Are books just about the story, or do the writing and the use of language matter too. Blind stamped, tooled, or embossed impressed into paper or binding material without color or gilding, leaving an impression only boards the front and back covers of a hardcover book, today typically a cardboard base covered with cloth, paper, or leather book club edition bce, bomc, etc. Or your book might move to the back of one vendors todo list, which could delay book production. The body matter is numbered with arabic numerals beginning with the number 1 on the first page of. If you approach the process with a thoughtout plan it, it can actually be enjoyable. Also, keep in mind that some books dont actually have it there, some books. A book i wrote is called eat that frog 21 great ways to overcome procrastinating and get more done in less time. The back cover text starts with a description of what the book is about. Writers use the term blurb to describe the text on the back of the. Back cover blurbs for books book publicity firm book. Heroine who was damsel in the distress, had a daughter and had some power.
Its not every day you run into someone whose specialty is back cover copy for your book. The writhing on the back of a book that describes it, what is it called thanks. Set your book up for success with an expertly crafted back cover book blurb. Its called a blurb and it is usually and extract of the piece of the book or tells u what the book is about or a summary of the book. A synopsis sums up the plot of a written work, providing a brief description of the main events of the storyline. The hard front and back covers of a book are called the boards. You can skip all the way to the end of the book, write the ending, then write the chapter before that, and write the whole book backwards, skipping chapters along the way, if you like. This back cover blurb explains exactly who the book is for, what the reader can expect to get out of it, and why the book is an excellent alternative to similar resources. It starts out with the man as a young boy looking at the moon and telling his mother that hed like to go. I really enjoyed this book, so i had to talk about it.
As a 21time new york times bestselling author, i can tell you. Finding a book when youve forgotten its title the new. Keep your blurb concise and compelling around 150200 words. This page contains only the title of the book and is the first page you see when opening the cover. Once youve completed your writing and editing and done your research, you are. 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. But once that reader picks up your book and flips to your back cover, this is your chance to sell your book.
Ioba book terminology independent online booksellers. For nonfiction, establishing yourself as an expert and differentiating your book from the others written about the same. Managing backstory in a novel is a matter of control. 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. How one letter changed two lives by caitlin alifirenka and martin ganda.
In a nutshell, its the 200 odd words on the back cover of your book that describes the book to the reader. From front matter to back matter, book content is arranged in a traditional, prescribed. A book where the spine cover is not attached to the spine of the book block is said to have a hollow back. The physical outer layer of book that can sometimes be removed from the actual bound cover is called a dust jacket.
Lemme tell you a lil story about my bad filming day. The first book has no name it is just called artemis fowl if you cant find it look for a gold cover on the back of the book it says. Im a published novelist, and i participate in several writing groups and online communities. A blurb is a short promotional piece accompanying a piece of creative work. Your chapters should be divided into various levels of headings usually not more than 2 or 3 levels deep. Now youre seeing why most authors find them so hard to write.
Lets use the answers to form the content of your book back cover text. In the 1980s, spy ran a regular feature called logrolling in our time which exposed writers who. For small press and selfpublished authors, what to put on the back cover can be a hard decision. Blurbs were originally printed on the back or rear dustjacket of a book, and. Fredrik backman made his debut as a novelist in 2012 in his native language of swedish. A section is a set of chapters that are related closely, and parts are. His english debut came in 2014 with the novel a man called ove. The back cover, spine center panel which connects the front and. Describe your book in simple, straightforward, and consumerfriendly terms. How long does the average consumer spend viewing a book cover before they decide to buy or not buy the book. Check out selected results from nypl title quest 2019, held august 2, 2019, as well as title quest 2018. You haveat best150 to 200 words to work with, because thats all that will attractively fit on the back cover of most volumes. A boring back cover text will cause the reader to lose interest and put the book back on the shelf.
The more professional your back cover looks, the more credibility your book will earn. What is the writing at the end of a book called answers. What is the writing on the back cover of a book called. Then after writing a series of awesome scenes, you can go back and connect the dots. The pages at the beginning and end of a book are called the endpapers or the. Chapters may be part of larger divided chunks, called parts or sections. When she was found by her husband she was forced to resume her life with him. Book cover design is comprised of text and images that conveys a single. But a good novelist holds these details back, revealing them only at the time that best serves the story. Back matter can include an afterword, an appendix, a bibliography, a colophon, a glossary, and an index.
Note the front cover, back cover, spine, layout, picture, fonts, and other. As a selfpublished author, your books marketing campaign is likely dependent on a oneperson team you. Take advantage of short windows of free time to writeshort writing bursts add up to serious content. Not only will it appear on the book itself, but youll probably use it as your amazon description. Ya scifi, not the maze runner, but also a dystopian mystery involving a boy in an unsolvable maze. The words synopsis or summary mean to summarize the entire plot, whereas blurb specifically means a description for a book or movie or the likes that it is intended for promotional purposes. Keep your book writing raw materials gathered andor organized so when you do have time to write, you dont waste time pulling what you need. These pages are traditionally numbered with lowercase roman numerals.
Here is my formula for a nonfiction back cover that has a terrific chance of convincing a reader to open your book. Its about a wife who ran away from her husband and had his daughter. These words, if written well, will hook the reader and convince them they need to buy your book. Chapters that contain similar content are chunked together in sections or parts. Theres another, critical, use of the back cover of your book and thats to make it easier to write the book in the first place.
What is the writing in the back of a book called answers. In languages with chineseinfluenced writing systems, the title is. It can be tough to remember the title and author of a book you read a long time ago. The colorful strip at the spine edge of the book block. Take a shot every time i say um or like and youll be knocked out by the end of the video. In a novel that shows bitter rivalry between sisters to ascend a kingdoms throne, for example, the backstory could describe the origins of this strife in their fathers favouritism this is the premise of shakespeares king lear the oxford dictionary defines backstory simply. It sums up the plot of a written work, providing a brief description of the main events of the storyline. The better your book description, the better your chances for gaining visibility and remaining visible. When i began writing my first book a decade ago, i. A list of books or articles cited as resources by the author.
Below are a few examples of back cover copy for fiction. Book blurbs are an oftoverlooked part of a writers marketing planafter youve spent so much time writing a new book, it can feel. Theres the front cover, the back cover, and the spine cover. How to write a novel backwards the writing cooperative. This is an excellent book for junior high aged children. It was aimed at people who had too much to do and too little time, and knew that they were procrastinating on their major tasks. Body matter is the core contents of the book or what is called the story. The definition on wikipedia is a blurb is a short promotional piece accompanying a creative work. Commonly refers to books published before the year 1501. The word synopsis comes from late latin, originally from the ancient greek sunopsis, which is a combination of the words for with, or together, and view. This should be broader in scope than the reasons you put in your bulleted list.
First up my phone died halfway through filming this even. The description on the back cover of a book is called different things. Lets say you can write 1,000 words a day without an outline, but with an outline you can write 2,000 words a day. Above the list, speak directly to the readers, and give them the primary reason why they should read your book. Failure to realize the value of the back cover seems to equate with the failure to realize that the text for the finished back cover can always be changed before the printing of the book. Tips for writing a back cover that sells steuben press. I have the whole rest of the book to show why they were there in the first place. I read i will always write back completely by accident it was recommended on the last round of tell me what to read, and when i was looking up various titles, this one was available for immediate download from my library this is the kind of highlydeveloped, superscientific book selection method you can count on me for i didnt know a single thing about. Put the bulleted list in the middle of the copy you write for your back cover. Comprehensive list of synonyms for parts of books, by macmillan dictionary and thesaurus.
The frontmatter are the pages at the beginning of a book before the body of the book. One way to write this primary reason is to present it as a question. 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 spine. A book blurb also called a backcover blurb or a book description is a short description. This is the part you see when the book is closed, whatever its made of. You also know that you have only two or three seconds to attract a potential reader with your front cover. A good storyteller has no trouble thinking up rich histories for his characters. It may be written by the author or publisher or quote praise from others. Nevertheless, seeing a book through to completion need not be a grueling, laborious task. Self published author 8 mistakes that will absolutely.
Casebound books are sometimes issued with paper covers, which are typically called dust. No matter how you approach it, a great deal of time and commitment is required. Parts, sections, and chapters are the book elements that break up the text by topic. The free half of the end paper is called a flyleaf. Finding a book when youve forgotten its title by gwen glazer, communications november 22, 2017. Back cover copy includes the book summary and author bio. The core content is most often divided into discrete segments, most commonly chapters. Most readers can point to a book that was chockfull of valuable information for the first 30 pages and then drifted off into repetition.
Its important for writers to market while they write to make each part of their book sell copies. The parts of a book for self published authors bookstand. Bookstore browsers spend an average of 8 seconds looking at the front cover and 15 seconds studying the back cover before making a buying decision where your book goes straight to the cash register, not back on the shelf. There are way more names for it, but these are most common. 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.
Thus far, his novel a man called ove has been adapted to film and beartown is set to be adapted for television. Your description should be at least 150200 words long. The back of a book cover is called different things, but the back matter on the cover is really important no matter what you call it. The backcover copy also functions as the primary ad for your book. Writing your back cover copy book designer fiona raven. What are the things on the back of the book called. Books with great back cover texts usually go up in high sales. All printed material that appears in the back of the book after the body copy. Short story about an old man who died on the moon fulfilling his dream.
What is the summary written on the cover at the back of a book called. How to write a catchy backcover blurb that sells 2020. What is the summary written on the cover at the back of a. Becoming an author can change your lifenot to mention give you the ability to impact thousands, even millions, of people. You already know that, in fact, everyone does judge a book by its cover. The back matter also known as the end matter is you guessed it material. Which is why its so important for your books cover and back cover to help it jump off the shelf and into the hands of eager new readers. A short story i heard in about 2017 read aloud on a radio station. Blurbs are what sell your book when your front cover has attracted prospective readers enough to click on the novel from a huge list of options. The summary on the back of a book is called a synopsis. How to write backstory but not bog down your book now novel. K rowling enjoys writing because she has been writing since the age of six 6 and has a strong passion for writing since she wrote her first book this bunny rabbit book. In fiction, backstory refers to the events that precede the narrative frame of the story itself. This is an update of a previous post by sharon rickson.