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Good morning, writers!

A few months back, we wrote a how-to on BCC, or back cover copy. BCC is the text on the back (or inside flap, if it’s a hardcover) that summarizes your book.

Good BCC will make readers snap up a book in a heartbeat. Bad BCC will leave it lying on the shelf.

This is because BCC is not just what your book is about. It’s sales material just as much (if not more) as summary. 

So, without further ado, here’s a list of the 9 deadly sins that indie authors make while writing their BCC.

1. It’s too long. BCC should be 100-150 words. No negotiations. Anything shorter won’t give your readers a sense of the story, and anything longer won’t get read.
2. It’s one block of text. Sales materials are required to be visually appealing. If you’re browsing in a store and flip over to find a big old chunk of text on the back of a book, you’re not going to read it. Keep paragraphs to four lines at most.
3. Too many words are repeated. And yes, this also includes your title. In such a small space, repeated words (including names and places) stick out and seem clumsy. Invest in a thesaurus and play with word order.
4. The writing isn’t dynamic (part 1). When writing BCC, the temptation is to write straight story summary. Oftentimes, this means that your sentences follow the same structure, which is boring. Rearrange clauses, and read it out loud to catch repeated patterns.
5. The writing isn’t dynamic (part 2). Remember when you were in elementary school and you learned about action verbs? Well, it’s time to dust those off and use them! Adding lots of action verbs to your BCC will make it (and your book) appear more exciting!
6. There’s no cliffhanger. You’re selling your book here, so don’t give everything away! Give your reader a sense of the tension and conflict addressed in your work. Leave them wanting more.
7. It’s too vague. There are billions of books out there, and dozens (or even hundreds) of books just like yours. However, YOUR book is unique, because it’s yours. Your BCC needs to highlight the specifics of the story to make it stand out rather than just giving us the gist. Give us a reason to buy YOUR book about a fantasy quest instead of someone else’s.
8. It’s not REALLY about what your book is about. Did your beta readers come away with your book thinking it was about something a little different that what you first intended? Well, that’s REALLY what your book is about, so write your BCC accordingly. Don’t give your readers the wrong idea!
9. It’s not proofread. Oh, you might say, my BCC is 150 words. I don’t need to hand this off to a proofreader! I’ll just go through it myself! Wrong. BCC is the first thing a potential reader sees, and one mistake will make your whole endeavor seem like it’s not worth the price. Send it to EVERYONE and get their feedback.

Writers, do you have any more BCC sins?

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