Book acknowledgements are the section of a book in which an author recognizes the people, organizations and others who contributed to or supported the creation of the book.
Book Acknowledgements is a resource dedicated to the art, format and examples of acknowledgements in books. This website exists specifically to document, explain and provide links to examples of book acknowledgements.
Book acknowledgements are the section of a book in which an author recognizes the people, organizations and others who contributed to or supported the creation of the book.
Also spelled acknowledgments, the section is the author's thank-you to everyone who made the book possible, from editors and early readers to family, mentors and organizations. It differs from a dedication, which honors one person or a few people in a line or two, and from a foreword, which someone other than the author writes to introduce the book.
A book acknowledgements page names the people and organizations who helped, says what each one contributed, and closes with a note of thanks. Many authors move from professional help, such as editors, agents, designers and early readers, to personal support from friends and family. Credits for illustrations, quotations or excerpts can also appear here when they are not listed on the copyright page.
Thank anyone whose help made the finished book better or made writing it possible: editors, agents, publishers, foreword writers, manuscript reviewers, interviewees, researchers, designers, mentors, family and friends. Organizations, communities and even tools can be thanked too. Saying what each person did makes the thanks specific.
The acknowledgements page goes in either the front matter or the back matter of a book. In the front matter it usually follows the dedication, table of contents, foreword or preface. In the back matter it usually comes right after the main text, before any appendix, notes or bibliography. Both placements are standard, and the publisher's house style often decides.
Acknowledgements are where the author's own voice comes through. Write them warmly, in a tone that still fits the rest of the book.
An acknowledgements page recognizes the organizations and individuals who contributed to the book.
Acknowledgement pages are personal by nature, yet most follow the same simple format: who helped, what they did, and a note of thanks.
Most book acknowledgements run one to two pages. Some are a single paragraph, while books built on many interviews or contributors can run longer. Keep the length in proportion to the book, and keep the tone close to the tone of the book itself.
Acknowledgements and acknowledgments are two correct spellings of the same word. American style guides, including The Chicago Manual of Style, use acknowledgments. Acknowledgements, with the e, is standard in British English and widely used around the world. Choose one spelling and use it consistently throughout a book. This site uses acknowledgements and treats both spellings as the same term.
Start by listing everyone who helped, from the first idea to publication. Group them by contribution, such as the foreword, manuscript reviewers, interviews and supporters. Say what each person or group did, match the tone of your book, and keep the page to one or two pages. Check the spelling of every name, and use one spelling of acknowledgements throughout.
