Quick quiz. Can you tell me the difference between a foreword and a preface? Or the purpose of an Epilogue versus a Conclusion? Maybe you can with a few internet searches to clarify the fine details, or maybe you are a literary expert, but the essential parts of a book are more than necessary texts when publishing. They can help authors better engage their readers too.
This is the first installment on the anatomy of a book, which will cover many of the confusing book elements, when to use them, and where they are located. We will examine the purpose and placement of these parts but will also find meaningful ways to use them to reach your readers. If you’ve recently finished writing your first draft, or have multiple best sellers under your writerly belt, this series can improve your connection to readers if you reflect on how these parts can best support your novel.
Author Notes and Afterword
An author can make a personal statement to their readers in a few ways when constructing a book. It is an optional part of a book, but it can deepen the reader’s experience as they get a window into the author’s world and mind. Think of it as a letter to your reader, in your voice, and adding your behind-the-scenes insights.
Writers can add their letter to the beginning or end of the main part of their novels. When included at the beginning, it is called a preface. When used at the end of a novel, the author’s note is called an afterword. There is no major difference between the two, except their placement.
The author can choose between the two types of author notes but wouldn’t use both because it would be redundant. Depending on the content of their book, some authors want to explain more after the conclusion of their story, to wrap up major questions readers might have. Other books may benefit from setting up the reader’s expectations or explain why they wrote the book before the readers engage with the story. We will go over what things to address in the afterword and you can decide whether an afterword or preface would be better in your novel.
Key Aspects Covered in an Afterword
The purpose of an afterword is to share the writer’s world with the reader and give them information about various aspects that would not be directly covered in the book's content. Common topics covered in this part of the book will depend on the type of story written, the underlying wow factor of these topics in the book's formation, and the author’s intent. It is up to the author to write about what they believe would be an additional treat to the reader, so choose wisely.
Common topics include:
the author’s background and why they are qualified to write this specific story
the sources used to form the book and their connection to story or the real world
the writing process used to create the book
the challenges and success moments the writer had writing the book
the elements of the story itself that may need clarification or further explanation
the intended audience and why the book was written with them as an inspiration
The afterword should have just enough background details to satisfy the readers’ questions about who wrote this book. Think of it as a cherry on top of a perfectly balanced banana split sundae with all the works. It should complement the story, and highlight key points, or underlying themes the author wanted to make clear.
Whatever content the author uses in an afterword, it should be short, as in a page or two. Short and sweet will keep the reader from wandering off. By picking only a few of the topics above that connect deeply to your ideal reader’s interests, and avoiding less juicy tidbits, this book part can truly tighten up a novel’s impact on a reader.
Writing About the Story
Writing about the story itself can add depth to the reader’s understanding of your work. Here are various ways to connect your readers to your story. See if any of these would work in your book.
Summarize the key points of themes to drive a main point home
Try a different format and share it with your readers. Maybe create a poem, news clip, or diary journal entry that speaks of the story and its characters.
Reference other works and point out parallels and intended nuances between your work and others
Explain any poetic leave-takings describing elements of your story that could be debatable. Show facts versus fiction, and when you relied on temporary-suspension-of-belief in order to carry the momentum of your story.
Identify and explain omissions, abridgments, simplifications, and inventions in your book.
Provide background on why your settings, timeframes, character flaws, and the like were chosen and perhaps share how omitting them would change the story you wrote.
Describe events occurring before or after the main content of your story to add context for the reader.
Talk to your readers about controversial themes or occurrences of sensitive material in your book.
Discuss the remaining questions or intentional mysteries in your work.
Open a conversation on the broader impact of stories like yours.
Writing Process
The way a writer writes fascinates many readers. Let them into your creative journey and tell them the personal struggles and victories you had along the way.
Pull back the curtain on your writing process and describe the logistics of where and when you are the most inspired to write your books.
Share how long it took to write your book. A decade, or all-at-once-from-a-dream, the time it took you to write your book could be an interesting fact to a reader.
Give readers a visual on a unique part of your writing process. Do you write the first chapter with a quill pen? Do you have a closet full of thumb drives from individual projects? Mood boards that cover all the walls of your living room? Show the readers an unusual aspect of your writing routine.
Tell readers about your challenges and disappointing moments. This can make the reader have empathy for you and your characters. It builds up their feelings towards the book and their own reader’s journey. These are the connections that keep readers coming back for more.
Give readers a laugh. Do you have a funny story or a mishap to share? Tell them in a blooper-reel style and let them know writers are human too.
Share something you learned while writing your book. Tell them about research you did or places you traveled to for background on characters, setting, and story. Take them along on your adventure and give them insight into your writerly curiosity.
Get deep and share a reflection you had while writing. Our stories may be made up, but they conjure up real revelations about important issues and personal understanding. Opening up to readers on topics shared in the book can add value to the content of your book.
Author Background
When talking about who you are as a writer in your afterword, you want to make it different from your author bio. This is the place to dive a little deeper into what makes you exceptionally qualified to write the piece you did. See if these ideas would be useful for your own afterword.
Add your background information that specifically connects to your story.
Tell your own powerful story that led to a striking aspect of your book, or of an experience that taught you about the tragedy or joy that one of your characters goes through.
Explain how your life experience has informed your story and why it gave you insights others might not have. What training, travel, or life lessons helped you write this novel? This is a great place to share it with the readers of your book.
Do you have credentials that make you an expert and are there unique reasons to share that with your readers? Tell them why you took that path and how it makes you a better writer.
How did events in history impact how you could tell this story? If you had first person engagement, perhaps this is a key to your authority to tell this story. For example, let’s say your father was in the Twin Towers on 9/11, learning from his perspective, or the family aftermath if he didn’t make it, would make an impactful story.
Do you have connections with someone affected by your book topic? A close friend, daughter, or parent who has a similar story? Here is a good place to add this inspiration to your book.
Is the tale closely related to a personal hurdle or a setback you overcame? Let your readers see how your own story influenced what you wrote. Share details about how your life was similar, but also how the story was dramatized.
Sources for the Book
Sometimes how a writer gets information to write a book is as interesting as the story itself. Tell the readers about where you got your sources, how you obtained specific pivotal information in your story, or why your sources were especially impactful for your tale.
Why did you use these sources instead of others?
Were there challenges that happened when trying to use these sources?
Were there interviews that changed the way you thought about your theme or topic?
Who was available or not available to share insights for your story?
What funny or ironic stories can you share about your sources?
Where could readers find out more about your topic or theme?
Could your readers reach out to or support the organizations or individuals that you used as sources?
List references and organizations that you found helpful. This gives your readers a point and a place to verify your ideas.
Intended Audience
Since the afterword is basically a letter to your readers, this is a good place to address their needs. Acknowledge your audience by pointing out reasons they would likely choose your story to read. Take time to address questions you think they would have. Thank them for their patronage, following, and support.
How would your audience like to be thanked? Think of style and voice and give them a personalized piece of your writing.
Talk about why you wrote the piece with them, the audience, in mind.
Express known concerns of your collective readers about pivotal or controversial aspects of your story. Does killing off your quirky side-character cause a stir? Explain why you did it, or hint at a prequel story that highlights the life of that reader's favorite.
Give readers a heads up if you are trying something new. Did you play with a new genre or POV? Talk about why you made those changes, and why you thought your readers might appreciate your new additions.
Make a gentle call-to-action and prompt readers to give feedback or reviews at your preferred source.
Post a question to your readers to have them think deeper about your theme or topic.
Grow this audience by leading them to your community connection place. For example, if you regularly hang out on #AuthorTok, Facebook, Instagram, or Threads, share that place for readers to interact with you on that topic (just be prepared to show up regularly, in order to chat with your fans.)
Final Thoughts
Writing an afterword is an optional opportunity to engage with your readership. Keep these suggestions in mind as you reach out to your readers with this part of the book.
Connect, connect, connect. Readers more than ever want added value to the books they purchase. They want to have a special connection with the author. A wise author would share personal aspects of their writing lives with their readers and build their fanbase in the process.
Be authentic. Be yourself and share your real self with your readers. Lift the veil on what makes you write.
Identify and address the concerns, insights, and bent of your ideal audience. Give them something to think about critically. Give them a promise, if you want, to continue providing thought-provoking stories.
Build a relationship with your readers. Stories flood the book market today in nearly every genre, so how can an author stand out in the sea of pages? By finding your own school of reader-fish.
Build an audience by adding personal touches to your marketing and author presence. Let the audience see who you are, offer opportunities to connect with you, and show them you are worthy of their readership.
Being an author is all about reaching readers and to better engage them in your books. Don’t overlook the small-but-mighty afterword when putting together your next project. With the right touches tailored to your specific audience, an afterword can be a bonus that solidifies how a reader feels about your story.
This is one tool that authors can use to build a more engaging book. Look for future posts from me on anatomy of a book and how to use them for more reader engagement. Until then, keep on reading and growing with our posts at WITS.
Have you used an afterword in your projects? What advice do you have for authors from your experience?
About Kris
Kris Maze is an author, writing coach, and teacher. She has worked in education for many years and writes for various publications, including Practical Advice for Teachers of Heritage Learners of Spanish and the award-winning blog Writers in the Stormwhere she is also a host. You can find her horror stories and young adult writing on her website. Keep up with future projects and events by subscribing to her newsletter.
Want to work with Kris? Find her office hours and book coaching service here.
A recovering grammarian and hopeless wanderer, Kris enjoys reading, playing violin and piano, and spending time outdoors.
And occasionally, she cruises on bike trails.
Want to try one of Kris’s science fiction stories? THIS WEEK ONLY! Her novella, Blue Foot, is available FREE at her website. Please leave a review in exchange to let her know what you think of it.
Wrongly accused and exiled, Ernestina Après faces the destruction of her family and life beneath the Dome. The Silver-Waters blessings are not in her favor, despite her warnings to the Counsel that the stream and its resources are running out. Caring for a stowaway, she may find solace and a silver-lining in her dire circumstances.
We all start life as creative people—you may have been discouraged during childhood or another time along the way to now, but creativity is within, waiting for you to rediscover it.
How can we cultivate our creativity to finally call ourselves ‘creative’?
Creativity is built into the system. It is part of being human.
Think of a time when you’ve:
Done something without being asked to.
Solved a problem.
Successfully communicated a point to someone.
All the above takes creative thinking.
Get to Know Yourself
Know yourself to find and use your creative voice—the special spin you put on everything you do. It makes your work yours.
Getting to know yourself will help you discover or recover that creative voice and put a little bit of you into all you create.
Questions to help you get to know yourself
What do you care about?
What is your passion? Which tasks on your to-do list are things that you actually want to do? What could you talk about forever?
The answers don’t matter. The point of these questions is to find things you love in order to know yourself better.
What are your fears?
Fears can be controlling. Think about the fears you have that might be holding you hostage. Common fears are:
Disappointing others
Failure
Inadequacy
Imperfection
Rejection
Success
Knowing your fears can help you better deal with those feelings when they rear their ugly heads and try to strangle your creative voice.
You can also use the emotions from fears and put them to good use in your writing.
What inspires you?
Search for what you like.
If you want to write a novel in a specific genre, be inspired by reading books written by authors you enjoy.
To create music, listen to the music from bands you love.
If you wish to paint, gather a collection of the artists whose works make your heart sing.
Copy the old masters, in any of the arts, for practice. It’s a good way to learn.
Inspiration cannot be forced and will often strike like a lightning bolt at the oddest times.
In the shower.
Folding laundry.
Daydreaming.
While meditating.
The muses seem to work best when our minds aren’t cluttered with thought. We can’t hear them if we are too tense or scattered. Since I am a “Look! There’s a squirrel!” type, I only hear the muse when I’m completely relaxed and have done my best to not think.
What motivates you?
What gets you into gear on any given day?
Achieving a personal goal or career milestone?
Do you need a deadline? Some people thrive under pressure.
Earning a living?
Setting an example for a team, being a leader?
Use your motivation to keep life’s plotline moving forward.
What are your work habits?
When do you prefer to do your creative work, early in the day, or late at night? Local customs can work into the mix. When we lived in Mazatlán, near the beach, the decibel level rose dramatically in the afternoon—like one big party—so I wrote in the morning.
Do you work best when you do use “chunks” of time? A writing group I meet with now and then has write-ins. We write for 45 minutes, socialize for 15, and repeat. I found them on MeetUp.com.
What writing environment brings out your creative side? Local coffee house? Beer garden? Library? Home office?
How about sound? Do you prefer quiet? Music playing in the background? Ambient noise?
Identifying your work habits will give you a clearer sense of how to build your days around your creative high points, and help you notice when your creative voice, your muse, is speaking.
Meditation Supercharges Creativity
Years ago, I took a Transcendental Meditation course at the urging of some friends. I found it useful, relaxing, but let it drift away after a few years.
During the pandemic I started meditating daily to help reduce stress. I found during that “down-time” it became easier to connect with the muse.
“As shown by a 2012 UCLA School of Medicine study, meditation cranks up the corpus callosum, making it bigger, stronger, thicker, and in-turn, more well-connected. Yes, very much like Einstein.
(Note: We aren't saying that meditation will make us the "next Einstein," it's more about being the best version of "us." Meditation helps you reach your potential better than any other medium.)”
Have you ever felt as though your creativity dried up? What do you do to get your creative juices flowing? When are you inspired?
* * * * * *
About Ellen
Author, speaker, and former teacher, Ellen L. Buikema has written non-fiction for parents, and The Adventures of Charlie Chameleon chapter book series with stories encouraging the development of empathy—sprinkling humor wherever possible. Her Works in Progress are The Hobo Code, YA historical fiction and The Crystal Key, MG Magical Realism/ Sci-Fi, a glaze of time travel.
Captain Jack Sparrow, love him or hate him, most people FEEL something for the irascible pirate. What is it about Captain Jack that makes him so memorable? Anti-hero. Failed pirate. I mean, I find Jack hilarious, but would I necessarily want him in my life…. Not really. In every movie, his goal is entirely self-centred. Some have labelled him as having antisocial personality disorder, which basically means he’s reliable in only one way: he’ll only do what’s good for him regardless of the rules/legality, of what’s best for others, or the harm he causes.
So why do we love him? I mean, for a number of years, Captain Jack would make appearances at children’s hospitals and such. This character isn’t just for kids, isn’t just for adults.
Quite a few might say that it’s less about the writing and more about the acting – the physicality of the character that doesn’t translate for written fiction, and fair enough – Johnny Depp has breathed incredible 3-dimensional life into this character, but what is it about this character that might be replicable for fiction writers -- what can we borrow? What can we glean from that character and the portrayal of that character, to help us create emotional connections with readers and our own work?
Jack Sparrow Is Relatable
In some way, many of us are able to put ourselves in Jack’s boots situationally. Giving your characters traits that your reader might share is an easy win. It’s hard to put yourself into a story, into someone’s shoes, if you can’t see yourself in any of their character traits or decisions. And often, Jack does what many of us would like to do, says things we’re thinking but would never let ourselves say out loud. And then Jack uses humour and charm to avoid the consequences.
“Did everyone see that? Because I will not be doing that again.” Jack Sparrow
A Lot in Common
We love Jack because we have a lot of things in common with him. No, really – we do. He prefers to talk his way out of trouble instead of using brute force, even though he has the sword skills to do great injury. He’s witty and creative, and uses those strengths to his advantage, and though at times his intelligence seems questionable (a bit addled from the rum), he thinks outside the box. He’s impulsive, but that means he isn’t afraid to jump at an opportunity and many of us wish we had that kind of courage.
“He’s able to get away with things we’d love to be able to get away with.” Johnny Depp
Jack is OK with ambiguity. Today’s enemy could be tomorrow’s ally. He’ll steal your rum one day and shake your hand the next. Jack’s morality tends to be situational, but isn’t that also true of our own society where little white lies, no harm no foul, and other such sayings are held as truth. A person might never steal a chocolate bar or clothing from a retail store, but they’ll pirate movies or music or ebooks without thought. We might say we value honesty, but we’ll lie when the truth might hurt feelings or jeopardize relationships that are important. The character who always chooses the moral right, who’s never dishonest or corruptible in any way, is hard to relate to.
Jack’s A Somewhat-Ethical Pirate
Your character needs to stand for something. They have to draw a line in the sand — this far and no farther. That line will look different for every character and that line doesn’t have to be one that readers necessarily would choose for themselves, but it’s one they can cheer for. Readers connect emotionally with characters who have a code of ethics they won’t violate–an ethic the reader can cheer for.
Jack always chooses himself, and yet… he attempted to rescue Gibbs.
He does nothing but fight with Elizabeth, and yet when the opportunity arose, he chooses to kiss her and show a glimpse of his true emotions regardless of the consequences.
Complicated Character
Jack is a complicated character and whether he’s good or bad is often up for interpretation. Jack isn’t a pacifist, but he often steps in and tries to de-escalate an impending conflict (often for self-interested reasons) by suggesting a negotiation. When he does draw his sword, it’s in self-defence.
“Why fight when you can negotiate?” Jack Sparrow
Let’s not forget that the reason Jack was branded a pirate was because instead of delivering a shipment of slaves, he set them free. Jack, in the end, often chooses the morally right thing to do at his own personal sacrifice, even if he’s doing it for selfish reasons. He rescued his friends from the Kraaken (and the Pearl), he walked away from the fountain of youth, and he helped break the curse of the The Flying Dutchman to free Will Turner.
“Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate.” Jack Sparrow
Jack Is Always The Underdog
Readers love to cheer on the come-from-behind-kid, the one who succeeds against all odds, the David in a David-and-Goliath story, the nerd fighting against the schoolyard bully. When a character faces overwhelming odds, when they choose to step into a hard thing when they could walk away, readers get behind that. They want the character to win, but the odds need to be overwhelming and preferably the stakes are life and death. I don’t mean only literal life and death stakes, but identity-ending, career-suicide, life-is-no-longer-worth-living kind of stakes.
In every movie, Jack has a goal–there’s something he wants. His motivations aren’t always obvious or clear, sometimes even to himself, but he presses on even though the odds of him succeeding are fairly remote (hello – finding the fountain of youth??).
Jack Teaches Us Things
Readers want entertainment AND they want an emotional journey. They want to immerse themselves in a fictive dream and become a character, live vicariously through them, for a short period of time. Fiction helps challenge people’s thinking and offers new perspectives and paths for readers in a non-threatening way. It’s OK if you only want to entertain with your writing, but it’s OK if you want to use if for more than entertainment too.
“If you choose to lock your heart away, you’ll lose it for certain.” Jack Sparrow
Jack is a character a lot of people wish they could be more like (in certain ways). Jack is comfortable in his own skin, in the expression of his personality, and doesn’t care too much what other people think of him. He doesn’t take offense easily and doesn’t hold a grudge.
Jack very much lives in the moment.
He doesn’t concern himself with a five year plan or even where he’ll sleep that night. Jack embodies freedom.
“Wherever we want to go, we’ll go. That’s what a ship is, you know. It’s not just a keel and hull and deck and sails–that’s what a ship needs. But what a ship is–what the Black Pearl really is–is freedom.” Jack Sparrow
Most of us, in some way, long for that kind of free-spirited freedom, ability to laugh at ourselves, own our eccentricities and quirks, and care less what people think of us.
Jack Surprises Us
Writing that has readers leaning in, afraid to put the book down because they have to know what happens next — that’s the goal, right? That’s my goal. The surprises have to be true to the character and the storyworld, and when the surprise causes the main character even more trouble, we cheer them on even harder.
Jack constantly surprises us.
He’s funny. His wit and charm are disarming and the way he plays with the truth makes you feel like you’re inner circle sharing an inside joke. His antics, his flailings, his reliance on rum, it all adds up to entertainment and surprise. A joke isn’t funny if you already know the punchline, right. Sometimes his wit is full of great truth. Sometimes you have to repeat what he’s said to yourself a few times and then it hits you — ooooh, that’s deep.
“You’ve stolen me and I’m here to take myself back.” Jack Sparrow
“The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem. Understand me?” Jack Sparrow
In what ways did you connect with Jack Sparrow? Do you use any of these tips in your writing?
About Lisa
Lisa Hall-Wilson is a writing teacher and award-winning writer and author. She’s the author of Method Acting For Writers: Learn Deep Point Of View Using Emotional Layers. Her blog, Beyond Basics For Writers, explores all facets of the popular writing style deep point of view and offers practical tips for writers.
She runs the free Facebook group Going Deeper With Emotions where she shares tips and videos on writing in deep point of view.
