What is a foreword? What is an introduction? What on earth is a preface? When do we use a prologue?! Authors want to know!
Let’s take a closer look at this subject and see what we can find out!
Like many of you, I’d also heard these terms bandied about before, seen them in books, even read them, and still find it difficult to tell them apart. Let’s do a little digging, shall we?
According to the internet:
Forewords
“A foreword is a piece of writing that serves to introduce the reader to the author and the book, usually written by someone who is not the author or an editor of the book. They can also serve as a sort of endorsement for the book. If the author does write this section, it might be to explain how the book came to be, or their connection between the work and themselves—like Stephen King often does for his novels.” – Selfpublishing School.
The Foreword… “is a section in a book that is reserved for – usually – a different writer than the author of the book. The writer of the this section discusses the author and the book, and how they’re connected to it. Sometimes the writer is a friend of the book’s author or a mentor. The subject can vary, as well. It acts as an introduction to the book and helps market it: if an up and coming writer can land a foreword written by a credible, established writer, this can increase it’s value.” – Diggypod.
“Foreword – prefatory comments (as for a book) especially when written by someone other than the author.” – Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
So to clarify then, a foreword is
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- at the front of the book
- an endorsement of the book
- written by someone other than the author
- or, by the author to explain the book or how it came to be.
Introductions
“The introduction is the beginning of the story, which, as the name suggests, introduces the characters, setting, and plot. It should clearly depict the time period, genre, and the main character’s normal world in general. It is also where you hook the reader in so they’ll want to read on. There are many ways to do this, such as starting with an exciting action scene, a vivid description of the setting, or a creative description of a character’s personality through a deed. An effective beginning should also hint at what will happen in the story so that the audience knows what to expect. It is generally shorter than the other parts of the story, such as the rising action and resolution. Authors often put their best writing into the introduction to ensure that the audience is hooked.”Neil Chase Film.
“The book introduction is written by the author and is entirely about the content of the book – what the reader can expect to find and what’s important for them to know. This is a chance for the author to tell the reader anything they’ll need to know in order to fully understand or appreciate the book. The introduction can go so far as blatantly stating the book’s purpose or end goal.” – Diggypod.
“An introduction is also an introductory chapter at the beginning of a book, but it usually establishes some basic information regarding the contents of the book. The introduction often starts the reader on the topic of the book in a way that is relevant to the rest of the book. While the preface isn’t always necessary to read to understand the content of the book, the introduction usually is. In non-fiction, the introduction is a good place for the author to include any definitions or information that’s necessary to grasp the concepts discussed in the book. In fiction, the introduction might tease information about the plot that won’t be fully explained until later or introduce the reader to the world the book takes place in.”– Indeed.
So to clarify then, an introduction is
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- at the front of the book
- written by the author
- about the content of the book, to clarify content and to state the goal of the book.
Prologues
“A prologue is a scene(s) set before the story, before the first chapter. It’s integral to the plot, however, so it must be included in the book. The prologue could be years before the events of the novel take place or it could be just weeks. The exact timing isn’t important. What is important is that whatever takes place within the prologue has a direct effect on or an importance for the rest of the novel. A random scene with no connection to the plot wouldn’t do, just like you wouldn’t put a random, unconnected scene in a regular chapter.” – Diggypod.
“An introduction or preface, especially a poem recited to introduce a play.
An introduction or introductory chapter, as to a novel.
An introductory act, event, or period.” – American Heritage Dictionary.
“the preface or introduction to a literary work
a speech often in verse addressed to the audience by an actor at the beginning of a play
the actor speaking such a prologue
an introductory or preceding event or development” – Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
So to clarify then, a prologueis
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- at the front of the book, after introduction or foreword, but before the story,
- integral to or part of the plot of the story or content,
- a chapter to set the background to the story,
- generally written by the author.
Prefaces
“A preface is an introductory chapter at the beginning of a book that explains why the author wrote it and provides any relevant information they want to share regarding methods or context. The preface doesn’t have any content that is directly related to the book’s content, other than explaining why the author decided to write about this subject. This is most common in non-fiction books, where a writer might want to tell the reader why they’re qualified to write on this topic or what inspired them to write about it in this way.” – Indeed.
“The definition of preface (n) is, “an introduction to a book, typically stating its subject, scope, or aims.” A preface is written by the author, and it is about the book: how it came to be, what inspired it, what the writing process was like, etc. A preface is a place for the author to discuss the situation surrounding their book, essentially, and is more often used in nonfiction books. Often, the author will conclude it with a list of acknowledgements: thank yous to editors, publishers, or other influential people who helped bring the book to life.” – Diggypod.
So to clarify then, a prefaceis
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- at the front of the book, as an introduction, stating subject, scope or aims
- contains a list of acknowledgements to people involved in the research or publishing of the work
- used mainly in non-fiction works
- generally written by the author.
If you enjoyed this article, why not read “A Guide To Self-Publishing In South Africa” by the same author?
Forewords, Prologues, Introductions & Prefaces: What’s the Difference? – A Definitive Disambiguation:
Let’s first start with the similarities:
- All of these four items can be found at the start of the book
- All or most of these four items can be written by the author of the book
- All of these four items are used to provide more information about the book
- All of these four items may be used in fiction or non-fiction books.
Now, the differences:
- The foreword may be written by the author but is typically written by someone else about the author and the book.
- The prologue is actually part of the story in chapter form and not simply about the book.
- The introduction is usually about the book, its origins, and states the purpose of the book.
- The preface is more usually found in non-fiction works and may be like a foreword or introduction, but includes a list of acknowledgements.
There – this is something we all now know! I hope this clears that up – and that when expected to write a foreword, prologue, preface or introduction, you will have a better idea of what to do!
Read more:
- A Brief Introduction To Self-Publishing: A 5 part series of articles introducing the reader to the concept of self-publishing.
- Forewords, Prologues, Prefaces & Introductions Explained: this explains the differences and similarities and when it is appropriate to use them and for what.
- The Interrobang – What Is It?!:What is the interrobang, where and when should it be used? Should it be used at all?
- Asterism Or Dinkus – What’s In A Name?: Do you still write in actual chapters? For god’s sake – why?
- Afterwords & Epilogs Explained: this explains what afterwords and epilogs are for and when it is appropriate to use them.
- Word Length – When Is A Novel, A Novel?: This explains the word lengths for different categories of book or story.
- Which Self-Publishing Platform – Or All Of Them?:An article about experimenting with which self-publishing distribution platforms to use concurrently. Also read the follow-up article: More Isn’t Always Better – My Self-publishing Platform Strategy Revisited.
- A Guide To Self-Publishing In South Africa – a guide to being an indie author in spite of being stuck in South Africa by Christina Engela.
- Some Great Resources For Writers: A collection of useful tools and articles giving advice to new writers trying to make their way in a minefield of obstacles.
