Book dedication examples for your daughter
A dedication to your daughter should still feel right when she reads it years from now, so warmth and a true detail matter more than cleverness. Below are examples sorted by tone. Choose one to see it on the page, or write your own.
By the Proselis team · Updated
Short dedications to your daughter
For Iris.
To my daughter, my favorite reader.
For Iris, who makes everything braver.
For my daughter, always.
Heartfelt dedications to your daughter
For Iris, who read the first chapter and asked for more.
To my daughter. May you always write your own ending.
For Iris, who reminds me every day why stories matter.
To my daughter, who is braver than any heroine I could invent.
Funny dedications to your daughter
For Iris, who asked whether the princess could have a sword. She does now.
To my daughter, who says the best part of this book is her name on this page.
For Iris, my toughest critic, who gave this book four stars and a sticker.
To my daughter, who insists the main character should have been named after her. Next time.
Dedications to a grown daughter
These suit a daughter who is an adult.
For Iris, who grew into someone I admire more every year.
To my daughter, now my friend and still my first reader.
For Iris. You heard the earliest version of this story at bedtime. Here is the grown-up one.
To my daughter, who told me to stop rewriting and send it out. Thank you.
What makes a dedication to your daughter feel personal?
Name something she actually did or said, such as a question she asked about the story or the character she wanted to meet. A small, true detail is what she will treasure later. Avoid lines that only fit one age, unless you plan to dedicate future books to her too.
Should the dedication give her something to remember?
Some parents use the dedication as a short wish, such as “May you always find your voice.” Keep it to one idea so it reads like a gift rather than advice. A longer letter is better kept in the copy you sign for her.
Where does the dedication go?
In a printed book, the dedication gets its own right-hand page after the copyright page, usually centered about a third of the way down. Some books share that page with the epigraph. In an ebook, it comes right after the copyright page.
How long should a dedication be?
Most are one or two lines. Anything longer usually belongs in the acknowledgments at the back, where you can thank everyone by name.
Questions
Is it all right to use my daughter’s nickname?
Use it if she likes it. A nickname feels warm and private, but she may prefer her full name when she is older, so pick the one she is least likely to outgrow.
Can I dedicate a book to my daughter and her children?
Yes. Name your daughter first and the grandchildren after her, as in “For Iris, and for Noah and June.” It reads as one family across generations.
Can I dedicate a book to more than one person?
Yes. Name them together, as in “For Maya and Leo,” or give each person a line. If the list grows past three or four names, move your thanks to the acknowledgments.
Do I have to include a dedication?
No. Many books have none. Leave it out if nobody comes to mind, because a forced dedication shows.
Should the dedication be in italics?
It’s common but not required. Most dedications are centered and set in italic or small type so they stand apart from the text.
Give your dedication its own page
Proselis has a dedication page ready in its Front Matter menu, so your dedication 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.