How to Build a Book Back Cover That Converts (with Template)

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Imagine an intrepid reader at the bookstore. they’re browsing the shelves when a brilliantly imagined cover catches their eye. They pick up the book. check. the loin is bold and attractive. check. then they go to the back of the book cover, and it’s a solid, boring background with no text.

When it comes to book design, your thoughts probably won’t jump right to the back of a book; it’s not as sexy or attention-grabbing as, say, the front. but it happens to be one of the most important sales tools at your disposal. so let’s clear up some misconceptions:

You are reading: The back of books

nobody sees the back cover of a book online! amazon.com now allows customers to view the back cover of paperbacks.
I don’t need a back cover to create a print book! kdp print and ingramspark require you to upload a front cover, spine, and back cover.

Then there is the biggest myth of all: Nobody pays attention to the back cover of a book. almost everyone reads the advertisement before deciding whether to buy or not. In addition, it will only take 10 seconds to do so. In this post, we’ll show you how to make that time count so a reader ends up deciding in your favor.

what is a good back cover?

To understand what makes a back cover tick, let’s expose its partner in crime: the front cover. when readers browse the shelves, it’s the cover (or spine) that gets them to pick it up. but the work is not done! at best, they’re only vaguely intrigued at this point. the back cover is there to finish the job.

If done correctly, the back cover will encourage the reader to open up and start reading. the best do it through:

compelling text that makes the reader eager to find out what’s inside.
some strong aesthetic style: a sign of professionalism and delicacy.

To fully cover both points, we have divided this post into two sections. Part 1 will address the first point: creating great copy for the back of your book cover. then part 2 contains tips from our top designers on the best ways to design an aesthetically beautiful jacket.

but we’ll start with the essentials. what exactly should be on the back of a book cover?

part 1: how to write the back cover of a book cover

In general, the back cover design is made up of the following parts:

slogan
comment
author biography
testimonials

These are the four most common ingredients used on the back of a book cover, and we’ll show you each one.

slogan

You have three seconds to capture a reader’s attention from the moment they turn it over. so attack them with the catchphrase right on their upper back.

the tagline can be:

short descriptive phrase
key phrase
book quote or review

for example:

“May the odds always be in your favor.” – the hunger games

“even in the future, the story begins with once upon a time…” – ash

“a great modern classic and the prelude to the lord of the rings”. – the hobbit

“winter is coming”. – game of thrones

As you can see from these examples, a great tagline doesn’t have to sum up the whole novel. but you do need to annoy the readers. once you’ve successfully lured them in, their eyes will be drawn to the next copy: the blurb.

propaganda

let’s clear this up. the advertising on the back cover is not:

synopsis: This is a four-page document that summarizes the entire narrative arc of your book for an agent or publisher.
testimonial “blurb ”: is a bunch of short quotes from a testimonial or review. We discuss this in another section of this post.
book description: this usually means the copy on your book sales page online – see our guide to writing a book description for more information.

This is what a back cover is: a description of your book that acts as your 10-second elevator pitch when readers pick it up.

so your first instinct is probably to make it dazzling. but the real secret of great advertising is knowing your audience. write it with the reader’s wishes in mind. that’s why blurbs for fiction and nonfiction books are based on two separate formulas.

for non-fiction authors

Nonfiction books should promise to teach the audience something valuable. therefore, the most effective banner ads:

present the question/challenge/problem.
promise answers.
tell readers in simple words what they will get out of the book.

for fiction authors

The propaganda of the novel must promise intrigue, emotion, mystery, wonder or drama. hints at the emotional payoff that awaits them within the pages. think of a movie trailer and try to capture that effect.

Let’s take a familiar example:

Harry Potter has never heard of Hogwarts when the letters begin to fall onto the mat at number four Privet Drive. addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are promptly confiscated by his ghastly uncle and his aunt. Then, on Harry’s eleventh birthday, a large, beetle-eyed giant named Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with startling news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. an amazing adventure is about to begin!

In other words, arouse the curiosity of your readers. Check out this article for more detailed tips (and examples) on how to write a great review for your novel.

To recap, their best practices for fiction and non-fiction ads are:

keep the blurb short, punchy and interesting
know your target audience and appeal to their specific interests
demonstrate the benefit readers will get from your book

The Author Bio

Take note, authors: the biography isn’t always your “about the author” section! in many cases, it is even more compact.

The first rule of the author biography is: kiss. keep it simple, stupid. here’s an example of me talking a lot one day about david sedaris:

David Sedaris is also the author of Barrel Fever, Naked, and Holidays on Ice. He is a regular contributor to international public radio’s “This American Life.”

compare that to the 500-word “about the author” section you can find on mr. sedaris website. see the difference? the biography on the back of the book cover should be the nutshell within the nut.

for fiction authors, this is optional. however, nonfiction authors should include an author biography as part of the back cover copy to convince readers of the author’s authority. You can use the author bio template provided in this post to create a memorable author bio.

To recap, the best practices for the author bio are:

keep the biography on the back cover short and clear
don’t regale the reader with a description of your eye color: list your previous publications, achievements, education (if you want ) ) your place of residence and (if applicable) your author website

testimonials

Testimonials (also known as “Cover Pages”) are positive endorsements from notable personalities, such as a co-author or publication.

The back of a book cover is the perfect place to put this social proof. testimonials are incredibly persuasive in turning potential readers into readers. our friends at bookbub ran an a/b test where they sent group a a description of the book with a testimonial and group b a version without a testimonial. the book description with a testimonial caused 22.6% more readers to click and buy.

how to get testimonials

You can go to three sources for testimonials:

fellow authors: these are vips or your author friends. make sure you contact someone who is relevant to your gender. Potential readers browsing online will respond to names they recognize.
Post Reviews: Such as an excerpt from a New York Times or Washington Post review. if you self-publish and receive a weekly review from editors, the back of your book is where you can feature it.
customer reviews: if you have started your review campaign of books (as you should have), you can extract testimonials from some of their five-star reader reviews.

start building relationships within the community soon! You’ll probably find it easier to contact a friend for a pitch than it is to email a stranger.

That said, if you ask a via (very important author) to read your book, send a polite email. personalize your note. if they say they’re open to it, send them a free bow (early review copy) of your book.

how to feature testimonials on the back of your cover

Usually you can’t go wrong if your goal is to include two or three testimonials. you want to achieve a good balance between all the moving pieces, so use your best judgment when determining the number to include.

then it’s just a matter of following this rule: if you’ve got it, flaunt it.

If you got a featured review for a publication, be sure to put it in parentheses.

If you’ve won a cover blurb from a fellow author, make sure the author’s credentials stand out. for example:

“There are many pieces to solving the seo puzzle. From reputation management to content marketing, SEO for growth will help you put it all together.”

— joost de valk, founder and CEO, yoast

or, if you are the author of a fiction book:

“his work encompasses human secrets in general, as well as secret places both in the world and in the mind.”

― Lorrie Moore, New York Times bestselling author of America’s Barks and Birds

To recap, the best practices for testimonials are:

start planning early and make sure you get some reviews if you can’t get to other authors in the field
emphasize the credentials of the person writing your testimonial

voila. you have social proof for your book. Now let’s move on to the second aspect of your book’s book: the layout.

part 2: how to design the back cover of a book cover

Creating the back cover of a book cover is a two-step process. you may have written some brilliant marketing copy for it. now you need to design it.

To fully master this step, we turned to our top designers for their insight. Here are his top tips for you, in his own words:

designer tips

jake clark: don’t clutter the back cover. I’ve seen too many back covers that are plastered edge to edge with blurb text in the largest possible font. Treat your back cover with the same respect as your front cover. let your copy breathe a bit and remain selective in the blurb and supporting copy you put on the back cover.

patrick knowles: continue the visual story. the most obvious might be repeating a background image or border treatment. think about how you can create additional elements to enhance the blurb and give it a sense of atmosphere. the main thing is to give some creative energy to the back and make it look like the whole project is put together and thought out.

jakob vala: design with a clear hierarchy of information in mind. make banner ads or callouts larger or in a different color than the description. the publisher’s information, if you have it, is the least important. it should be the last thing people notice.

maxwell roth: Let me speak to the reader. Too often, I find a good book cover and turn it over only to find a solid background and an outdated font. why not use that space to illustrate the author’s text? the cover of a book can (and should) be an interaction with the reader: a spectacular cover. turn. a spine to be displayed on a shelf or desk. turn. a spectacular back cover and continuation of the author’s narrative. and then to turn the pages.

jakob vala: incorporate elements from the rest of the book. sometimes I use the texture of the front film as a background. I also use the same font and color scheme. the capital letter at the beginning of the description may reflect the style used within the book.

examples of back covers

These cover spreads can help you get an idea of what a great back cover looks like once you put these tips into action.

TEMPLATE: Putting the Back Cover Together

Now that you’ve seen what should go on the back cover, you might be wondering: how do I juggle it all and put it all together?

We’ve created a couple of templates to show you the most popular configurations out there.

When you start putting together your own back cover, remember: experiment to find a balance that works for your book. when you get a perfect balance between all the elements, you will have created a back cover that works.

are you designing your own back cover? how did you find the experience? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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