What Is a Preface in a Book? The preface of a book is part of its front matter, which is the section that comes before the first chapter and addresses readers directly. In this preface, you can describe your thought process as you wrote the book, how you researched the topic, or the goals you wanted to achieve through the book.
Preface comes from Latin, meaning either "spoken before" (prae and fatia) [1][2] or "made before" (prae + factum). While the former source of the word could have preface meaning the same as prologue, the latter strongly implies an introduction written before the body of the book.
A preface is an introduction to the main text of a book, when an author or critic can write directly to the reader. A preface often describes how a book came together, like a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the final product.
What is a preface, and what purpose does it serve in a book? Check out our guide for all you need to know about prefaces (plus examples).
A preface is an introduction at the beginning of a book, which explains what the book is about or why it was written.
A preface may be used to introduce a work of nonfiction, such as a book, dissertation, or thesis. Your preface will provide information about your background to establish your credibility, as well as why you wrote the book.
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