How to Write a Preface for Your Book

Not every book has to have a preface, but readers do enjoy learning more about how the book you wrote came together. The preface includes a brief description of the book and why you wrote it. It also can contain information on where and how you found your information and also any problems you encountered along the way.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Your book
• List of people who helped you write
• Computer

1. Write about why you wrote the book. If the book is a work of fiction, then write about how you got the idea for the story.
2. Give a brief description of the book. Is it a work of fiction or non-fiction? Give the reader a very brief preview of what they will find if they keep turning the pages.
3. Tell your readers how you did your research for the book. Did your research involve countless hours at the library, interviews with professionals or a trip to another country? Here is where you briefly relate your research adventures.
4. List acknowledgments. Briefly take the time to thank those who helped you along your writing journey. Obviously, you’ll never be able to include every single person or institution, so try to keep this is brief as possible without hurting anyone’s feelings!
5. Recount any troubles you encountered along the way. The journey to write a completed book is strewn with triumphs, failures and near misses. Tell about those adventures in your preface.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep it brief. You don’t want your preface to stretch more than two pages. Ideally, the preface should be one page or less.