My Story
a preface should include information about the book. Consider including a few or all of the following ideas:
- Discuss how the book came about. Why did you write it? Why did you choose the particular subject? What was your motivation? You could also discuss what your inspiration was (especially if it is a work of fiction).
- Give a brief description of the book, the main characters, or the book’s themes. Give just enough to get the reader interested in reading more; don’t give anything away.
- State the purpose of the book, especially if the work is non-fiction. For example, if your book is intended to educate the reader about famous African scientists in the 20th century, you may want to state this in the preface. You could also describe what the reader can hope to learn by reading the book.
- Describe the journey of writing the book—what you learned, how you felt, and any insights into real life situations gained through the writing. You may also want to include how you’ve changed as an author or as a person during the process.
- Talk about any problems that came up during the writing and how you dealt with these trials and tribulations.
- If it is a non-fiction book, discuss your research process. Talk about your sources. Why are they unique? Why is this particular biography of Nixon, for example, special compared to others?
- Include acknowledgements. Thank the people who were instrumental in the writing of your book. Depending on the level of formality of the writing, these could range from colleagues to editors to family members.
- Talk about how long it took you to write the book, if it’s relevant. For example, if you’ve been researching Nixon and writing the book for 10 years, you may want to mention this fact to give the reader an idea of the thought and effort you put into the project.
- Include any suggestions about how to read the book if there is a special structure.
