Step 4: Jacket Copy
Here’s what you’ve accomplished towards your project so far. You:
If you haven’t done these things yet, you can always catch up by following the links!
This week’s task is to write the jacket copy for your project, even though you haven’t written your book / story / essay / flash / poem / project / whatever yet!
What’s jacket copy? Grab any book near you and look at the back cover if it’s a paperback or the inside flap if it’s a hardcover. See that snappy, succinct, interest-grabbing text? That’s the jacket copy (sometimes called back cover copy) of a book.
Go to Amazon and look up one of your comps. See the summary of the book right next to the cover? Same thing: it’s the jacket copy. It’s what makes readers decide to buy a book and it’s what gets an agent or editor interested. It’s the description of what’s in the book and the transformation it promises. It’s sales copy.
Remember the point you wrote the other week? Jacket copy is an expanded version of your point. Jacket copy tells the reader what material the book is going to cover, why it matters, and why you’re the best person to deliver this content to them. It also gives a sense of what the shape or structure of the book will be, for example, “the book follows a 14-step process” or “the book takes readers through a 6-week transformation journey” or “in 22 interviews” or “there are 365 entries.”
Let’s look at an example. I often use Rachel Rodgers’ We Should All Be Millionaires to illustrate points I want to make about nonfiction books because I think it’s a well-executed book, so here is her jacket copy, with my comments in italics in brackets:
Are you ready to fill your life with more peace, power, and joy? [She calls out to her ideal reader – her ideal reader can recognize herself.]
We Should All Be Millionaires details a realistic, achievable, step-by-step path to creating the support, confidence, and plan you need to own your success and become the millionaire the world needs you to be. [This is what the book is about and what it will do for the reader, plain and simple.]
Only 10 percent of the world’s millionaires are women, making it difficult for women to wield the economic power that will create lasting equality. Whatever is stopping you from having seven figures in the bank—whether it’s shaky confidence, knowledge gaps when it comes to wealth building tactics, imposter syndrome, a janky mindset about money (it’s okay, we’ve all been there!), or simply not knowing where to begin—this book shows you how to clear every obstacle in your way, show up, and glow up. [This paragraph details why this book is important and who it is important for.]
We Should All Be Millionaires will forever change the way you think about money and your ability to earn it.
In this book, Rachel Rodgers—a Black woman, mother of four, attorney, business owner, and self-made millionaire—shares the lessons she’s learned both in her own journey to wealth and in coaching hundreds of women through their own journeys to seven figures. [This paragraph tells you why the author is the best person to teach you these skills and lessons – she has walked this road herself.]
Inside, you’ll learn: [And here there is an overview of the topics/instructions within the book so the reader knows specifically what it’s about.]
Why earning more money is not “selfish” or “greedy” but in fact, a revolutionary act that brings the economy into balance and creates a better world for all.
Why most of the financial advice you’ve heard in the past (like “skip your daily latte to save money”) is absolute, patriarchal nonsense.
An eye-opening history lesson on how women and people of color have been shut out of the ability to build wealth for centuries—and how we can fix this.
How to stop making broke-ass decisions that leave you feeling emotionally and financially depleted and start making million-dollar decisions instead.
Why aiming to earn $100K per year is not enough, and why you need to be setting your goals much higher.
Strategies to bring more money in the door and fatten your bank account immediately. (Including Rodgers’$10K in 10 Days Challenge which hundreds of women have completed—with incredible results.)
It’s time to construct an entirely new attitude about money, claim your power, and build the financial security that you need and deserve — so you can stop just surviving, and start thriving. Let’s begin. [This is her point and a killer sentence/bumper sticker for her book!]
Why do we need jacket copy?
Because it helps us sell our project. Before it’s jacket copy, it’s the query letter you email to agents and editors and/or it’s the overview of your proposal. What you do now will come in handy later, I promise. Plus, it’s a way to stay focused and excited on the big picture of your project.
Your turn! Write the jacket copy for your project. Aim for about 250-350 words.
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