Book dedication examples for your partner
A dedication to your partner works for any couple, married or not, as long as it names what they gave this book. Below are examples sorted by tone, written to fit any partner. Choose one to see it on the page, or write your own.
By the Proselis team · Updated
Short dedications to your partner
For Sam.
To my partner, my home.
For S., who stayed.
For Sam, with love.
Heartfelt dedications to your partner
For Sam, who listened to every chapter out loud.
To my partner, who made room in our life for this book.
For Sam. You never doubted it, so I stopped doubting it too.
To my partner, who brought tea, quiet, and patience in equal measure.
Funny dedications to your partner
For Sam, who now knows the plot better than I do.
To my partner, who has been very patient with the people who live in my head.
For Sam, who said, “Just write the book,” so many times that I finally did.
To my partner. Yes, the cat in chapter four is ours.
Romantic dedications to your partner
For Sam, the best thing I never had to write.
To my partner, who makes every ending feel like a beginning.
For Sam. You are the reason I believe in this kind of story.
What should you call your partner in a dedication?
Use the word you use together, whether that’s “partner,” “girlfriend,” “boyfriend,” or “fiancé,” or simply use a first name. A first name alone works for any couple and keeps the page simple. If you might marry before the next book, a name also saves you from a line that feels out of date.
Is it too soon to dedicate a book to a new partner?
A book lasts longer than many relationships, so think about how the line will read in ten years. If the relationship is new, a dedication to someone who helped with this particular book can be a safer choice. You can still thank your partner warmly in the acknowledgments.
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
Can I dedicate a book to my partner and our pets?
Yes, and readers tend to like it. Put your partner first, as in “For Sam, and for Biscuit, who sat on every draft.”
What if we break up after the book comes out?
The dedication stays in copies already printed, but you can change it in a new edition or an updated ebook file. A line that was true when you wrote it is nothing to be embarrassed about.
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.