Book dedication examples for your readers
Dedicating a book to your readers works best when you name which readers you mean: the ones who waited for this sequel, the ones who felt left out, or the ones who skip ahead. 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 readers
For you, reader.
For everyone who needed this story.
For my readers. Still here because you are.
For anyone who reads the dedication first.
Heartfelt dedications to your readers
For the readers who stayed up too late with the last book. This one is for you too.
To everyone who ever felt like the odd one out. You belong in these pages.
For every reader who asked what happened next. Here it is.
For the readers who wrote to me after the first book. I kept every letter.
To the people who see themselves in too few books. I wrote this one with you in mind.
Funny dedications to your readers
For my readers, who asked me to stop killing off their favorite characters. I didn’t listen.
For you. Yes, you, reading the dedication. Nobody reads the dedication. I like you already.
For everyone who reads the last page first. No spoilers here, I promise.
To the book club that argued about the ending for three hours. Round two starts now.
Dedications to your readers for a series
These suit the second book onward.
For the readers who followed this series from the first book. Thank you for coming back.
To everyone who waited for this one. Sorry about the cliffhanger.
For the readers who turned a single book into a trilogy by asking for more.
When does a dedication to readers work?
It suits a series, a book with a devoted online audience, or a story written for people who rarely see themselves in books. For a first book, it can feel premature, so a person in your life is often the better choice.
How do you make a reader dedication feel personal?
Name which readers you mean. “For my readers” is kind but general. “For every reader who wrote to ask about the dog” tells them you were listening.
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 a specific fan?
You can, with their permission. Some authors name a reader who won a contest or wrote a letter that mattered. Ask first, and use only their first name if they prefer.
Should I thank readers in the dedication or the acknowledgments?
A short line works in the dedication. A longer thank-you, with names and details, belongs in the acknowledgments.
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.