How to Dedicate a Book

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What Is a Book Dedication?

A book dedication is a way for authors to bestow a high honor on a person (or small group of people) they want to praise or otherwise spotlight. It’s not fundamentally different than dedicating anything else, like a ship or a monument.

The dedication usually goes on the dedication page, which is in the very front of the book, after the Title page.

Who Can an Author Dedicate Their Book To?

Anyone they like. A dedication section is short and usually focused on one person (or specific group of people). It’s usually personal, rather than professional.

Here are the categories of people that are common focuses of a book dedication:

1. Family members (spouse, children, siblings, parents)
2. Close friends
3. People impacted by the book or featured in it
4. The readers of the book
5. Inspirational or supportive figures in one’s life
6. People the author wants to highlight in some way

Do You Need to Dedicate Your Book?

No. Most authors dedicate their books, but it’s not required or mandatory.

How to Dedicate Your Book

1. Decide Who Will Be the Focus

Think about the people to whom you want to dedicate this work. Who was the most important person? The seminal influence? The people you care the most about?

Many people write their book dedication to a child or dedicate their book to a friend who’s impacted their creative process. There’s no magic formula. This should be short and sweet, and there are no wrong answers. You are expressing a personal sentiment, so only you can decide.

The worst thing you can do is get stuck on it. Either do it or don’t. If you decide to have one, don’t fret over it. Go with your gut. Anyone you leave out can be thanked in the Acknowledgments (which goes at the end of the book).

2. Remember: Everyone Who Reads the Book Will See This

As the dedication is at the beginning of a book (on the dedication page), many of the readers will read it and be influenced by it. Think not just about the person or people named in the book dedication, but also about all of the readers who will pass by this page and be impacted. Make a conscious choice about what you want that impact to be (if any).

And yes, though everyone will see it, no one but the person you mention will remember it. Want proof? Name your favorite book dedication. Chances are you can’t name one.

3. Make It Short—It’s Not the Acknowledgements

In contrast to an Acknowledgments section, the dedication should be short and to the point. You should not mention everyone who contributed to the book’s creation.

That is what the Acknowledgements is for (if you want).

4. Review Book Dedication Examples (if needed)

The easiest way to get examples of a book dedication is to pick up any book on your shelf and look at the selection. Almost every book has a dedication, so you can find endless examples.

Most of them as very basic and simple, something like this:

For my wife Megan and children, Ava, Jaxon, and Elle.

George R. R. Martin, who wrote the Game Of Thrones series, has a unique dedication in A Song of Ice and Fire:

For Phyllis, who made me put the dragons in.

This concise line holds enormous depth for both the readers and the person mentioned. If you’ve read the books or seen “Game of Thrones”, you’d know that dragons and the fantasy world they represent were a big part of the appeal. To imagine the book without them would be nearly impossible. Phyllis clearly played a big role in the creation of this piece (it’s also an inside joke for fans).

Here’s the dedication that C. S. Lewis wrote to his goddaughter in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe:

I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand a word you say, but I shall still be
your affectionate Godfather,

This book was listed as one of TIME Magazine’s Top 100 Novels ever written, and yet he wrote it for his goddaughter. This dedication gives real substance to the book, and the author, before you even dive in.

This next example is a short-and-sweet dedication from a book I co-wrote with Dr. Geoffrey Miller:

To our 17-year-old former selves, and to Bishop, Atalanta, and all the sons and daughters who deserve the great relationships we want for them.

Neil Gaiman’s fans often look forward to his dedications, because they are so colorful, and in some cases, even part of the book. For example, from his book Anansi Boys:

You know how it is. You pick up a book, flip to the dedication, and find that, once again, the author has dedicated a book to someone else and not you.

Because we haven’t yet met/have only a glancing acquaintance/are just crazy about each other/haven’t seen each other in much too long/are in some way related/will never meet, but will, I trust, despite that, always think fondly of each other…

This one’s for you.

With you know what, and you probably know why.

The dedication at for The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery is somewhat famous:

I ask the indulgence of the children who may read this book for dedicating it to a grown-up. I have a serious reason: he is the best friend I have in the world. I have another reason: this grown-up understands everything, even books about children. I have a third reason: he lives in France where he is hungry and cold. He needs cheering up. If all these reasons are not enough, I will dedicate the book to the child from whom this grown-up grew. All grown-ups were once children—although few of them remember it. And so I correct my dedication:

TO LEON WERTH
WHEN HE WAS A LITTLE BOY

Charles Bukowski in his book Post Office plays off the banal nature of most dedications by saying this:

This is presented as a work of fiction and dedicated to nobody.

There is a book called The Selection by Kiera Cass that has gotten some notoriety online with this book dedication:

5. Write Your Book Dedication

The number one thing to keep in mind is that there is NO specific formula for this. The dedication is one of the most personal sections in the book, and it’s up to you to decide how you want to use it.

What’s inside of your book is more important, and getting it out into the world is the MOST important thing.

There are some parts of the book creation process that many authors don’t think about until it is time to publish, and whether to include any acknowledgements or dedications is usually one of them.

You spend so many hours focusing on getting your story finished, and then many more hours editing and redrafting your book to make it into the best shape possible to publish, that often authors forget about people they’d like to thank or someone they’d like to dedicate their book to.

This naturally can be frustrating, as making changes to your book once it’s in the public domain can be tricky and expensive.

While writing a book can be a solitary task, it also, in some ways, involves many other people. Those who assist you with research, who help you with editing, or who simply support you and cook you hot meals through those long hours where you can’t quite tear yourself away from your work!

Taking the time to thank these people when your book is published is a good way to acknowledge the hard work, love and care of others that have helped make your book possible.

Acknowledgement or a dedication – what’s the difference?

Many authors chose to dedicate their books to a special someone, a partner, their children, a dear friend. A dedication is usually just a simple line explaining who the book is dedicated to, but could be an opportunity to write a heartfelt message or say something witty. Dedications can be skipped over by the reader, but can also help make the author seem more human, and endear the reader to them before they’ve even begun the story.

An acknowledgements page is a more lengthy affair. This can be a few pages long and go into more detail explaining who you would like to thank and why. This provides the author with an opportunity to show their gratitude as well as give credit where credit is due. Depending on what kind of book you have written you may have relied heavily on help from someone else, or many others, and it is important that you make this clear – if nothing else it means in your next book you may find people are more than willing to help you again!

Who should be acknowledged?

Typically, authors mention friends and family members who have supported and guided them throughout the book crafting process, their sources, editors, illustrators, mentors and, if they have one, of course, their publisher!

What should be included in an acknowledgement?

This really is up to you. You can keep it very simple or can go into more detail. However, it is important to try not to go too overboard – authors can get the fear they will leave someone out and don’t know when to draw the line – you don’t need to thank every person that ever did anything nice for you in your life – try to keep it short and sweet. It can be a good idea to get someone to take a look before you make it set in stone. This way you can be sure it reads well doesn’t go on for too long and you haven’t left anyone crucial out!

A dedication and an acknowledgements page is a nice way to finish the book creation process on a positive and humble note. Let’s face it, it’s rare that an author gets to the publishing stage completely by themselves, and thanking those who helped you along the way will fill everyone with that warm, fuzzy feeling – and they’ll probably all buy your book too!

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

How To Write A Good Book Review

A book review is a summary of a book that you have read. You should review all aspects of the story. A book review is therefore written after reading (you may always order review at writing service without reading a book) because without reading the book it is difficult to figure out what it is all about and the review will, therefore not make sense. A wide reader will have an easy time in book review writing. This article highlights the guidelines for review writing.

Content of this article

1. Preparations
2. Structure elements
3. Tips for writing
4. How to conclude
5. Samples

1. Preparation for writing a book review

• Most people do not know how to write a book review. The following are the guidelines to writing. First, know some information about the author, like some of his other books and some basic knowledge as it opens up your mind on what to expect as you begin reading.
• Read the chosen book when very alert. As you read, make sure that you take down notes. The notes written should be relevant and important. Ensure that you document the very important parts of the book such as the theme, characters and what the plot is.
• Make sure that the notes written are detailed to avoid referring to the book too much when making the draft copy.
• Establish what the major themes of the book are. A book has about two or three major themes. Relate the themes to the contemporary society and understand why the author decided to pick on those themes. Be keen to see how the themes blend with one another.
• As you read, notice the weak points of the book. This could be character building or plot. Any weak point in the book should be highlighted to ensure that it is not left out.
• Highlight the uniqueness of the text. Why do you find the book unique in its way? What separates it from all others of the same genre? It takes a keen eye and a vivid reader to know why a book is unique.
• Based on your assumption, why do you think that the book is a success? It is derived from your opinion. It might be a success or a failure.

2. Structure of a review

There are different book review structures. The key review tips to consider are as follows. Whichever the format used, these should be inclusive.

1. Making a draft

The first step to writing a successful book review is always to make a review draft. It is a rough outline for a book review. It includes gathering up the notes taken and making a body out of them. Place the notes in chronological order and write in prose form what you think should be included in the book review. Being the book review introduction, it is written without making any corrections. The draft is the skeleton of the review and gives an overview of how the final copy should be. Know the book review structure to use.

2. The heading

The heading is written in bold and capital letters. Write the name of the book and the author.

3. Introduction

In the introduction for a book review, explain who you are. In a paragraph, states that the review is about a book you have read. Start with a couple of sentences that describe what the book talks about. However, do not reveal any plot twists or character plays. In the introduction write about the author and his other works. Reveal whether or one needs to read a particular book to follow or not. The introduction should not contain any spoilers. The introduction lays the foundation for the review.

4. Summary

The summary includes details about the book. While writing the summary, book review outlining should be observed. It shows how you feel about the book, how it is written and how the story is told.

3. Tips for good writing

The key book review tips to consider in book review writing are:

• Character development

Tell who your favorite character was and why. Why did the character stand out for in the book?

Did the characters feel real to you and why? How well did the characters grow in the book? Explain to your readers what you think about how well the author developed the characters in the book. Show a pattern of development from the start.

• Plot

Did the author keep you guessing? A good book is one that has suspense till the end or was the story predictable. Explain how well the author brought out emotions like happiness or sadness. Explain what your favorite part in the book was. You can quote phrases in the book that you found to bring out the best. The phrases should be written in italics and quoted. Was the story captivating to keep you turning the pages? If you got bored or lost at a point, explain why and what you think should be done about it.

• Theme

The theme is what the book is all about. Some of the most popular themes are:

• love,
• marriage,
• business,
• financial management,
• leadership,
• revenge,
• death.

The prologue of the book gives an overview of what to expect in the book. As you read, identify whether or not the author stuck to the intended theme. Did you feel the relevance of the theme or did it come off as just another book? This is what sells the book.

4. How to conclude a book review

In a book review conclusion, the writer can state whether or not they have any books they have written. Give a possible link to other book reviews done.

Critique

This is the conclusion of a book review, and it explains what you did not like about the book. It could be ending or the story. Was the conclusion to your liking? Or would you have preferred if it ended in a particular way? For example, would you have preferred a happy ending and not a cliffhanger? Compare the book to others of its kind and state the differences. It allows the reader to see that the review was based on a large pool of books.

Ensure that the review outline is the recommended one. Recommend the audience you think would find the book interesting and why for example the youth, couples or entrepreneurs. You can also rate the book.

What is the convention when you want to dedicate a work to someone who is dead? It is necessary to be explicit about that?

For example, I am writing my thesis and would like to dedicate it to my parents. However my father passed away while I was studying. I would like to dedicate it to both him and my mother, any suggestions?

Is it ok to say “to my loving parents” even though one of them is actually not with us anymore?

2 Answers 2

The phrase “to [name]” is perfectly applicable to persons past, present and future, as it does not contain a finite verb form or any other time reference.

Also, there is no reason why a book could not be dedicated to someone who is no longer alive. Many books that I own are dedicated to persons that were part of the authors life but are no longer with us.

Some authors expand the dedication, explaining the relationship (“to my son Paul”), the reason for the dedication (“for their help with. “), when they lived (“1907-1983”) or whatever else the author wants to mention. Some dedications are quite mysterious though (“to D.”), and only comprehensible for the person in question.

I’m sorry to learn of your father’s death. To answer your question, I would ask a few questions of my own.

Did your father ever stop loving you before he died?

If he were alive today, would he continue to love you?

Did your father’s love for you help you to achieve your educational ambitions?

Has he love for you helped to shape who you are today?

I already know from your question what the answers will be. I think, therefore, that your father has every right to the dedication you want to make to him. He has loved you, sponsored you, worried about you and encouraged you to this point and the only reason he cannot physically show his love for you now is because, sadly, he is no longer alive.

I don’t know how old you are but your Dad put x years of love and work into you – and it is your thesis and your way of recognising what both your mother and your father have contributed to make you the scholar you are today.

As for the rest of the world, it is an unfortunate fact of life that no-one else will actually care about the wording of your dedication. However, your thesis is the culmination of your studies, is something intensely personal to you and – I imagine – you will keep a copy of it for many, many years to come.

If you do dedicate your thesis to your loving parents, no-one but you and your mother will care – but it will mean something important for a long time to come.

If you only dedicate your thesis to your living mother, she will be hurt (assuming she loved your father).

If you do not dedicate your thesis to your father and mother together, no-one else will ever care . but you will and you will live to regret your decision for many years.

Be proud of who you are. Be proud of how your parents have helped you. Dedicate your thesis to your loving parents and you will have something to treasure.

The other day I was flipping through my Instagram feed and came across a dedication that I liked so much it sent me to the library to get the book. (It’s easy to get great book recommendations from Instagram.) It made me realize how many fantastic dedications there are, and how often I skim right over them. So I asked readers what their favorites were, and here are some that were sent to me.

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Andersen

For the girls with messy hair and thirsty hearts.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Sarfran Foer (to his wife, novelist Nicole Krauss)

For Nicole, my idea of beautiful.

For my grandparents, who taught me the opposite of disappearing.

To all the girls who have faced injustice and have been silenced. Together we will be heard.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (to her daughter)

To Daisy, who kicked out the walls of my heart.

To all those who lead monotonous lives, in the hope that they may experience at second hand the delights and dangers of adventure.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

What can I say about a man who knows how I think and still sleeps next to me with the lights off?

TO LUCY BARFIELD

I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand a word you say, but I shall still be

your affectionate Godfather,

Ania, I love you, will you marry me?

This book is dedicated to my childhood glasses. You made me who I am today.

If you haven’t had enough great dedications, here are seven more. What is your favorite book dedication?

Expand your literary horizons with New Books!, a weekly newsletter spotlighting 3-5 exciting new releases, hand-picked by our very own Liberty Hardy. Sign up now!

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It was not uncommon in the past to devote one’s entire work life to a single company. Nowadays, workers tend to job-hop much more often. In fact, the average employee stays at the same job for only about four years. Even though employees want to explore different options today, they can still show dedication and devotion while in their positions. There are solid ways to show this interest in a job that a boss will notice.

Proactive Learning

Any time an employee shows that he wants to learn more about his job, it shows dedication in the workplace. Wanting to grow and learn about a position emphasizes that an employee cares about not only personal growth but the company’s well-being. Stagnation is going to affect a company’s bottom line. Ways to show growth in a job position are asking questions, taking classes for further development, and staying interested in new developments in the company’s field. For example, a web developer could show devotion to growing in his position by achieving new levels of certification.

Volunteering Solutions

Another way to show devotion is coming up with solutions to problems that are encountered in the workplace. An uninterested employee may sit back and watch processes take place that lead to the demise of the company without saying anything. However, dedicated employees jump in and think of solutions even if they aren’t on a managerial level. For example, if an administrative assistant witnesses that too much paper is being wasted when clearing out the printer and copier, he can present solutions to that problem to his boss. He could volunteer what documents can be be put online to save paper, and volunteer to monitor the company’s recycle bin. Regardless, showing this kind of interest is indicative of dedication to one’s job.

Putting In Overtime

One of the surefire ways of showing dedication to a job is by devoting more personal time to it. Time is a valuable commodity and a limited resource for everyone. When an employee is willing to give up his personal time, it’s one of the best ways to show devotion. The most obvious way to work overtime is by coming in early or staying late. Extra hours can also entail volunteering for special assignments or agreeing to be on call 24/7 for after-hours customer inquiries. While it’s necessary to still draw boundaries so that an employee isn’t burning himself out, giving a little extra here and there definitely shows dedication to work.

Assisting Co-Workers

Being a dedicated teammate also shows devotion to your job. Very few companies were built by a single person who had no help. It usually takes a team of dedicated workers to make a company a success. An employee can show that he is part of the team by jumping in and helping a co-worker complete a huge assignment on time, or training another employee on how to perform calculations on a spreadsheet when she’s stuck. To contribute more to the team atmosphere, an employee can look for ways to add to his team by sharing his unique skills.

DEDICATION I dedicate my dissertation work to my family and many friends. A special feeling of gratitude to my loving parents, William and Louise Johnson whose words of encouragement and push for tenacity ring in my ears. My sisters Katie, Linda and Rhonda have never left my side and are very special. I also dedicate this dissertation to my many friends and church family who have supported me throughout the process. I will always appreciate all they have done, especially Suquesta Myers for helping me develop my technology skills, LaTanja Riley-Hedgepeth for the many hours of proofreading, and Ramona Taylor for helping me to master the leader dots. I dedicate this work and give special thanks to my best friend Nelson L. Jennings and my wonderful daughter Cimone for being there for me throughout the entire doctorate program. Both of you have been my best cheerleaders.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank my committee members who were more than generous with their expertise and precious time. A special thanks to Dr. David Parks, my committee chairman for his countless hours of reflecting, reading, encouraging, and most of all patience throughout the entire process. Thank you Dr. Travis Twiford, Dr. Jerome Niles, Dr. Christina Dawson, and Dr. Neil Stamm for agreeing to serve on my committee. I would like to acknowledge and thank my school division for allowing me to conduct my research and providing any assistance requested. Special thanks goes to the members of staff development and human resources department for their continued support. Finally I would like to thank the beginning teachers, mentor-teachers and administrators in our school division that assisted me with this project. Their excitement and willingness to provide feedback made the completion of this research an enjoyable experience.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DEDICATION . ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . TABLE OF CONTENTS . LIST OF TABLES . LIST OF FIGURES. … CHAPTER ONE: THE PROBLEM Historical Perspective . Purpose. Theoretical Framework. Figure 1 . Context for Mentoring . The Needs of Beginning Teacher . The Needs of the Mentor Teacher . The Needs of the School Division . The Mentoring Program. Role of the Mentor . Personal Support . Confidence . Collegiality. Professional Community. Descriptive Research Questions . Definitions of Terms . Chapter Summary . Overview. CHAPTER TWO: METHODOLOGY.

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next dedication. Follow our helpful tips to

guide you through your next dedication page.

When you have finally completed the gruelling yet wonderful process of writing a book, short story. dissertation, etc. you are then faced with the difficult decision of dedicating this source of all your hard work to someone special. Here are some helpful tips to ease your anxiety and assist you in writing a dedication page.

Picking a person

The most difficult part of writing this piece of front matter is choosing who you would like to dedicate your work to. Some writers may find it to be the most difficult part of the whole process. When choosing who to write your dedication for, think about the process you just went through and who helped you get through it. This could include a variety of people, including a parent, sibling, or other family member, a spouse or partner, a friend, a supervisor, a colleague, or even a pet. This is a very personal choice and there is no wrong decision.

Naming names

After you have decided who you will write your dedication for, you must decide how you are going to identify them. This will be based on your own personal preference and what is appropriate, according to your relationship with that person. The identification could vary from formal to informal.

On the formal end of the spectrum, your dedication could be addressed to Dr. So and So, Mr. X, or even Mother and Father. In between formal and informal, there are options like Mom, Dad, My sister, My friend, a person’s first and last name (no title), etc. On the informal side, you could use the first name or nickname of someone you know.

Reason for the dedication

The next component in writing your dedication is explaining why you chose this person.

Many authors provide a reason for their dedication selections. As with the whole dedication process, this is an extremely personal and subjective decision. The dedication could simply be: “For my mom”; others may choose to explain their decision: “For my mom; without her I would not be here.” You may want to write a funny anecdote about the person, an experience you shared, or even a private joke shared only by the two of you. As seen in our example dedication page, there are many types of dedications, each with it’s own style. Your reason is completely dependent on your personality and your relationship with the person to whom you are dedicating your work.

Addressing the dedication

There are many ways you can address your dedication. You could write, “I dedicate this book to “, “This is dedicated to “, “To: “, “For: “, or simply just start writing your dedication without any formal address. It should be on its own page so everyone will get the hint that it is a dedication page, even if there isn’t any formal address. Take into consideration the person you have chosen to dedicate your work to, your personality, and the formality of your relationship and the address will follow suit.

Alternative dedications

It has been extremely popular over the years to write a dedication page using alternative formats. Authors have used poems or funny anecdotes to express their gratitude. In the past, many dedications were often written in the style of a formal letter .

The most important things to remember when writing a dedication are to keep it simple, concise, and ensure that it truly reflects your personality and your relationship with the person the dedication is for. Remember to get your finished dedication edited by one of our manuscript editors. You don’t want to overlook calling your spouse the pettiest person in the world when you really meant the prettiest person in the world!

You want the dedication to mean something, but how do you make it work? There are lots of options, from simple to complex and from formal to informal.

All the material that appears at the front of a book before the actual content is called front matter, and it actually contains some very important information!

So, you’ve finished writing your book and can’t figure out where to put that extra bit of necessary information? This article will explain the prologue and help you determine whether you should use one.

Many writers who think about self-publishing are taken aback when they start to put their book together for publication. It’s one thing to work on a manuscript, sometimes for years, getting the ideas right, the words to flow, the overall thematic arc to shine through for attentive readers.

But how do you turn that manuscript into a book? After all, there are lots of things in books that you’ll never see in a manuscript. Things like running heads, page numbers, half-title pages, indexes… stuff like that.

And the part of a book that most confuses new independent authors, in my experience, is the front matter.

What is Front Matter Anyway?

Books are divided into three basic parts:

1. front matter
2. body of the book
3. back matter

What you’ve been working on, the manuscript you’ve sweated and struggled over, will form the body of the book.

Back matter is reserved for things like an index, a glossary, notes and other material that doesn’t belong in the body of the book itself, but which you’d want to include for the convenience of readers or to make the book complete.

That leaves the front matter. Here are the elements you can find in the front matter of books, and a brief description of each. You probably won’t include all of these, but pick and choose which work best for your unique title.

• Half title—This page contains only the title of the book and is typically the first page you see when opening the cover. This page and its verso (the back, or left-hand reverse of the page) are often eliminated in an attempt to control the length of the finished book.
• Frontispiece—An illustration on the verso facing the title page.
• Title page—Announces the title, subtitle, author and publisher of the book. Other information that may be found on the title page can include the publisher’s location, the year of publication, or descriptive text about the book. Illustrations are also common on title pages.
• Copyright page—Usually the verso of the title page, this page carries the copyright notice, edition information, publication information, cataloging data, legal notices, and the book’s ISBN or identification number. Credits for design, production, editing and illustration are also commonly listed on the copyright page.

Paginating Your Front Matter

The other thing to remember about front matter is that we often use a different style of page numbering in this section of the book. Many authors ask me if this is an anachronism or if they need to bother with roman numerals at all.

There’s actually a simple reason for this pagination scheme, and it has to do with indexing. Typically, books are corrected to the point that the pages will no longer reflow. There may still be errors to be corrected or references to be cross-checked, but the text of the book is basically set. Once the index is complete, if the page numbers start to change, a lot of work will have to be re-done.

For instance, suppose that famous writer you asked for a preface all of a sudden gets the time to write one for you. Now you’ve got to insert it into the book. If you’ve used roman numerals to paginate your front matter, you have no problem, since the page numbers in the body of the book won’t change.

But if you started your page numbering at the title page with page 1, all the page numbers in the book will change once you drop in that wonderful new preface. And that’s why we use roman numerals.

This leads to the conclusion that if you are not going to index the book, and it’s not critical what your final page count is, you can number the pages any way you like that makes sense to your readers, and you can safely avoid the dual-page numbering scheme used by books with indexes.

A final tip: if the front matter of your book is long, or has many parts to it, think about including a second half-title in your book. We all know what the title page is, but what’s a half title? It’s the page at the very front of the book, not used in all cases, that has only the title of the book on it. This will usually be in the same typographic style as the title page, but with the size of the title reduced.

You may want to consider including another half-title at the very end of the front matter as a way to make a clean and clear break between those sections and the beginning of the body of the book. Pull some books off your shelf and have a look. Although not used in all books, it can be useful to the book designer (and in this case, that’s you!) to signal to the reader the book itself is about to begin.

As a mompreneur mentor, publishing is a big part of my work, and with my daughters publishing their own book, it is part of my homeschool curriculum and my life as a mom. Worlds collide, I know.

This week we are gathering endorsements for their book and the smooth process reminded me what a wonderful skill is to know how to prepare a successful book endorsement… and this blog post was born.

Endorsements appear on the book’s back cover jacket or on the first couple pages of the book, and they are a great tool to attract buyers at book stores. They are great to showcase on the book’s website, in printed flyers advertising the book, and in email announcements of the book for the official launch or release. Writing an endorsement is a win-win opportunity that will give you exposure and will increase their book sales!

How To Write A Compelling Book Endorsement

The Top 5 Rules

Concise. Keep it short, succinct, and simple, unless the author encouraged you to write something longer. 50 to 100 juicy powerful words are ideal for the author to use on his/her marketing materials or book launch copy.

Friendly. The best endorsements sound relaxed and informal. Big words are cool (I’m a nerd!) but the best way is to be authentic and write from your heart, describing your experience in reading the book…like you’re talking to a friend!

Specific. In your endorsement, briefly explain the specific elements of the book that affected you and how. Be colorful in your language by using adjectives or feeling words. Also, make sure you share the details of how you or someone you know benefited exactly from reading the book.

Targeted. It’s a great idea to talk directly to the intended audience, addressing their industry, their problems, interests, or desires. The book title and subtitle should have done this, but remember that endorsements are searchable when posted online.

Signed. Write your name exactly as you wish it to appear, and include your official title or credentials, your URL (in case they decide to link back), and if you have a published title, you can add that too, just don’t go overboard in shameless self-promotion. Remember this is a time to spotlight them, not to draw attention to you as a main goal.

Top 3 Questions To Ask An Author Before You Write A Book Endorsement

1. What’s the deadline? Timing is huge, especially if it’s going on print!
2. May I see existing endorsements? Study them well so you can say something unique yet consistent, to create curiosity for the reader.
3. What’s your main focus? Book publishing is not just about sales, it’s a strategic positioning move.

Ok that’s that! Next time you are asked by an author or publisher to write an endorsement, be flattered LOL and be strategic! It means you are recognized as an expert on the subject matter or genre, and they consider you a GIVER. 🙂