Book dedication examples for your wife
A dedication to your wife lands best when it points at something real she gave the book, such as time, belief, or a blunt first read. Below are examples sorted by tone, from one line to a few. Choose one to see it on the page, or write your own.
By the Proselis team · Updated
Short dedications to your wife
For Elena, always.
To my wife, my first and best reader.
For E., who knew before I did.
For Elena. Every word.
Heartfelt dedications to your wife
For Elena, who kept the lights on while I chased this story.
To my wife, who gave up a hundred quiet evenings so I could write this one.
For Elena, who read the messy first draft and told me the truth, kindly.
To my wife. You made the space, and I filled it with this.
For Elena, who believed this book was real long before it was.
Funny dedications to your wife
For Elena, who wants it on record that she guessed the ending.
To my wife, who now knows more about medieval siege engines than she ever wanted to.
For Elena. You can stop pretending to be asleep when I talk about chapter twelve.
To my wife, who asked for a dedication with her name in bold. This is as close as I could get.
Romantic dedications to your wife
These fit love stories and books about a long marriage.
For Elena, who taught me everything I know about happy endings.
To my wife, the love story I never had to invent.
For Elena. Still my favorite chapter.
What should you thank your wife for in a dedication?
Pick the help that mattered most to this book, such as the time she gave you, a draft she read, or the push to finish. One concrete thank-you means more than a list. If she supported you through the whole process, the acknowledgments page has room for the full story.
Should a dedication to your wife be private or public?
Remember that strangers will read it. A line that makes sense only to the two of you, such as an inside joke or a pet name, can be lovely, but it can also leave readers puzzled. If you want both, use her first name in the dedication, and save the private message for 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
Should I tell my wife about the dedication before the book comes out?
It’s up to you. Some authors keep it as a surprise for the first printed copy, and others check first so that nothing private ends up in print.
What if my wife doesn’t want her name in the book?
Use “For my wife” or her initials instead. Readers will still understand who it’s for, and her privacy stays intact.
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.