View Our Book Catalog

2025 Book Catalog

BOOKSTORE Journey Institute Press

Journey Institute Press offers all of our books directly from our printer often at a reduced price to help offset basic shipping costs. Please consider purchasing our author’s books via the links below to help support local authors directly.

If you have trouble with purchasing due to pop-up blockers on your browser, see this INSTRUCTION page.

Click on an author’s name below to learn more about their books.

Page 1

Page 3

Books by Michael Jai Grant

The Limited Edition Bicentennial…. HARDCOVER

Grant, Michael Jai
$31.50

Buy Now

The Limited Edition Bicentennial…. PAPERBACK

Grant, Michael Jai
$18.95

Buy Now

Books by Laura L. Holloway

Dancing With Demons: A Love… HARDCOVER

Holloway, Laura L
$24.95

Buy Now

Books by Peggy Hill

Bedtime Stories For Grown Ups Vol. 1 HARDCOVER

Hill, Peggy
$24.97

Buy Now

Bedtime Stories for Grown Ups Vol 1 PAPERBACK

Hill, Peggy
$15.35

Buy Now

Books by Dafna Michaelson Jenet

It takes a little crazy to make a difference (Dafna’s Version) HARDCOVER

Michaelson Jenet, Dafna
$23.00

Buy Now

It takes a little crazy to make a difference (Dafna’s Version) PAPERBACK

Michaelson Jenet, Dafna
$15.95

Buy Now

Books by Michael Jenet

Trouble Comes In Threes HARDCOVER

Jenet, Michael
$23.00

Buy Now

Trouble Comes In Threes PAPERBACK

Jenet, Michael
$14.50

Buy Now

A Trio of Trouble HARDCOVER

Jenet, Michael
$23.00

Buy Now

A Trio of Trouble PAPERBACK

Jenet, Michael
$15.00

Buy Now

MOTIVESTIONS: The Missing Key to Living Your Best….HARDCOVER

Jenet, Michael
$21.57

Buy Now

MOTIVESTIONS: The Missing Key to Living Your Best ….PAPERBACK

Jenet, Michael
$15.95

Buy Now

A Better Life: A story of risk, dreams, hope, and HARDCOVER

Jenet, Michael $23.00

Buy Now

Books by Yaffa Kluggerman

The Broken Vase – HARDCOVER

Klugerman, Yaffa
$27.00

Buy Now

The Broken Vase PAPERBACK

Klugerman, Yaffa
$19.00

Buy Now

A Better Work: Reimagining Work in the 21st … HARDCOVER

Jenet, Michael $25.00

Buy Now

Books by David Last

Empty Plates: The Evolution of Hunger Relief, Unti …. HARDCOVER

Krepcho, Dave and Strom, Claire
$25.00

Buy Now

Empty Plates: The Evolution of Hunger Relief, Unti …. PAPERBACK

Krepcho, Dave and Strom, Claire
$17.50

Buy Now

Forged By Limitations – HARDCOVER

Last, David
$22.00

Buy Now

Books by Kirk Montgomery

The Heart of Teaching HARDCOVER

Lee, Lisa
$24.00

Buy Now

The Heart of Teaching PAPERBACK

Lee, Lisa
$14.00

Buy Now

Joey’s Journey: Who Rescued Who
HARDCOVER

Montgomery, Kirk
$22.99

Buy Now

Joey’s Journey: Who Rescued Who
PAPERBACK

Montgomery, Kirk< br/> $17.00

Buy Now

Page 1

Page 3

Storytellers Publishing General Non-Fiction

Wordbinders Publishing General Fiction

Curious Adventures Publishing Childrens

Guide Point North Publishing Self-Help

Mind Flash Publishing Education

Journey Ink Publishing Business

View Our Book Catalog

2025 Book Catalog

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.

View Our Book Catalog

BOOKSTORE Journey Institute Press

Journey Institute Press offers all of our books directly from our printer often at a reduced price to help offset basic shipping costs. Please consider purchasing our author’s books via the links below to help support local authors directly.

Books by Michael Jai Grant

Books by Laura L. Holloway

Books by Peggy Hill

Books by Dafna Michaelson Jenet

Books by Michael Jenet

Books by Yaffa Kluggerman

Books by Dave Krepcho

Books by David Last

Books by Lisa Lee

Books by Kirk Montgomery

Storytellers Publishing General Non-Fiction

Wordbinders Publishing General Fiction

Curious Adventures Publishing Childrens

Guide Point North Publishing Self-Help

Mind Flash Publishing Education

Journey Ink Publishing Business

View Our Book Catalog

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 23, 2021

Back Cover Copy for Nonfiction (Non-Narratives)

Back Cover Copy for Fiction (and Nonfiction Narratives)