Foreword, Preface, Introduction, Prologue

Las cuatro especies de textos que indica el título del post son en castellano las palabras liminares o preámbulo, el prefacio, la introducción y el prólogo, respectivamente. Las idas y venidas por la Red me han llevado hasta su explicación en inglés y la he encontrado tan satisfactoria que me ha gustado la idea de compartirla.

Joseph C. Kunz, Jr., KunzOnPublishing.com

Rick Benzel, Publish to Get Clients

The Foreword

«(Why the reader should read the book). The foreword is the place for a guest author to show the reader why they should be reading this book. The foreword of a book is a major selling tool for the book. If it is written properly, and by the appropriate person for the job, the book’s author will gain a lot of credibility in the reader’s eyes. It is important to remember that the author of the book should not write the foreword. Instead, the author of the book can use the preface as well as the introduction to say what needs to be said about the book. Forewords introduce the reader to the author, as well as the book itself, and attempt to establish credibility for both. A foreword does not generally provide the reader any extra specific information about the book’s subject. But instead, it serves as a reminder of why the reader should read the book. The foreword must make an emotional connection with the reader.» (Joseph C. Kunz, Jr.)

«First of all, be sure to spell this correctly. DO NOT SPELL IT as “forward,” or “Foreward.” THOSE ARE INCORRECT SPELLINGS OF THIS WORD. The CORRECT SPELLING IS FOREWORD, as in “before the word.” Furthermore, to clarify what this is, a Foreword is a short introduction to your book written by a 3rd party, such as a well-known celebrity or another author in your field. A Foreword basically is a credible opinion from someone else that your book is worthy of reading. When do you need a Foreword? When you are unknown in the business and you want to show your readers that someone with knowledge and experience endorses your book.» (Rick Benzel)

Preface

«(How the book came about). The preface is a place for the book’s author to tell the reader how this book came into being, and why. It should build credibility for the author and the book. The preface is very similar to the foreword, except that the preface is written by the book’s author. The preface is also an important selling tool for the book. Here the author should explain why they wrote the book, and how they came to writing it. The author should be showing the reader why they are worth reading.» (Joseph C. Kunz, Jr.)

«A preface is written by the author of the book – YOU. The goal of the Preface is to acquaint readers with any interesting background about the book before they jump into it. It often contains an explanation of how you, as author, came to write the book, such as your growing concern about an issue, or a personal incident that happened to you. It often also includes a section on who the book is for, and how to use the book if you want your readers to be aware of any specific recommendations. Some authors, for instance, tell readers which sections are most useful to various circumstances, or to read the book twice, or to go get a journal to write in while reading the book. Be aware that one rule of thumb is, you can’t assume that your readers will read your preface. So don’t get into any significant content issues in your preface. Assume readers may have skipped it.» (Rick Benzel)

Introduction

«(About the content of the book). The introduction introduces the material that is covered in the book. Here the author can set the stage for the reader, and prepare them for what can be expected from reading the book. The introduction is a way for the author to grab the reader, and intensify the reader’s desire to find out more, and hopefully devour the entire book. In the introduction the author can quickly and simply tell the reader what is to be revealed in much greater detail if they continue reading.» (Joseph C. Kunz, Jr.)

«An introduction to a book is often used to take the place of a Preface, precisely because we know that many readers skip the Preface. By labeling nearly the same content an Introduction, it leads readers to believe they should read it. So basically, an Introduction serves the same purpose as a Preface, but just relabeling it makes it seem more pertinent and required reading. However, another difference is that an Introduction can begin to get into the actual content of your book. For instance, you might begin discussing the thesis of your book and the challenges we face in getting solutions for it. In this way, the Introduction serves to open up Chapter 1.» (Rick Benzel)

Prologue

«A prologue is similar to an Introduction, and in my view it is really exactly the same. The difference is simply that if you write a Prologue, it makes sense to also write an Epilogue, while with an Introduction you don’t expect any type of closing to the book other than the last chapter. Prologues and Epilogues go together like book ends. So if you think your book could use some type of short ending beyond your last chapter, covering final thoughts on the topic or perhaps a glance into the future of your topic, you therefore want an Epilogue. And if you want an Epilogue, you want a Prologue rather than an Introduction.» (Rick Benzel)