A successfully designed book cover will convey the tone of your book, will whisper hints without giving it all away, and will excite readers into actually opening up the book and reading. So youve written your book, youve chosen your title and cover design, and youre breathing a sigh of relief. For example, a mystery or crime novel might begin with the following sentence. In todays guest post, editor jessi rita hoffman explains how to craft professional and compelling backcover copy. The next piece to start working on is the book summary, which is usually found on the inside flap of book jackets. Free book jacket layout template for diy selfpublishers. Book flaps contain information designed to help sell the book, as well as information about the books author. One copy in a near mint jacket was listed for sale in 2009 for half a million dollars. Make book jacket works inside of indesign cs4 or later tested through cs6 and creative cloud cc 2020. This sample template shows the layout for a typical 6. So far, weve blogged about how to discover your books brand, how to craft a professional author bio, how to hook people you talk to on the concept of your book, and even how to become a marketing expert in just a few steps.
Even if youve written a great title for your book, a subtitle can provide more pertinent information to help draw the reader in and prompt them to open the book, learn more, and, hopefully, buy it. This is a short summary designed to be highly interesting to the reader. Students need to comprehend the storys plot and themes enough to provide a good summary without giving away key points and create an appropriate cover image. Jane has an mfa in creative writing from vermont college. Back cover copy includes the book summary and author bio. This should be broader in scope than the reasons you put in your bulleted list. Head over to window styles paragraph styles to open the paragraph styles panel. If you do not use adobe indesign, make book jacket is not the solution for you. How to write sales copy for the back of your nonfiction book worth reading even if you dont write nonfiction, as many of the same concepts will apply 2.
Aug 27, 2015 z decided she wanted to make a book jacket and show other kids her age how to do it toobtw she did this video alone with no one in the same room as her. One way to write this primary reason is to present it as a question. Write something about the main character of the book. Make sure it sells out by creating an awesome cover design. Students create their own version of a jacket for a book they read. Lets look and learn from 50 fascinating book cover designs. Book jacket definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Only stick to credentials that directly relate to the content of your book. As you gather endorsements sometimes referred to as blurbs for you book, youll want to keep a few things in mind. Diy bookcover decoration notebook cover design decorate notebook project file cover decoration duration. Ive put a link below so you can download a pdf of this layout.
What began as a grad school hobby is now a top food blog, with millions of readers coming to her site for easy. We get so caught up in delivering an enthralling story or a big idea. The same words that entice a thirteenyearold girl to purchase a young adult book will be far different from the keywords in place on the back of. Name about write this in your designed to be the publishing company.
The best blurbs come from someone with a reputation in the same space. Youve done the hard work and created an amazing book. Its crucial it be compelling, because readers make buying decisions from the book description. Often the back panel or flaps are printed with biographical information about the author, a summary of the book from the.
Chungah rhee is the founder, recipe developer, and photographer of damn delicious. How to write good jacket copy writing, book editing. Normally in the development of the book design, the front cover is designed separately, and well before the rest of the jacket. People often tell me the most impressive part of my book cover portfolio is that theyre all so different. Using construction paper of whatever color you wish, design a book jacket that will be folded like the picture above. Design book covers with canvas free book cover maker. Put the bulleted list in the middle of the copy you write for your back cover. Im sticking mainly to traditionally published books because on the whole i think its publishers who still know how to nail the alchemy of good jacket copy. How to write a memorable author bio with template reedsy. Synonyms for book jacket at with free online thesaurus, antonyms, and definitions. Then ensure you incorporate them into your back book jacket blurb.
Michael siemsen is the usa today bestselling author of 6 novels, including the dig, a warm place to call home a demons story, and exigency. Try to have the book read before returning to school on monday, august 1, 2011, so you will have plenty of time to complete the book jacket. The earliest known examples were issued on english literary annuals which were popular from the 1820s to the 1850s. Apr 12, 2018 only stick to credentials that directly relate to the content of your book. Book jacket definition, a removable paper cover, usually illustrated, for protecting the binding of a book and usually giving information about the book and the author. For example, you might want to put the authors biography on the back cover or the back flap and you.
Thats because each cover is a partnership between me and the author, and together we come up with something bold and unique. Oct 03, 20 diy bookcover decoration notebook cover design decorate notebook project file cover decoration duration. See more ideas about book jacket, book cover design and best book. How to write kickbutt bcc back cover copy the wise. Oct 28, 2006 i dont think great book jacket and cover design is necessarily what this book is about. The interface is written in english, but it works in other languages german. Again, book jacket copy is about sales, and copywriters have knowledge of certain keywords that engage readers and get them excited about a book. New authors sometimes rush this decision, writing the first. Canvas book cover maker makes designing book covers amazingly simple even for nondesigners. Spread out the dust jacket on the protective covering to measure how much covering you will need. Book jacket example number the stars book jacket, graphic. This outer cover has folded flaps that hold it to the front and back book covers. How to use the book jacket for a book report use light, small numbers to number the panels on the side that appears to be the outside of the book jacket from 1 to 5. Inside front cover flap write interesting information about the story which will make readers want to open the cover and keep reading.
Sep 12, 2018 how to write a book blurb in 4 steps the opening of your blurb has to be incredibly precise and dynamic, says editor rebecca heyman for a lot of firsttime authors, i think theres an instinct to make sure readers understand everything that happened in the books universe before the beginning of the actual story. You can also follow this same process if you want to add an author photo on the back page of your book. How to write jacket copy that will help sell your book. Book flaps contain information designed to help sell the book, as well as information about the book s author. The dust jacket of a book is the detachable outer cover, usually made of paper and printed with.
Navigate to the book jacket paragraph styles indesign document and click open. Make a book jacket project i absolutely love this idea. How to write an amazing author bio book marketing for. The dust jacket sometimes book jacket, dust wrapper or dust cover of a book is the detachable outer cover, usually made of paper and printed with text and illustrations. Despite the adage, the book jacket generally broadcasts to the consumer much about the book, ideally casting it in the best light possible to draw in its target readers. Now you have to decide what goes on the back cover. See more ideas about book jacket, book cover design and best book covers. The book jacket is a sales tool, inviting readers to the text, telling them much about what they will find on the pages between the covers. In this guide, ill walk you through how to write a book description, provide you a template, and include.
Use light, small numbers to number the panels on the side that. The most famous example is the jacket on the first edition of the great gatsby by f. Sep 25, 20 at wise ink, we believe that one of the most important things we do is help indie authors put their best foot forward when marketing and selling their book. To add some visual to your book cover, add in an image.
A book flap also typically includes a photograph of the author. For this custom book cover tutorial, i created a list of paragraph styles that you can use to format the book jacket template. Book jacket definition and meaning collins english. 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. These terms are specific to each genre and audience. Click picture and browse to the cover photo or picture of your choosing and click on it. Book cover design samples creativindie book cover design. Z decided she wanted to make a book jacket and show other kids her age how to do it toobtw she did this video alone with no one in the same room as her.
These 50 awesome book covers will inspire you learn. Jul 08, 2019 examples of good jacket copy here are some examples of good jacket copy. You can do so by clicking on the insert tab on the template. How to write good jacket copy nathan bransford writing. Dust jacket definition of dust jacket by merriamwebster. May 28, 20 make a book jacket project i absolutely love this idea and i am having my 3rd graders begin it next week as an end of the year project. You need to complete the book you selected before starting the actual book jacket. Dec 15, 2010 normally in the development of the book design, the front cover is designed separately, and well before the rest of the jacket. Below are a few examples of back cover copy for fiction. First it does not define at any point what makes a great book cover or design but is merely a journey of some examples of book covers. For nonfiction, establishing yourself as an expert and differentiating your book from the others written about the same. Before writing your back book blurb, choose 35 of the bestselling books in your genre and make a note of stylistic similarities.
Its not every day you run into someone whose specialty is back cover copy for your book. How to make a book jacket for a book report pen and the pad. I dont think great book jacket and cover design is necessarily what this book is about. The flap of a book is the part of the cover folded to appear on the inside front and back of a book. At wise ink, we believe that one of the most important things we do is help indie authors put their best foot forward when marketing and selling their book. The book description is the pitch to the reader about why they should buy your book. Use this project as a class on the same book, or encourage students to create book jackets for books in your classroom. If you like the book cover design samples below, get in touch i look. Aug, 2015 in todays guest post, editor jessi rita hoffman explains how to craft professional and compelling backcover copy. How to create a back book cover blurb that sells kindlepreneur. When meredith wilson finds her solitary life as a montana forest ranger shattered. Cut a sheet of posterboard 11 inches high by 2 feet long.
Canvas free book cover maker is ridiculously easy to use even for the novice or notsotechsavvy writer. Looking at some of your favorite titles, would you have chosen the same artistic style, or. Jun 25, 2019 the book jacket is a sales tool, inviting readers to the text, telling them much about what they will find on the pages between the covers. There are so many examples of how book descriptions lead to huge changes in sales. The illustration is creatively designed and relates to the books theme. As for that, i think this book could have been much more impacting without the commentary at all. These will be erased later and will only be used as reference points. Because the intention is still to capture your readers attention, this summary should sound a little different from a book report summary and give less of the plot away.
How to write a book blurb in 4 steps the opening of your blurb has to be incredibly precise and dynamic, says editor rebecca heyman for a lot of firsttime authors, i think theres an instinct to make sure readers understand everything that happened in the books universe before the beginning of the actual story. Use light, small numbers to number the panels on the side that appears to be the outside of the book jacket from 1 to 5. Take a minute to think about the book jacket designs that you have seen. 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. Here are some reallife author bios that combine most or all of the tips above. Dust jacket definition is a paper cover for a book. As an author, your book cover acts as a threesecond introduction to the reading public. Oct 22, 2015 michael siemsen is the usa today bestselling author of 6 novels, including the dig, a warm place to call home a demons story, and exigency. So far, weve blogged about how to discover your books brand, how to craft a professional author bio, how to hook people you talk to on the concept of your book, and even how to become a marketing expert in. Book jackets are a lot more involved than first meets the eye. Make a book jacket for either your favorite book or one that you read and thought could be represented better. Discuss with your child how the book jacket is used to entice the reader and give information about what the book is about. Home book cover design samples people often tell me the most impressive part of my book cover portfolio is that theyre all so different. A books subtitle shores up the book title and helps tell the reader what to expect to get inside the book.
Examples of good jacket copy here are some examples of good jacket copy. 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. Here are a few examples of great blurbs for a few of greenleafs recent titles. When you are finished with the folds, you will have what resembles a book jacket with inside flaps, a spine, and a front and back cover. Book jacket noun the noun book jacket has 1 sense 1. According to rachel, qualifications can include writing courses, college degrees, awards, bestseller lists and accolades or, for fiction authors, even a lifetime of interest. Here are a few technical things to keep in mind when designing your book cover and using templates. All the parts can be done in pieces and then assembled on the master template. How to write kickbutt bcc back cover copy wise ink blog. The pdf is an actualsize document so you can see exactly how its. Jun 22, 2011 discuss with your child how the book jacket is used to entice the reader and give information about what the book is about. He lives in northern california with the wife, the kids, the dog, that cat, and he occasionally wears pants. Using a book from your home as an example, talk about what is included on the front cover, such as an image, the title of the book, the author and illustrators name. How to write a book description that sells with examples.