Foreword Vs Preface Vs Introduction: A Guide for Self Publishers

It is essential for a self-publisher to understand the differences between a book’s foreword, preface, and introduction. Each section plays a vital role in the critical and financial success of the book. Without these three sections, a nonfiction book is incomplete and doesn’t give readers their money’s worth. Therefore, I have provided some basic definitions of each section to help give new self-publishers a starting point before beginning their first book.

1. The Prologue (Why the reader should read the book)

The foreword is the place for a guest author to show the reader why they should read this book. The foreword to a book is an important selling tool for the book. If it is written correctly and by the right person for the job, the author of the book will gain a lot of credibility in the eyes of the reader. It is important to remember that the author of the book should not write the foreword. Instead, the author of the book can use the preface and introduction to say what needs to be said about the book. Forewords introduce the reader to the author as well as the book itself, and attempt to establish credibility for both. Generally, a foreword does not provide the reader with any additional information specific to the subject of the book. But instead, it serves as a reminder of why the reader should read the book. The prologue should create an emotional connection with the reader.

2. The Preface (How did the book come about)

The preface is a place for the author of the book to tell the reader how this book came to be and why. It should build credibility for the author and the book. The preface is very similar to the foreword, except that the preface is written by the author of the book. The preface is also an important selling tool for the book. Here the author must explain why he wrote the book and how he came to write it. The author must show the reader why they are worth reading.

3. The Introduction (About the content of the book)

The introduction introduces the material covered in the book. Here the author can set the stage for the reader and prepare him for what to expect from reading the book. The introduction is a way for the author to hook the reader in and intensify the reader’s desire to know more and hopefully devour the entire book. In the introduction, the author can quickly and easily tell the reader what will be revealed in much more detail if he continues reading.

conclusion

As you can see, understanding the basic differences in these three sections of the book is imperative to producing a complete, professional-looking self-published book. Each section is distinctly different, and each serves a specific function in a book. Therefore, a self-publisher will need to think hard to produce these three vital sections.