What front matter do you need for your nonfiction book?

Foreword Preface Introduction Nonfiction Book

Your Nonfiction Book’s Front Matter

Besides the main body of your nonfiction book, you have front and back matter that needs to be included in your manuscript before your book is edited and receives it’s final proofread. There are plenty of websites that talk about forewords, prefaces, introductions, and prologues, but lots of the information is only relevant to fiction authors. So today I’m providing a summary of these front matter components as they related to what you’re writing.

Not sure which front matter elements you need to include in your nonfiction book? No problem. Read on and I’ll explain which content components are essential for your book before you publish.

Front Matter Nonfiction Book Foreword

Your forward can be written by a thought leader, public figure or prominent person who is an authority on your subject matter. A foreword is extremely useful for nonfiction books because they add credibility to your subject matter expertise, and your writer should explain the connection between your book and you as it’s author. This section is also a good place to add the book’s hook. How is this book going to help or benefit your reader?

A foreword is one of the reasons why it’s important to network with your niche. At the start of your writing journey, start to identify contributors who could be willing to write your book’s foreword.

In Summary:

  • Who Writes it: An authority in your niche
  • What is the purpose: Explain the connection between you and your content

If your contributor hasn’t written a foreword before they may reach out to you to confirm your expectations, so here’s a couple of useful posts about how to write or find a foreword contributor:

Unless the reader is also in your field of expertise, [your reader] will be looking at the person’s title, rather than their name. So it works best if the person writing the foreword is a big name or a leader in the field you are writing on. Alex Fullerton

…discuss the book, the author, and how you’re connected to it all. In short…you’re getting people excited for what’s coming. Dave Chesson

If you can’t secure a useful foreword before you publish your book, go ahead and publish your book without one. Once your book has momentum, reviews, and has attracted some attention within your niche you can work on finding the best contributor for your book, and add in the foreword at a later date.

Front Matter Nonfiction Book Preface

Your preface provides your reader with a context. You can also acknowledge people who has contributed to your book. Although you’re providing background to how your book idea came from and what you hope to achieve by writing it, your preface shouldn’t contain information critical to your reader’s understanding of your book. Think of a preface as the icing on your cake, but readers can still eat the cake without it.

In Summary:

  • Who Writes it: The author (you)
  • What is the purpose: Add background context. Acknowledge contributors.

Additional tips for writing a nonfiction preface:

  • How to write a Preface Dorrance Publishing provide a summary of key content segments that will help you write a compelling Preface.

When it comes to writing, there’s always a why. Dorrance Publishing

Front Matter Nonfiction Book Prologue

Your introduction focuses on your book’s subject matter and includes elements that are critical for your reader’s understanding of your topic. There will usually be content that it’s important to make sure your readers are aware of, before they read your book, and your introduction is where you communicate this supplemental information. This content can be used to clarify your perspective on your topic or explain how you’re approaching it.

If you have something to convey to your reader which doesn’t naturally fit within the body of your book, or it’s important for them to know before they dive into your book—include it in your introduction.

In Summary:

  • Who Writes it: The author (you)
  • What is the purpose: Explain elements to help your reader understand your topic or how you’re approaching it.

Additional tips for writing a nonfiction introduction:

A memoir, for instance, needs an introduction that serves to set up the narrative arc of the overall book through storytelling…If you’re writing a more straightforward nonfiction book…then, your introduction should set up a clear explanation of your objective for writing this book and why readers should care. C.K. Bush

  • Book Launchers created a YouTube video focused on How to Write Nonfiction Book Introductions without boring your readers:

Julie Broad’s six minute video is packed full of useful advice for writing this important aspect of your book’s front matter.

A prologue is the fiction version of the nonfiction introduction, and provides readers with the information they need before they start reading a novel. So if you’re writing nonfiction you don’t need to worry about a prologue.


These three front-matter elements are core content marketing tools with the potential of enticing your reader to buy your book. Don’t rush through the creation of these sections—they’re too important for that.

Not sure what front matter you need in your #nonfiction book? Find out whether you need a prologue, preface, introduction or foreword. #selfpub #indieauthor Click To Tweet

Let me know if you have any questions about writing the front matter for your nonfiction book. Leave a comment in the section below.

Author: Jay Artale

Focused on helping travel bloggers and writers achieve their self-publishing goals. Owner of Birds of a Feather Press. Travel Writer. Nonfiction Author. Project Manager Specialising in Content Marketing and Social Media Strategy.

2 thoughts on “What front matter do you need for your nonfiction book?

  1. Hi Robert when writing nonfiction, the front of your book needs to be focused on your reader and their needs, so it s best to have your About the Author section at the back of your ebook and paperback. But, you can use the Preface to include an overview of your experience and subject matter expertise, so that you re giving the reader confirmation of why you re the best person to write your book. Thank you so much for this information! I ve searched for instruction and could not find just what I was looking for anywhere. Your content was clear, understandable, and very helpful to one as me, a beginner writer.

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