How to write a book preface

What is a book preface? How do I write one? Does my book really need a preface?

If any of you've wondered about any of the above, keep reading! In this latest post, we’ll delve into why you might want to include a preface in your book, as well as how to compose one.

What is a book preface?

The preface comes at the beginning of a book. It is part of the front matter, not part of the main text of the book.

(The front matter consists of information such as the copyright notice, acknowledgements, dedication, foreword (if there is one) and an intro. Some of these are optional.)

A preface provides context about a book which is not essential but is nice for the reader to have, such as offering an insight as to why the book came into being, or the author’s credentials and/or relationship to the content matter.

For example, you might include in the preface any direct experience you have with the topic of the book – like talking about your own success in overcoming a health issue, and how this informed the writing of your book.

When writing the preface you can relax a little; unlike the intro, which is often more formal, or matter-of-fact, in tone.

Does my book need a preface?

Like the intro, the preface is not strictly mandatory; however, including one can prove particularly useful for non-fiction books on health and wellbeing, where it’s important for an author to establish a trustful relationship from the outset.

So, the preface bridges the gap between the author and reader. Written by the author, it helps the reader to understand the “why’s”’ of a book – why was it written, and why should I trust what is contained in the book?

This more intimate connection between writer and audience allows the reader to engage with the book and encourages them to embrace more fully any information contained in it; when it comes to wellness books, it is critical that the reader is able to take away lessons and/or insights from the book which will serve them in their life.

How long should the preface be?

It’s easy to be caught in the trap of writing too much, so try not to over-think the process.

Ideally, your book’s preface should be no more than a couple of pages long; or three, at most. Any longer than that, and you risk losing your audience. Some prefaces run for only a couple of paragraphs.

As a writer, you’ll get to know when enough’s enough. As soon as it feels as if you’ve run out of steam, that’s generally the point at which you should stop.

How to write your book preface

Now to the writing of a preface: firstly, be sure to keep it engaging! As one of the first glimpses of what’s to come inside the book, your preface should keep the reader wanting more.

You could start by thinking about what questions a reader might ask about you or your book if they could speak to you directly.

A great way to approach it is to think of the preface as a personal note between you and the reader.

Can you think of anything not contained in the main book that would be interesting to them?

What to include:

Answer questions about what motivated you to write the book or how the idea came to you.

Bring the reader into the writing of the book. Where did you write it? Were there any competing priorities and how did you overcome them? How long did it take to write it?

You should also use this opportunity to explain any research methods you employed, or talk about your sources and how you obtained your knowledge about the subject.

3 Steps to writing a preface

Try the following steps to writing a preface for your non-fiction book:

1. Write a brief introductory paragraph, or paragraphs, about yourself (including qualifications/experience) and why you wrote the book, or how you came upon the idea for it.

2. Next, you might offer the readers an insight into the process of writing the book.

3. Finally, you could talk about what you want others to gain from reading the book; perhaps you’d like your audience to develop a firmer understanding of a particular disorder, or to acquire new tools to help improve the symptoms of a health condition.

Need help? Contact Shirley at info@wellnessbooks.co.uk to discuss how we can help you publish your book.