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Dedication and Acknowledgments (Are they Needed and Where do They Go?)

  • Writer: Michelle M. White
    Michelle M. White
  • Apr 23
  • 4 min read

Updated: Apr 30

A dedication is a brief personal note honoring someone. Acknowledgments are where you thank the people who helped bring the book to life.


Both are optional, and acknowledgments can be placed in either the front matter or the back matter, depending on their length and what best supports the reader’s experience.



In This Article

  • What is a Dedication?

  • What are Acknowledgments?

  • Where a Dedication Usually Goes

  • Where Acknowledgments Can Go (Front or Back)

  • A Simple Decision Guide

  • Design Tips

  • Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Quick Checklist

  • Common Questions

  • More in This Series



What is a Dedication?

A dedication is a short, personal note honoring someone important to you. It is usually brief and is often placed on its own page.



What are Acknowledgments?

Acknowledgments are where you thank the people who helped bring the book to life, through writing, research, editing, publishing, or personal support. They may be brief, or they may extend for several pages.



Where a Dedication Usually Goes

The dedication appears early in the front matter, often on the page facing the copyright page. This placement makes it easy to find and helps keep the opening of the book clean and uncluttered.



Where Acknowledgments Can Go (Front or Back)

Acknowledgments can appear in the front matter, but they can also be placed in the back matter. Both are common and fully acceptable. If the acknowledgments are lengthy, placing them at the end often supports the reading experience by allowing readers to reach the main content sooner.



A Simple Decision Guide

Use this quick guide:

  • If your acknowledgments are short, just a paragraph or two, the front matter can work well.

  • If your acknowledgments are longer, multiple paragraphs or several pages, the back matter is often a better fit.

  • If your book includes a preface, brief acknowledgments can often fit naturally there.

  • If your book is highly practical, such as business, self-help, or reference, placing acknowledgments in the back matter can help readers move into the core content more quickly.



Design Tips That Keep These Pages Elegant

Keep a dedication short and centered on the page when possible. It should feel intentional, not crowded.


If you include an epigraph (a quotation), decide whether it should share the dedication page or appear on its own page. Most books place them separately, with the epigraph following the dedication.


For acknowledgments, prioritize readability by using comfortable line spacing, clear margins, and a simple heading.



Common Mistakes to Avoid  

These are easy to fix once you know to look for them:

  • Treating the dedication as part of the copyright page instead of giving it its own separate page or space.

  • Placing acknowledgments in more than one location, for example, as a full section and then again in the preface.

  • Making acknowledgments so long or detailed that they delay the start of the book without adding much value for the reader.

  • Misspelling the word “acknowledgments” or “acknowledgements”. In American English there is no “e” after the “g”, but in the UK, there is.



Quick Checklist

Before layout begins, make sure you have decided:

  • The final wording of the dedication.

  • Whether you will include an epigraph, along with its exact source and attribution.

  • Whether acknowledgments will appear in the front matter or back matter.

  • Whether acknowledgments will stand alone as a separate section or be included in the preface.



Common Questions

Q: Can I put acknowledgments in the back matter in nonfiction?

A: Yes. Many authors prefer that placement, especially when they want the opening of the book to move more quickly.


Q: Do I need both a dedication and acknowledgments?

A: No. Include the elements that best fit your book and your goals. Neither one is required.


Q: Can a dedication be longer than one sentence?

A: It can, but shorter is usually more effective.



More in This Series

This article is part of my Parts of a Book series, where I walk through the different sections of a book and how to present them clearly and professionally. You’ll find more posts in the series below.



Final Thoughts

A clean opening helps readers settle into the book and move into the main content with ease. If you are unsure where to place acknowledgments, choose the option that best supports the reader’s experience and the overall flow of the book.


Looking for more book design and self-publishing insights?


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