Phone: 770-887-1462 Free Newsletter Signup

Rob Eagar

Marketing expertise to spread your message like wildfire.

  • Start Here
  • About
  • Books
    • The Author’s Guide to Marketing Books on Amazon
    • The Author’s Guide to Email Marketing
    • The Author’s Guide to Media Interviews
    • The Author’s Guide to Write Text That Sells Books
  • Coaching
    • 1:1 Book Marketing Master Class
    • Private Author Coaching Sessions
    • Amazon Book Description Service
  • Clients
    • Testimonials
    • Bestseller Case Studies
    • Client List
  • e-Courses
    • Mastering Amazon for Authors
    • Sell Books on a Shoestring Budget
    • Book Marketing for Beginners
  • Free Tips
    • Articles and Hot Tips for Authors
    • Blog
    • Newsletter Archive
  • Contact

Jul 01 2013

Why Authors Should Write Their Own Back Cover Copy

Did you know that the marketing language publishers create for your book’s back cover copy is rarely written by the marketing department? Instead, an editor with little marketing experience or a freelance writer outside the company is tasked with creating this important copy. This practice may explain why so many books display such ineffective, boring marketing text.

Why is most back cover copy ineffective? Editors and freelance writers are rarely trained to think from a consumer’s point of view. They are word nerds who focus on fixing manuscripts and identifying what’s inside a book. But, they’re not very good at explaining to consumers the all-important purchasing question, “What’s in it for me?” And, it’s much harder to convince consumers to buy books when they can’t tell why the purchase is in their best interests.

As the author, you should take responsibility to write the back cover copy for your book. Why is it a big deal? Besides the back cover, the same text shows up everywhere, including your book’s Amazon page, the publisher’s website, sales catalog copy, press releases, author website, etc. If your back cover copy is boring, then the world will see a boring explanation of your book.

Preempt the publisher by writing your back cover copy early and submitting it ahead of time. Most publishers will appreciate that you took another task off of their long to-do list. Even better, you’ll get a greater chance to control how the world views your book.

Don’t just tell readers what’s in your book. Tell the reader what’s in it for them. If you need to improve they way you write marketing copy, see Chapter 1 in my book, Sell Your Book Like Wildfire. For good examples of persuasive marketing copy for fiction and non-fiction, check out these titles:

Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst

No Graves As Yet by Anne Perry

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

 

Written by Rob Eagar · Categorized: Author Tips, Marketing Tips, Monday Morning Marketing Tips

About Rob Eagar

Rob Eagar is the founder of WildFire Marketing, a consulting practice that helps authors and publishers sell more books and spread their message like wildfire. He is one of the rare consultants to help both fiction and nonfiction books hit The New York Times bestsellers list. Rob has consulted with numerous publishers and trained over 1,000 authors. He is the creator of The Author's Guide Series, a comprehensive collection of resources that teaches authors how to sell more books. Find out more at: WildFire Marketing and follow Rob on Twitter.

Three Bestselling Author Clients in 2024!

September 15, 2024 Posted by Rob Eagar

Announcing 3 bestselling author clients in 2024! What an amazing year so far…

Continue Reading »

Book Marketing Master Class
  • About
  • Books
  • Consulting
  • Free Tips
  • Blog
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

© 2025 WildFire Marketing

Website by Wildfire Marketing