What is the function of the Back Cover?

[Ron Edwards]

I'm feeling pushy.

Perfect is a roleplaying game rooted in a world akin to Victorian era England, but which is under a harsh reign of terror. Laws are absurdly constricting to the point of absurdity, and status and fashion have become turned into legally-regulated modes of oppression.

Your The characters you play are people who break the laws in this world.  Whether it is curiosity, bitterness, love or hatred that drives you, you cannot rest at ease.

The Inspectors, men dressed in black suits, sit at every street corner. They watch you, they wait for you to slip up. They wait for the chance to change you; - to mould you.

This is a world where Colour is banned. This is a world where Love is against the law.
This is the world of Perfect, and this is where you live.

No discussion necessary; ignore any and all as you see fit.

Best, Ron

[Jake Richmond]

This may be a bit out there but I really think that if your game isn't likely to be carried in stores and most of your sales will come from online or con appearances then your back cover is only important as part of your book design. As such, it is important to take advantage of this space and consider it when designing your products appearance. If you don't need the back cover as a selling tool then I think you must take advantage of it as a presentation tool or as a functional part of the product. Either use it as part of the overall physical design that makes your book attractive and interesting and something the owner is happy tto own as a physical object as well as a game, or take advantage of the back cover as a "free page" and use it to present part of your product. Since the back cover will most likely be full color and on a heavier stock it shouldnt be too hard to think of something useful to put there (a GM screen, a character sheet, a map, whatever).

[Editor Drew]

I'd tend to agree with much of what Josh says above.  Will your text be a hardover or paperback?  Keep in mind that the front and back covers should aim both to attract the target market audience AND indicate the content classification of the text. If your book is a reference manual, the back cover will not typically include the level of description that you have posted here.

As ever,
  ACE

[Justin D. Jacobson]

The book will be softcover. I'm still deciding between standard-page size (8.5x11) or digest size (5.5x8.5). Obviously, if I go with the latter, I'll probably have to cut the text down a bit. Having recently signed on with Key20 (what took me so long?), combined with convention sales as my primary in-person channels, I'm going to stick to the tradition back-cover function. Thanks to all who posted here--particularly with specific suggestions about my back cover text, which I will be incorporating.

[Joshua A.C. Newman]

I reckon this thread's about to close, so I'll just make a recommendation: dig up threads on book size (or start a new one). 8.5x11 is a good way to get your book lost in the pile, in my opinion.

[slade the sniper]

Wow, this is a highly technical site.  Apart from the fact that I know nothing of actual publishing (ISBN-10 vs ISBN-13 codes...yeah OK...I know what a bar code is), this thread is very interesting.

In my own experience (17 years), as well as those who I game with, the front cover art grabs the attention (head shifts to cool picture), the title spurs interest (walk over and look at it, turn book over), the back cover draws the potential consumer inside (reads blurb, says "huh, sounds cool").  The book is opened to the first page with either art or a table of contents.  The interior art must be viscerally appealing and the font on the table of contents must be easy to read and the layout of the book as described by the table of contents must make "sense" to the purchaser.  Begin in depth perusal of item.

Granted, this is a fairly specific model, but it is one that I use, and have observed on numerous occasions.  Go to your FLGS and observe the patrons.  The differences arise when an author is well known or a personal favorite, wherein the item is usually quickly picked up and thumbed through to perhaps three individual pages to ensure that the item is up to the expected standards OR when the item is a well reviewed "must have", usually a supplement.  The consumer will then go directly to the item pick it up, may open the book and look for the material of interest, and once located, close the book and head for the counter.

Therefore, it is my opinion that the back cover of the book is vital to the decision to purchase the book.  It becomes even more important when the FLGS decides that perusal is somehow "bad" and covers all of their wares in the abhorrent shrink wrap.  That would mean that the ONLY text the consumer can see is the back cover, so it better be convincing.

It is refreshing to see that topics such as this receive such good input.

-STS

[KeithBVaughn]

The backcover is the second stage of selling the book. It serves no other purpose-nor should it. It is your sales spiel when you're not there. One more hint, don't make it sound like an advertizement or people's BS shields will go up and the back cover's effectiveness will go right down the tubes.

My theory on  the four stages of cold selling a game. ]

1. The cover to induce the customer to pick up the book.
2. The back cover to get a preliminary feel for the game.
3. Opening the covers to look at the art and see if the customer wants to adventure in that world.
4. Reading to see if the author can write and if the previous three steps are backed up by the game presentation

As for the second question. Try writing it as if one of the characters were talking about the world and then hit with technicalities. Remember people read  books for leisure time and technical manuals for work.

Best of Luck,
Keith

[Ron Edwards]

Hi guys,

This thread is just old enough to be about closeable ... even so, I would say "go for it" and keep discussing, except that the points of discussion were pretty solidly resolved. I think it's time to let this thread rest in peace, from this point on.

Best, Ron