Gelfuso-Losh – The Journey Institute

Andrea Susan Valentine Gelfuso Goetz is an environmental attorney who teaches law, and loves kids, animals, exploring the world and writing about it, and making people laugh.

Lindy Lou Losh – After 20+ years in corporate America, Lindy returned to her childhood dream of becoming an artist. She hopes her art will inspire others to be kind, empathetic, and inclusive. Born in Homestead, PA, Lindy now enjoys life in Brighton, CO, with her amazing husband, son, daughter, dogs, cats, and turtles.

Zuri the zebra spends her days walking back and forth in her zoo enclosure with nothing to do. When Sam the zookeeper forgets some cans of paint, Zuri’s neighbors, a pair of rascally chimpanzees, agree to help her brighten things up. The colorful zebra begins to attract a lot of attention, but everyone is more focused on the holiday season’s gift-giving to worry about the plight of the animals at the zoo. Can Zuri and her friends help change the seasons of giving after all?

Read an early review of the book:

Zuri the Zebra is a delightful children’s book that combines humor, the holiday spirit, and a heartfelt message about giving back.

The story revolves around Zuri, a zebra who finds herself bored and uninspired in the confines of her enclosure in the zoo. With the help of some mischievous chimps, Zuri comes up with creative ways to draw attention to the not-so-great conditions of the zoo. Her bold expressions inspire people to re-think the meaning of the holiday season and to donate towards improving the living conditions for all the animals at the zoo.

One of the highlights of this book is the ability of the author, Andrea Gelfuso, to blend humor with a meaningful message. While the book is undeniably fun, it also serves as a subtle reminder of the conditions animals face in captivity and as a cautionary tale of getting overly caught up in the materialism that often surrounds the holidays. By cleverly weaving these messages into the story, young readers are encouraged to think about the true meaning of the holiday season.

The illustrations by Lindy Lou Losh are vibrant, colorful, and full of life. Each page is filled with images that capture the personalities of the individual animals and celebrate the diverse group of people that come to support them.

Although the story could have done more to condemn the conditions that many animals face in captivity or when put on display merely for our entertainment, it still provides a great opening to talk with kids about our relationships with animals and ways to advocate for them.

Overall, this heartwarming and playful children’s book is a must-read. The engaging storyline, witty dialogue, and captivating illustrations will keep readers of all ages entertained from start to finish.

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Zuri the Zebra and the Seasons of Giving HARDCOVER

Gelfuso, Andrea and Losh, Lindy Lou

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Zuri the Zebra and the Seasons of Giving PAPERBACK

Gelfuso, Andrea and Losh, Lindy Lou

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or wherever books are sold

Please note: Due to Amazon’s continued assault on independent authors and publishers, this book may not be available at its retail price and only through 3rd party sellers at increased markups. Please consider Barnes & Noble if purchasing from an online retailer.

The back cover copy you write for your book is among the most important marketing messages you’ll craft. It’s the essence of your book’s most exciting features, distilled into a few hundred words. It typically serves as the foundation for your online book descriptions, as well as any press releases or pitches you make to the media. It will get re-used and re-fashioned for dozens of purposes. Whatever labor you expend on perfecting it will reward you in the long run.

Here are the key principles that publishers and authors alike use to create what should become a masterpiece of your book marketing and an essential piece of your book metadata.

Back Cover Copy for Nonfiction (Non-Narratives)

The most important question you must answer in your back cover copy is: Why and how will the reader benefit from this book? If you know your audience well, then you know the problems they face; your back cover copy should tell how your book addresses these problems head on and helps readers overcome a challenge or succeed.

Two of the most common mistakes that nonfiction authors make in crafting their back cover is:

Focusing too much on a description of the book’s content, rather than how the content will help, inform, or entertain the reader
Focusing too much on the author’s background, rather than how the author’s credentials or experience helps them expertly address the subject matter

Rather than crafting copy that’s a long, solid block of text, you can help ensure the copy is read by including (in this order):

A headline at the top of the cover that succinctly sums up the key benefit or selling point of the book—or consider a convincing quote (blurb) from a recognizable authority who recommends the book
About a 100-200 word summary that expands upon the headline and demonstrates the value of the book
A bullet list of features and benefits the book provides to readers
A final sentence or two to close the message, with a mention of the author’s credentials if not earlier described
(optional) Praise (blurbs) for the book from recognizable authorities
(optional) A brief author bio and author photo at the bottom of the cover

A professional designer can work wonders in arranging this information in a way that helps it get read, especially if you have a range of elements you’re trying to assemble (description, blurbs, bio, photo, awards, and so on).

Back Cover Copy for Fiction (and Nonfiction Narratives)

It’s not uncommon for traditional publishers to put nothing but blurbs or book reviews on a novel’s back cover, especially if it’s by an author who is already well-known. But that’s rarely the best strategy for authors who don’t already have an established audience. Potential readers will want to know what the story is about before committing, and the hook you provide may determine whether they start reading the first page or chapter. (The same is true of memoir and other true-to-life stories.)

The hook for the back cover isn’t so different from the hook you’d put in a query letter to a literary agent. The hook needs to convey:

Who is the main character(s)?
What do they most deeply desire?
What stands in the way?
What is the setting or context for the story?

If you can’t identify what the main character deeply desires, then ask: What challenge do they face? What sets their story in motion?

Ultimately, what you’re trying to get across is an intriguing story premise. For example, My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult tells the story of 13-year-old Anna, who was born as a “savior sister” specifically so she can save her older sister’s life. When Anna turns 13, she is told that she will have to donate one of her kidneys, and she sues her parents for medical emancipation.

That length of description is all you need to sell the story to potential readers. To improve your own story description, read the book marketing copy for dozens (even hundreds) of books in your genre, and pay attention to length, point of view or voice, as well as how much of the story is described. For example, it’s very popular for contemporary romance novel descriptions to be written from the point-of-view of the heroine. Here’s how the book marketing copy for Baller by Vi Keeland starts:

The first time I met Brody Easton was in the men’s locker room.
It was my first interview as a professional sportscaster.
The famed quarterback decided to bare all.
And by all, I don’t mean he told me any of his secrets.
No. The arrogant ass decided to drop his towel, just as I asked the first question. On camera.

In those 60 words, we know who the main character is, a good idea of what she desires (or will desire!), and what her challenge will be. We also know the setting or context.

No matter what category or genre your book falls into, you have to pack a lot of punch into a couple hundred words, sometimes less. Don’t just write one version and consider it done. Write multiple versions, test and gather feedback, and improve it until you feel it’s the best possible sales piece for your book.

Support local authors, buy direct!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 23, 2021

Back Cover Copy for Nonfiction (Non-Narratives)

Back Cover Copy for Fiction (and Nonfiction Narratives)