Preface
PublishingAn opening text discussing a work's origins, context or approach to reading it.
Example
The author explains why she returned to the novel twenty years after its first edition.
A preface introduces a book by discussing its origins, purpose or context. In English publishing it is commonly written by the author, while an introductory endorsement or discussion by another person is often called a foreword.
French préface covers a broader range of introductory contributions. Its position before the main text gives it influence over the reader's expectations, even when it stands outside the narrative.
In the workshop
Include material that helps readers enter the book.
Put this term to work
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