Acknowledgements examples for a novel
A novel’s acknowledgements usually sit at the back, where readers who just finished the story can see who helped tell it. They tend to be warmer and more personal than a nonfiction book’s. Add the lines you like to the page, or build your own with the form.
By the Proselis team · Updated
Thanks for a debut novel
This is my first novel, and it took a small army to get it here. Thank you, all of you.
Thank you to every agent who said no and to Laura Kim, who said yes.
Ten years ago, I started this story in a notebook on the train. Thank you to everyone who asked how it was going and waited for the answer.
To the version of me who almost quit in year three, thank you for not quitting.
Thanks for the people who read early drafts
Thank you to my critique partners, Jess and Theo, who read the worst version of this book and still saw what it could be.
The first readers of this novel were a book club that meets in a laundromat. Thank you for every note and every quarter.
Thank you to Ivy, who read the ending four times and cried every time, which is how I knew it worked.
My writing group heard about these characters for three years. Thank you for never once asking me to stop.
Thanks for research a novel needed
Thank you to the night-shift nurses at St. Clare’s, who answered my questions and corrected my medical mistakes.
I owe the sailing scenes to Captain Ruth Bell, who took me out on a cold morning and laughed at my knots.
The town in this book is invented, but its bakery is borrowed. Thank you to the Kowalski family for the bread and the stories.
Any mistakes about 1930s Texas are mine alone. Thank you to the historians who tried their best to prevent them.
Thanks for family in a novel
Thank you to my parents, who never once suggested a more sensible career.
Daniel, thank you for every dinner you cooked while I was busy getting my characters into trouble.
To my children, thank you for understanding that the villain is not based on you.
Mom, I took out the scene you asked me to take out. You’re welcome.
What makes a novel’s acknowledgements different?
Fiction readers reach your acknowledgements after the story ends, while they’re still inside its mood. A little warmth and humor fit there, and so does a word for the readers themselves. Save the long list of sources for nonfiction.
How do you thank people who helped with research for fiction?
Name them, and say what they helped with, such as the medical scenes or the sailing details. Then take responsibility for any errors because the experts shouldn’t carry the blame for the liberties a story takes.
Acknowledgments or acknowledgements?
Both are correct. “Acknowledgments” is the usual American spelling, and “acknowledgements” is the usual British one. Pick the one that matches the rest of your book’s spelling, and use it in both the page heading and the table of contents.
How long should acknowledgements be?
Half a page to two pages is typical. If yours runs longer, group people by role so readers can follow it, and keep each paragraph to a few sentences.
Questions
Should I thank agents who rejected my novel?
You don’t need to, but a light line can work if it fits your voice. Keep it kind because some of them will read it.
Can I thank readers in a first novel?
Yes. A first novel has no fans yet, so thank the readers holding it now for taking a chance on a new name.
Where does the acknowledgements page go?
Most novels put it at the back, after the last chapter. Many nonfiction books put it at the front instead, before the introduction.
Is it okay to thank people who didn’t help with the writing?
Yes. Thank anyone who made it possible for you to write, such as the friend who watched your kids or the boss who let you change your hours.
Give your thanks a page of its own
Proselis adds an Acknowledgments page to your back matter from one menu, so it lands in the right place in your EPUB and print PDF. Writing is free. Publishing a book as an EPUB and a print-ready PDF is a one-time $20.