to You Now

Remember, the words you use on your back book cover is one of its most important book marketing tools and often the reason a reader will decide to buy your book. While it’s understandable that it’s the last thing you want to write after finalizing your book, it’s worth setting aside a good amount of time to give it the attention it deserves and needs. And while the words are the most important part of your back book blurb, you'll also want to make sure the layout looks nice too so if you use book mockups that show the back of your book, you'll have a front and back book cover that looks seamless, professional, and eye-catching.

Additionally, see this all-inclusive post about writing your book description.

About the Author: Kelly Exeter

Kelly Exeter is the author of three non-fiction books and a passionate editor. Via her Swish Publishing services she works with bloggers, writers and authors to sharpen their message and ensure their big ideas are delivered to the world in a way that best resonates with their target audience.

Dave Chesson

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

• Podcast Episode - Crafting a Winning Book Description

Related Posts

21 best children’s book covers and what makes them great, best book cover software, designers and services, an author’s guide to stock photos for book covers, sell more books on amazon, amazon kindle rankings e-book.

Learn how to rank your Kindle book #1 on Amazon with our collection of time-tested tips and tricks.

Join the community

Join 111,585 other authors who receive weekly emails from us to help them make more money selling books.

• Fiction Cover Design
• Non-Fiction Cover Design
• Illustrated Cover Design
• Premium Cover Design
• Book Covers Redesign
• Audiobook Cover Design
• Kindle Vella Cover Design
• Logo & Branding
• Marketing Materials
• Formatting and Layout
• Author Swag Design

Back Book Cover Design: Everything You Need to Know

There’s a widespread belief that a person spends only 8 seconds looking at the front book cover design.  Moreover, the same goes for the back cover: you have only a few seconds to grab a reader’s attention. This means you need to beat the clock, so let’s get to it. In this blog post, you’ll learn how to compose a killer back book cover design so that a reader ends up being immediately hooked on it. 

Why back book cover design matters

The back cover of a book is an important marketing tool . Think of it as of your sales pitch. 

The information you include there is a primary ad for your book . It should provide a catching description of the book, squeezed in a couple of hundreds words to get the reader’s attention and keep them intrigued.

It’s also a place where you can say a couple of words about yourself. Make it simple, there’s no need to place a whole autobiography here, just a few phrases to summarize your professional work.

Last but not least, you can mention the endorsements and reviews of your book to add some value and credibility to the whole deal. 

However, the back cover of a book is not a place where you should use fancy words or long content. Don’t forget, you should keep it short, clear and focused.   Pretty tricky task and a huge responsibility for the book back cover design, isn’t it?

There’s also a popular misconception that in the online e-book world, there’s no need for a back book cover since nobody will ever see it. 

Not really.

• Amazon now has the so-called “look inside” feature, which allows potential readers to take a sneak peek at the back cover. 
• Kindle posts back covers for paperback editions, and this feature has been receiving a lot of positive reviews from customers. 
• In order to upload your work to KDP Print, IngramSpark or BookBaby you have to include a front cover, spine, and back cover. 

Now when you know about the importance of a back cover in your book cover design , let’s talk about the best practices of its layout. 

We have a lot of amazing examples, so get yourself comfortable and keep reading.

FREE RESOURCE

Everything an indie author should know about book cover design, anatomy of a back book cover .

Take a look at the graph, which explains the back book cover layout.

As you can see the back book cover consists of the following elements:

• Author bio 

Testimonials

Now let’s take a closer look at these items.

In general, the tagline feature gained wide popularity from film ads. Does this sound familiar? 

When you can live forever what do you live for? (Spoiler alert, The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer )

As you might have guessed, tagline is a short, catchy phrase that can be used as an advertising slogan . 

Here are the main characteristics of a tagline:

• reveals the main plot premise or main idea ;
• shows the uniqueness of your book;
• arouses interest or intrigues the reader (for example, asks a provocative question) ;
• should not sound too generalized or use cliches ;
• sounds good, has a beautiful rhythmic structure ;
• contains witty, funny and easy to remember phrase ;
• uses a quote from your book that later on readers can easily recognize;

When coming up with a tagline, you’d better avoid using the title of the book, mentioning character names and composing a phrase longer than 10 words .

Tagline best practices 

Check out some examples of a good tagline with useful tips and explanations.

Blurb is a brief description of a book that should immediately attract the attention of your readers. 

By the way, for e-books, it’s important to optimize the blurb for Amazon and other online retailers, since this book description will be posted on a purchasing page. Also,take into consideration that Amazon displays only the first few lines of the book description.

How can you come up with a catchy blurb that sells ? First of all, aim at your target audience . A secret to a successful blurb is a proper research of the genre and readers’ expectations. That’s the reason why nonfiction and fiction books use different ingredients for their blurb cocktail. 

For non-fiction books a well-done blurb should:

• present a problematic situation that needs to be solved;
• include an immediate solution to that problem (a good trick is to use bullet points here);
• explain what value the reader gets out of it;

For fiction books on the other hand, a blurb might:

• briefly describe the situation , give some hints without revealing the whole story
• start with a hook , one of the most existing plot points or twists
• set up the mood , describe the emotional state the readers might enter
• finish with an intrigue point (might be a rhetorical question or a tense unfinished sentence)

Take a look at these examples of fiction book cover design:

Both nonfiction and fiction books should:

• concentrate on a target audience ;
• be short, aim for 100-200 words;
• avoid cliche phrases;
• be readable ( clear paragraphs for fiction; bullet points for non-fiction);
• use present tense to create a feeling that the reader is getting involved in what is taking place at this very moment;
• avoid superlative tone (never should you ever use all capital letters);

The author bio is a great chance to to talk a bit about yourself and connect with the readers .

Keep in mind that most of the readers will see your biography before they read the book itself, so it can affect their ideas about the contents of your book. It is also recommended to go with the third person when writing the author bio, it sets a more neutral environment for the potential reader rather than a clear self-promotion guide. 

The same target audience rule applies to the author bio as well. Pretty obvious, isn’t it?

Let’s say your book is a science fiction novel set in a galaxy far far away. In this scenario, your author bio should be different from when you’re writing about the best ways to improve your communication skills.

For non-fiction, it is extremely important to demonstrate the author’s competence in the subject. It is one thing if Mr. Nobody or Mrs. Newbie made the collection of recipes, and another thing if the author of the book is an award-winning professional chef.

Highlight what is worth mentioning and hide non-essential details that might affect credibility. 

Oh, and of course…keep it short, approximately 75 words . 

Author bio best practices

Here are some examples of an excellent author bio layout.

Testimonials are positive reviews on your book that come from well-known experts, publications, fellow authors or sometimes readers. 

You should take care of testimonials even before your book is ready to be published. It takes some time to reach your target expert and get them to write a review on your piece of work. So be sure to plan everything .

Having a testimonial on your back book cover is extremely important to establish a so-called “social proof” , which means that the target audience trusts the opinion of someone who vouched for your book. 

Bonus point: A review of the book written by an opinion leader can increase your book sales. 

A great balance would be to gather two or three testimonials . 

Testimonials best practices

We know that this falls into the category of setting the bar too high, but use it as an inspiration for the testimonials.

Let’s Review

As you might have noticed in all of the above examples, it’s perfectly fine to omit some parts when coming up with a back book cover. There are different variations of things you might want to include when writing your back cover copy.

It’s safe to say that unless you have 100 testimonials and are planning to use them, as your key selling point, you’ll definitely want to keep the blurb . Some self-publishing authors prefer to concentrate just on the blurb , and it looks great!

If you have a killer tagline that will make a particularly awesome hook, go for it! There are so many cases when the tagline entered a popular culture easily and became a business card of the book itself.

If your author bio is particularly relevant to this type of book and can serve as a selling point, we highly recommend building your back book cover design around it.

If you have a few good testimonials from well-known people in the industry , then nothing will go wrong if you put them all over the back book cover. Include only testimonials from highly recognized people in the field. If for any reason, you couldn’t reach them, it’s fine to omit this part altogether.

As you can see, there’s a lot of “ifs” when it comes to book back cover design and layout. Just think about it, look through your resources and decide on the excellent back cover for your book!

What do you include in your back book cover design ? Share your ideas in the comment section below.

Congratulations!

From now on you are a member of our community.

Check out your inbox for a fresh email from us!

Related Blog Posts

Books with Sprayed Edges: Examples and Tips

Are you looking to make your book even more appealing to readers? Sprayed edges are...

Access is denied.

Love our blog post?

Check out our book covers for more inspiration.

Check out your email.

Your checklist is on the way!