In the quest to get your nonfiction book published, don’t forget to spend time on the back cover. You may think it’s not that important, but back covers are a crucial component of your book marketing. Back covers sell books!
Your current fans and followers on social media or your email list already have trust and confidence in your book. They already see you as a trusted expert and an authority on your book’s topic. They will buy your book without doing a lot of research.
When you’re selling to people who aren’t on your list such as when speaking at an event or attracting cold leads through advertising, you will have to do more work to build that trust.
Think about your behavior when shopping for a new food item in the grocery store. The front of the box may catch your eye, but the next thing you do is turn to the back of the box, read the ingredients list, the calorie count, serving size, and any benefits the product owner shares.
Consumers exhibit the same buying behavior when purchasing a book. They have lots of options and chances are there are other books on the same topic they can consider.
When a new or cold prospect is thinking about buying your book, the front cover needs to spark an interest. If it does, they will pick up the book, turn it over and read the back cover. The next action they take will probably be to look at the table of contents before making a final decision. Because of that behavior, every word of your back cover needs to enhance your marketing message.
You may be asking what about online sales? On Amazon and other online sellers, the back cover isn’t typically shown. To ensure your message is seen, use the same or similar copy on your book sales page as on the back cover.
Nonfiction books by expert authors usually have a trim size of 6″ x9″ or 5.5″ x 8.5″. Those sizes will limit you to 150 -200 words that fit comfortably on the cover and still be easily read. Don’t try to use a super small font size to squeeze more words on the back cover. That will only annoy your readers!
Even though the back cover is a sales tool, it shouldn’t be a hard sell. There’s no need to give over the top promises. Treat the copy the same way you would if having a consultation with a prospective client. You want to demonstrate you understand their problem, empathize with it, and offer a potential solution. In this case, it will be your book.
With only 150 – 200 words to play with, think of the back cover copy like an elevator speech for your book. Carefully craft the words that will generate interest and entice the buyer to go further and read the table of contents or the first chapter. If you’re not confident in writing sales copy, engage the services of a professional to help you.
Get ideas by browsing the back covers of best-selling books in your area of expertise. You can either do this in person at a bookstore/library or virtually by looking at the book’s sales page online.
As with any good sales piece, the back cover copy needs to focus on the reader, not the author. The copy should be all about their problem and how reading the book will help them solve it.
The back cover also needs to convince the reader you are the right person for them to listen to and learn from. That’s where the author’s bio comes in.
If you want to give writing the back cover copy yourself a try, I recommend the following template:
What to put at the top of the back cover
At the top of the cover, put one or two endorsements if you have them. Endorsements should be from people who have credentials in your area of expertise. They don’t have to be famous, but their titles should convey their credibility.
What to put in the middle of the back cover
In the middle of the cover, share the big promise of your book. If you don’t have endorsements, the big promise can go at the top of the cover, or you can pull out an important quote from the book. I like to put myself in the shoes of the ideal reader and ask a question about the issue they are probably struggling to solve.
Next, write a short description. Endorsements can take the place of the book description.
After that, include three to five bullets of the learning points contained in the book.
End with a paragraph containing a big benefit and a call to action to purchase the book.
What to put at the bottom of the back cover
At the bottom of the back cover, include your author photo and a brief bio. The author’s photo should be a close-up headshot of you, with a plain or non-distracting background. Make sure you look approachable in the photo, and your attire is consistent with your brand.
The bio should focus on your qualifications as an expert for the book’s topic. Identify any certifications, training, awards, affiliations, or experience. Include a line of personal info, your city, and your website. You want to include your city to attract interviews from your local area. If the person doesn’t buy your book right away, they may jot down your website and purchase it at a later date.
Back Cover Templates for a nonfiction book
Final words: Follow the KISS method (Keep it Short and Simple), make it about the reader, and make every word count.
