RSSWho’s Going to Write Your Cover Copy?
Feb 23
A Writer's Blog Authors, Writers, Writing Comments Off
When you finish the first draft of your full length book, there is a lot of relief. Getting it on paper may be the hardest part, but your work isn’t done by any stretch. Before you ship it off to your editor (whether it’s someone who is paid to edit your work, your mother or someone helping you in exchange for a nice dinner) you need to do some reconnaissance. You need to exercise your brain to bring form and substance to the editing process.
Draft your cover copy
Cover copy, typically printed on the backside of your book or inside flaps if the format is hardbound, is a key component to draw interest of a potential reader. There is bonus value to working on cover copy though, because you can use it later on a sales page (like your amazon.com listing), a website, and in other places where you need a short or extended description of the book. It is the foundation of a good marketing plan, and you should be actively engaged in the writing of your cover copy.
(Though it is okay to eventually have a professional company write your cover copy, at this stage, the purpose is to organize your ideas about the book. The first round of editing belongs to you alone.)
Step 1: Describe your book in one sentence.
It’s hard to do. Keep your sentence to approximately 200 characters. Your sentence has to a) sell your book b) describe the book c) engage the reader. This exercise by itself is one of the most important steps to take before you start any editing.
Step 2: Describe your book in one paragraph.
A short description has the same intentions as the single sentence. Sell, describe, engage. Try to keep your short description to 1,000 characters. This is often the version you will use for your book listings.
Step 3: Describe your book in one page.
Sell, describe, engage. But now do it in 300 words or less. This version should be the easiest for you because you have the most room. So take the time to think about what the reader has to know to make them want to read your book.
You do not have to have all the right answers or perfect a sales pitch at this point. Later, when you send the book for layout and design, that is the point at which your cover copy needs to be both polished and effective. Right now, you are trying to stimulate your brain and figure out “how would I describe this book to someone?”
Step 4: Draft the text for your cover.
Once you have those three steps down, the last step is to write the actual back cover copy. Some writers find it helpful to have a condensed version (150 words approximately) and an extended version (250 words). If you get stuck, jot down some notes on what you want people to know about your work and then write those ideas into paragraphs. Read the backs of other authors’ books to see how they sell their book. Remember, your cover copy has to be dynamic, it has to accurately describe the book, and it has engage the reader somehow. You can use your sentence, paragraph and page descriptions for inspiration but don’t just copy them word for word.
If you have never written cover copy before, you will be surprised how hard it is, and how much it forces you to think about your book on a broad level. Don’t worry about the professionalism of your copy right now. The point is to get the words on paper that will well represent your book, and to organize your ideas for the editing process.
Before you go to your first round of editing, I will recommend one more exercise to get you prepared. I will talk about the second exercise in next week’s column.
