One way to write this primary reason is to present it as a question. Without a good synopsis to hook readers and buy them into your book, you wont sell. Y our best chance at convincing a potential reader to inspect your book lies within the spine, front cover and back cover, so it is important to know the purpose that each plays in the process purpose of the book spine. You dont want to reinvent the wheel with your back cover. It is often written by staff members of the publisher of the book, sometimes. You might be better off finding a different source. It helps readers connect with you and gives them that personal feeling of knowing you. It typically serves as the foundation for your online book descriptions, as well as any press releases or pitches you make to the media. Mar 23, 2017 the flap of a book is the part of the cover folded to appear on the inside front and back of a book.
Aug 15, 2017 this free lesson snippet from the pluralsight video course, indesign cc designing a book cover and spine by pariah burke wil. This is the part you see when the book is closed, whatever its made of. That sounds complicated enough but take the sheer amount of book genres out there, and coming up with a book cover to attract readers can be a monumental task. The third example shows how part of the back cover copy the author bio, in this case can show up on the inside flap of a hard cover book. For nonfiction, establishing yourself as an expert and differentiating your book from the others written about the same. For a nonfiction book, authors should make a bullet point list of the book s main features and actually put that list on the back cover. The back cover copy you write for your book is among the most important marketing messages youll craft. Then, flip the book over and make a straight cut down the binding of the back of the book.
Pull the front and back covers away so theyre no longer connected to the pages. Nonfiction back cover copy for nonfiction, establishing yourself as an expert and differentiating your book from the others written about the same topic will help sell your book. Book plate an ownership label, usually placed inside front cover. Feature your photos in a glossy laminate on the front and back cover of this durable hardcover book option. The glossary is a list of term definitions used throughout the book that might be unfamiliar to the reader. Focus on your genre romance, scifi, historical nonfiction, etc. Put the bulleted list in the middle of the copy you write for your back cover. A book cover is any protective covering used to bind together the pages of a book. Not to mention, once your book arrives, the back layout can color readers expectations as much as the front cover. You can, however, print directly on the outside cover with our softcover or imagewrap books. The title pages of an item, the verso of the title.
All authors wish it was not so, but in most bookstores your book will be presented spineout. What is the summary written on the cover at the back of a. Its not writing the book but writing the back cover text. The back cover, also known as the synopsis of your book, is by far the most critical for getting people to buy. These are the decorative pages that are pasted onto the inner part of the cover as well as the opposite side.
However, most books on amazon have the look inside feature, allowing the potential reader to view the back of the book before ordering. Soft photo cover with a thick cardstock cover, your photos are showcased on the front and back in an easytoflip softcover book. If you choose to use a short bio on the back cover, make sure the author sounds like the ultimate authority on the subject. Carefully insert the other side of the cover into the fold. Most books dont include printing on the inside covers, so they are 4004, with 0 meaning no ink.
Instead, it is one of the first pages you encounter after you open the book. On the inside of the back cover page, extending from the facing page before it, is the. If youre making a magazine you can print on the inside front and back covers, as well as on the outside front and back covers. For book cover text if you are citing descriptive copy or a quotation printed on the cover of a book, its preferable to incorporate the necessary details chiefly, the author of the copy or quotation you are citing, if known, and the source where the copy or quotation appears into the body of your text and then create a standard entry for.
Ioba book terminology independent online booksellers. Most often seen in nonfiction like a biography or an academic text, a bibliography lists the references and sources used in researching or reporting the book. Our friends at bookbub carried out an ab test in which they sent group a a book description with a testimonial and group b. Book covers today are often simple, revolving around a central imagery thats symbolic and can capture the essence or theme of the plot with one glance. Standard book sizes, dimension, and specifications blurb. An index is an optional but highly desirable element for nonfiction works. The title pages of an item, the verso of the title pages, any pages preceding the title pages, and the cover. However, a few sentences about the author with an optional photograph can be included on the back cover. It could be a careless typo, such as the difference between a and an or there and their, but it could distract your prospective reader so. Nine things that need to be on your book cover alicia dunams. The next step is grabbing the readers interest with a tempting back cover. Im a published novelist, and i participate in several writing groups and online communities. Our friends at bookbub carried out an a b test in which they sent group a a book description with a testimonial and group b a version without a testimonial. Writers use the term blurb to describe the text on the back of the book.
The space on the inside margin of pages where the book is bound. The novel was based on her first year in the united states, as a tenyearold girl who spoke no english in 1975. The summary that appears on the back cover or the inside of the dust jacket of a hard cover book is called a synopsis. Regardless where you choose to put it, your photograph should always be included somewhere on the front or back cover of your book. This will allow you to visualise the arrangement of type and images, and judge how well elements are centered on the page. If its a novel, you must include the storys most engaging plot points. Above the list, speak directly to the readers, and give them the primary reason why they should read your book. A book flap also typically includes a photograph of the author. How to design your books back cover ny book editors. Book covers, dust jackets, and case wrap books the book. The term bookcover is often used for a book cover image in. Endpapers, contrary to the name, occur at the beginning and end of a book. What do book publicists want to see on a book cover. On the back cover of smiths book is written, blah blah back cover.
The book was awarded the 2011 national book award for young peoples literature 2 and one of the two newbery honors. How to build the back of a book cover with template. Paperback books do not, strictly speaking, have endpapers. Next, use a utility knife to cut along the inside binding of the book. Its the essence of your book s most exciting features, distilled into a few hundred words. A page about the author is often placed on the last page inside the book. Building a book cover in indesign with 3up layout of cover.
Before you start designing your back cover, take a trip to your local bookstore and check out what else is on the market. The point is to find one of the early pages in the book that does not have too much extraneous text, so the inscription stands out. Below are a few examples of back cover copy for fiction. These 50 awesome book covers will inspire you learn. Books have been published for thousands of years and on thousands of different subjects. Joint the joint of a book is the small groove which runs vertically down the book itself between the book boards book cover and the. Nov 18, 2016 im a published novelist, and i participate in several writing groups and online communities. Theres the front cover, the back cover, and the spine cover. These sizes are only guidelines to approximate sizing, and should not be used in order to design an actual book or magazine. A special band at the top of the spine that hides the glue and helps keep the spine together. Generally, 150200 words are more than enough for a full blurb. A books cover, back cover, title, subtitle, author photo, etc. I dont know most of the terms for the things inside the book.
How to build the back of a book cover with template reedsy blog. How do i cite information mla style from the back cover of. You know how books can have a preface and magazines have editorials and those are the proper names. The purpose of your front cover, back cover and spine. Back cover copy includes the book summary and author bio. A standard binding for hardcover books, which uses glue to hold the interior text block to the cover.
The back of a book cover is the perfect place to put this social proof. Book cover or book board the front and back covers of books are often referred to as book covers or book boards as they are often made of bookbinding board and cover the book. Aug, 2015 put the bulleted list in the middle of the copy you write for your back cover. Feb 28, 2017 back cover your front cover did its job if the shopper made it to the back cover. The best place to inscribe a book is traditionally the top of the inside cover page or inside cover. The sympathizer, by viet thanh nguyen, grove press, 2015. The book was awarded the 2011 national book award for young peoples literature and one of the two newbery honors. A book with color printing on the two outside covers and the inside back cover, for example, would be noted as 4044. Aug 17, 2010 if, however, you feel that your platform takes a back seat to the information in your book, you should include your photo on the back cover. How to write a back cover book synopsis pen and the pad.
Wondering what the back of a book cover is called and why its so important. As paperback publishing developed, readers began seeing the blurb appearing on the back cover. If youre creating collateral pieces like custom envelopes to go with your finished book, please refer to the. The flap of a book is the part of the cover folded to appear on the inside front and back of a book. The inside cover of a paperback is the literal back of the cover. Thats a flyleaf, more specifically, one of the endpapers of a book. If you dont have a print version of your book and its only sold online, everything in this article about back book blurbs can be applied to your book description in online listings. On the inside of the back cover page, extending from the facing page before it, is the endpaper. How do i cite descriptive copy or a quotation from a book. A book with color printing on the inside back cover only, for example, would be noted as 4044.
A title page preceding or following the title page chosen as the basis for the description of. Also, no front or back cover text should extend into the spine area. Glossary of printing terms book printing experts for. This is one of the most important pieces of copy youll write, since it has a lot of work to do representing your book and showing people whats unique, interesting, or especially valuable about what you. If you think the recipient is really going to be bothered by you writing in the book, you can use a tasteful. The back cover often contains biographical matter about the author or editor, and quotes from other sources praising the book. If your page count is under 100 pages, you shouldnt add spine text. What is the summary on the inside flap of a book cover. A boring back cover text will cause the reader to lose interest and put the book back on the shelf. Summary and synopsis are also used but, in my experience, are used only in. Many have become collectible due to the designer or owner.
The back matter also known as the end matter is you guessed it material found at the back of a book. The front of the book is defined by the cover that the reader opens the back is the side opposite the front the head is the top of the book when it is held to be read the tail is the bottom. I will be referring to the parts of the book as displayed in the two photos, so take note. Traditionally, it would be found on the inside back cover of a hardback. Inner part of the book where the cover joins the spine and where the book bendsopens from. Sep 12, 2018 a blurb is a short description of a book that is written for promotional purposes. What is the proper name for the text on the back cover. This is due to lack of shelf space to display all the books faceout. But when it comes to the back cover of their printed book, many new. This is a standard binding for hardcover books, which utilizes glue to hold the interior text block to the cover. Now it is the job of the back cover to draw them in so much that they feel compelled to buy the book.
What is the summary on the inside flap of a book cover called. Testimonials are incredibly persuasive in transforming potential readers into readers. The cover of a book comprises not just the front cover but is a set of elements that also includes the back cover and the spine edge, and less frequently an inside cover and an inside back cover where the print is double. An endpaper which may be at either the front or back in a hardcover book is a folded single sheet of paper that forms both the last page in the. Its design matches the front endpaper and, in accordance with it, contains either plain paper or pattern, image etc. Its not every day you run into someone whose specialty is back cover copy for your book.
Is there a word for the inside back cover of a book and the page. Books are separated into sections, or parts, to make reading and finding the information you are seeking. To unbind a hardcover or softcover book, open the cover and lay the book on a hard surface. The cover page of a book is not the same thing as the actual cover.
This should be broader in scope than the reasons you put in your bulleted list. Authors use their back matter to offer readers further context or information about the story, though back matter can also be extremely simple. You dont want to bend the book back too far or you might crack the spine and binding. What is the summary or quotes that are found on the back cover of a book called. A book s cover, back cover, title, subtitle, author photo, etc. Inside back cover how is inside back cover abbreviated. Inside out and back again kindle edition by lai, thanhha. Book flaps contain information designed to help sell the book, as well as information about the book s author. The most memorable images provide visual cues about whats inside the. What is the summary that is found on the back cover of a.
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