How Long Should A Preface Be

A preface is an introductory passage written about a book by its author. It lays out why the book exists, its bailiwick matter, and its goals. Prefaces are more than usually found in nonfiction books, but they can likewise be used in fiction.

Because prefaces are function of a book's front end affair, they're often confused with forewords and introductions. Nonetheless, at that place are key differences among the iii: a preface gives explanatory context for the book, while the introduction dives directly into the story, segueing smoothly into the body text. And while a preface or an introduction is typically written by the book's author, a foreword is written by a separate person — unremarkably an expert who lends the book credibility.

preface | the preface as created in the Reedsy Book Editor app — The preface for Ricardo Fayet's *How to Marketplace a Book*, as created in Reedsy's Book Editor App.

Now that nosotros know what a preface is (and isn't), let's break downwardly what greater purposes they can serve in a book, along with some examples to demonstrate.

Gets the reader invested

A preface is an author's chance to sell readers on their book. It should be written with the intent to describe readers in, rather than simply self-mythologize or over-egg a bulletin that is already clearly conveyed in the book. Instead of boosting their own ego or spoon-feeding their message to readers, an writer should aim to whet readers' appetites with their preface.

To that end, a preface should give some irresistible insights into a book'due south content. In nonfiction, this may be a cursory mention of the book's thesis and the areas it will embrace, while in fiction, authors accept a trivial more creative freedom to tempt their audience. Regardless of what's in it exactly, your preface should practice i matter to a higher place all: compel readers to keep turning the pages.

Example #i: Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner

Titled "An Explanatory Annotation," the preface to this nonfiction phenomenon gives us a glimpse not only into the co-authors' backgrounds only likewise into their relationship to 1 another. It recalls a meeting of the minds between the economist fascinated by "riddles of everyday life" and the announcer who was relieved to encounter an bookish with a talent for speaking in plainly English. With the authors' bona fides firmly established, this preface beautifully tees up what the reader tin can look: 18-carat bookish insight into economics, written plainly however with passion.

💡 Requite exclusive-yet-succinct insights to intrigue

Don't go overboard in teasing what'due south to come — this is a risk to prove off your content and draw readers in, not to baby your audience through points that will get perfectly obvious in the form of your volume. Bated from a brief description of the key figures (or main characters, if writing fiction) and cadre themes, leave the rest upwardly to the book itself. Less is more than!

And to differentiate your preface from, say, your blurb, brand these insights sound similar they're really coming from you lot (which they are!). You lot can practice this not just by writing in your authorial voice simply also by signposting your personal opinion. Discuss how excited you are for readers to meet a favorite figure/graphic symbol, or to read a chapter you're especially proud of. But again, don't be also effusive — in terms of length, your preface should exist ii-iii pages at almost.

Explains why the volume was written...

A preface is a perfect place to provide the rationale behind a volume and what the author's goal was in writing it. If they were driven by a specific purpose, or have something they hope their readers will larn from the book, this is their opportunity to share it.

The writer might reveal what inspired them to write this book, how they came to intendance nigh the subject, or why they're uniquely qualified to write nearly it. Knowing that the writer has a passionate, personal connection to the subject tin can get readers excited — not to mention that sharing relevant credentials or experience volition reassure them that they're in safe easily.

Case #2: A Promised Land past Barack Obama

The preface to Barack Obama's latest memoir, A Promised State, invites the reader to join him at the terminate of his presidential run. He reveals that he started writing the book on his last flying on Air Force Ane, driven by a need to record his time in office. But A Promised Land is more a chronicle; Obama states that the greater reason for this volume was to show what it's really similar to be the president and to inspire others with his story of finding purpose in public service.

What is a preface: image of Barack Obama — Obama'south preface to his memoir is such a powerful mission statement it's been widely excerpted.

His preface provided such a potent introduction to the volume that it was not just highly effective at enticing readers, only also worked as a standalone piece. The preface was widely excerpted and republished during the publicity push for A Promised Land — a lesson that a well-written preface can be an extremely useful weapon in your book's promotional arsenal.

💡 Ground your book in a single lightbulb moment

Your readers don't need to know nigh every single event leading up to your book. Rather, consider following in Obama'south footsteps and grounding your book in a particular moment of inspiration, as he had on Air Force Ane. Don't waffle around most how you always wanted to write something — instead, pinpoint a meaningful, memorable moment for the story to begin.

Again, your preface is your chance to tell your volume'due south story — and this can not but mean why, but besides how it came to be. An writer can utilise a preface to reveal behind-the-scenes info most the writing process that might pique readers' interest.

Almost important (and exciting for the reader!) is to share details of the writing journey itself. What challenges did you have to overcome equally an author? How did your perspective evolve as you lot wrote the book? It's of import non to become also navel-gazey when explaining these aspects, but some brilliant autobiographical details can really get readers invested in yous and your work.

You might besides include methodological matters in your nonfiction preface: how yous conducted your research, why y'all took a item arroyo, and the specific parameters of your book (i.e. why you've focused on this topic and what the limits of your knowledge are). It reassures readers that you've done your due diligence and shows you're fully transparent.

Case #3: Trick Mirror by Jio Tolentino

Although she labels it an introduction, Jia Tolentino's preamble to her 2020 essay drove Play tricks Mirror falls comfortably under the definition of a preface, and is a great case of an author capitalizing on the opportunity to contextualize their work and elaborate on how and why she wrote it.

In the preface, Tolentino explains how she wrote these essays in the backwash of the 2016 Usa election, as a way of reconciling her fragmented view of reality and herself in the wake of such a seismic political shift. Providing a brief introduction to the 9 essays, she likewise gives individual context for each. While the

work can be appreciated equally a whole without it, Tolentino'due south preface lays out the emotional conditions and historical background that gave ascent to information technology (more on historical context in prefaces subsequently!) in a mode that gives the reader a new perspective on the primary body of her drove.

💡 Add together an writer signature to seal this moment in time

The standard preface format includes a "signature" from the author, along with the appointment and fourth dimension of writing. This is an excellent way to betoken that you're writing with hindsight: now that you're at the end of your writing journey, you lot can reflect on how the book's management may have changed over time, and how your own life and emotions were afflicted while writing.

This slight temporal distance from your original work will non only brand the preface feel more profound, but the specific date will also seal this particular moment in fourth dimension — which could be fascinating for posterity.

What is a preface: signed preface to Adventures of Huckleberry Finn — Signing and dating a preface is part of the standard formula. (Source: *Adventures of Huckleberry Finn*)

If certain details will add together to the reader'south feel but don't quite fit in the book itself, the preface is the place to share them. When the author wants to situate their story without explicitly doing so in the main text, they can use the preface to fill in whatever gaps.

With nonfiction, authors will often mention previous, relevant literature or research in their preface, placing the work in a wider bookish or historical context. A preface likewise provides context to future readers — in example anything changes afterward you write the book, the preface can admit that, while explaining how the original piece of work is still valuable. And of course, if you lot as the author change your mind well-nigh something, you can re-issue your book with a preface explaining how your views have evolved or what y'all would practise differently today.

That said, some authors forget that many readers will (unfortunately) breeze direct through the front matter — so if something is truly essential to a reader'due south agreement, this isn't the place for information technology. A preface is best viewed every bit bonus insight into a volume, rather than a presentation of things you must know to empathise it; information like that would exist improve labeled equally an introduction.

Instance #4: Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow

Ronan Farrow'southward journalistic truthful crime book, Catch and Kill, recounts the challenges the author faced while investigating powerful media predators like Harvey Weinstein, and the widespread industry corruption that allowed them to hide in evidently sight for decades. Every bit a result, new developments were coming out fifty-fifty every bit the book was going to press.

To make upward for this, Farrow included a preface discussing developments in the story after the book was submitted to editors — a perfect instance of a preface giving illuminating context which can't fit neatly into the main narrative of the volume.

💡 Highlight the volume's fundamental influences

Besides as historical, geographical, or social context, yous can also reference literary context here. If you're specially indebted to or inspired by an author or literary tradition, mentioning it inside your book's preface lets prospective readers know what to expect and look out for.

One author who took this approach (bonus example warning!) was Virginia Woolf, who included a long list of literary "friends" in the preface of Orlando:

"Many friends have helped me in writing this volume. Some are dead and so illustrious that I scarcely dare proper name them, however no one tin read or write without being perpetually in the debt of Defoe, Sir Thomas Browne, Sterne, Sir Walter Scott, Lord Macaulay, Emily Bronte, De Quincey, and Walter Pater, to proper noun the offset that come to mind. Others are alive, and though perhaps as illustrious in their own mode, are less formidable for that very reason."

It'due south a nice manner of placing your story within a canonical context, hinting at possible literary allusions your readers may find afterwards in the book, and acknowledging the authors who paved the manner for you lot. Note, however, that you can e'er save these kinds of acknowledgments for the back thing of your book.

If you lot practise opt to include a preface, it's these unassuming pages that will kick off your work. So no matter what you cull to include, brand sure information technology starts with a bang — so that your volume doesn't go on on a whimper.

Speaking of which, permit's continue on to the next department: the prologue!