Arts >> Books >> Book Publishing

How to Write Your Own Book Jacket

Authors who prefer to self-publish are responsible for publicity. With excellent publicity strategies a self-published book can gain the audience necessary to ensure a success. A book jacket or the flap copy is a significant component of publicity, as it herald the book's contents. A book jacket operates essentially as a print commercial for the book, and can be a deciding factor as to whether a book is sold. The flap copy, or text, is generally replicated in catalogs, excerpted in reviews and quoted in various media sources, so an excellently written book is crucial.

Instructions

    • 1
      Read and research several book jackets.

      Research your book's market. Visit bookstores and libraries to read other jacket copies in the genre.

    • 2
      Create an outline of the book jacket's contents.

      Outline a composite of the book jacket and underscore the essentials. The essentials can include a bio, a testimonial from a colleague, bullet points for non-fiction, and a cliffhanger for fiction in addition to the main synopsis.

    • 3
      Use highlighter to underscore key sentences for your book jacket content.

      Review your manuscript using a highlighter. Highlight passages, key words and significant or essential messages from your book.

    • 4
      Create a one-line synopsis of your book.

      Create a one-line synopsis of your book in third person. Draft several one-liners focusing on different aspects or characteristics of the book including a hook or compelling topic of interest.

    • 5
      Draft several versions of jacket copy to compare for the best content.

      Integrating the key words and passages, summarize your book's message in 100 words or less, creating a brief, succinct synopsis in the third person. Draft several versions of your copy to compare.

    • 6
      Read your final jacket copy out loud to ensure fluidity and rhythm.

      Revisit and refine the final copy of your content. Include a powerful hook to generate curiosity and capture interest.

    • 7
      Ask for feedback from other authors for a professional critque.

      Proofread completed content to edit typos and grammatical errors. Send printed proofs to colleagues in the publishing or genre for critique.

+:
+:

Book Publishing

Related Categories