Powerful Marketing Tool

Powerful Marketing Tool

 

Back cover book blurb

 

The next time you visit a book shop pick up a book and you’ll automatically look at the front cover and then you’ll peruse the back cover. Not only the front cover but the back cover is a powerful marketing tool.

The front cover influences your interest. Then within only a few seconds the back cover, if it is intriguing enough, will help you to make a buying decision – to purchase or not purchase the book.

How to create a successful back cover blurb

Creating the back cover blurb is crucial to your marketing strategy and it can be what turns your book into a bestseller.

The back cover entices you to buy the book. It is in effect a sales page highlighting to the reader the benefits of reading the book but at the same time not giving too much away.

Rather than being a synopsis the blurb on the back communicates to the reader what is in it for them. 

Its main purpose is to highlight the reasons someone should be reading your book right now.

Make the back cover part of the overall cover design. Factor in the front cover design as well as that of the spine.

Components of blurb 

The back cover blurb should include

  1. the book’s description – approximately 150 words
  2. information about you the author, together with a photograph, and
  3. if possible, a testimonial about the book if you can get one.

The purpose of the back cover blurb is to create interest and to sell the book. The author’s bio refers to the author’s credibility and demonstrates to the reader that the author is the best person to write this particular book.

Headline

Commence the back cover blurb with an attention-grabbing headline or a statement that grabs the reader’s attention. This could be a quote, a review, a question or a statement.

Nailing it in the opening sentence is crucial otherwise you’ll quickly lose the reader’s interest and attention.

Bullet points

Next, you should list five to seven bullet points which describe and highlight the book’s promises and benefits.

Finally, you may want to conclude your blurb with some kind of call to action. This could be a website address or reassertion that this book is for you, the reader.

Back cover book blurb

Barcode

On the bottom right allow enough space for the ISBN and barcode. This is put there either by Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) or IngramSpark depending on which platform you are using.

Your back cover then consists of:

  • an attention-grabbing headline with the bullet points
  • author bio, and if possible,
  • a testimonial, and
  • space for a barcode

The words you choose for your back cover make for a powerful marketing tool and this can influence a reader to buy or not to buy your book.

Marji Hill

Author and Coach

 

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