How to Write Acknowledgements for a Book (with an Example)

Quick answer: the acknowledgements page is where you thank the people and organisations that helped you make the book. Keep it sincere and specific, name people the way they would want to be named, put the most important thanks first or last, and keep it short: most acknowledgements fit on one or two pages. Both spellings are correct: acknowledgements is the usual British spelling and acknowledgments the usual American one (Cambridge Dictionary). Pick one and use it consistently.

Key takeaways

• Acknowledgements are not a dedication. A dedication is one short line to one person or a few; acknowledgements are a page or two of thanks.
• Placement varies. Non-fiction and academic books often place them in the front matter; many novels and memoirs put them at the back. Either is acceptable; follow what similar books in your category do.
• Be specific. "Thank you to Ada, who read every draft and told me the truth about chapter three" says more than a list of names.
• Ask before you name. Some people, especially in memoir, would rather not appear in print.
• Short beats complete. Readers skim long lists. Group people and thank the key few by name.

Acknowledgements, dedication, preface: what each one does

Who to thank

Work through the book's life from idea to print and note who mattered at each stage. A useful order to think in:

1. People who made the content possible: interviewees, sources, experts who checked facts, archives or libraries, anyone whose story appears in the book.
2. The book team: editors, proofreaders, beta readers, cover designer, typesetter, illustrator, agent or publisher.
3. Funders and institutions: grants, employers who gave time, writing groups, workshops or residencies.
4. Personal support: family, friends, a partner, colleagues, mentors, and anyone who kept life running while you wrote.

Not everyone needs a name. "My colleagues at the clinic, who covered my shifts" thanks a group warmly without a list.

How to write it: five steps

1. List everyone first, then cut. Write every name you can think of, then keep the people whose help changed the book. Thank the rest as a group.
2. Choose an order. Most authors either start with the professional help and end with family, or open with the person who mattered most. Ending on the most personal thanks usually reads best.
3. Add one specific detail per key person. What did they actually do? Read three drafts, lent a quiet room, answered questions at midnight.
4. Use names as people use them. Check spellings, titles and how each person prefers to be named. Ask permission where naming could expose someone.
5. Read it aloud. If it sounds like a speech or an awards list, trim it. Warm, plain sentences work best.

A short example

This book began as a conversation with my grandmother, and she answered every question I asked, even the difficult ones. My thanks to the staff of the state archives, who found records I had given up on; to Tunde and Grace, my first readers, who were honest about chapter four; and to my editor, whose questions made every page clearer. Finally, to my husband and our children, who gave me the evenings and weekends this book needed: thank you.

Common mistakes

• Thanking everyone you have ever met. A long list dilutes the thanks that matter.
• Inside jokes. If a reader will not understand it, keep it for a private note.
• Naming people without asking. Especially in memoir, where a name can reveal more than the person wants.
• Misspelt names. The one page every person mentioned will read closely. Check every name.
• Mixing up dedication and acknowledgements. Keep the dedication to one short line and put the thank-yous on their own page.
• Using two spellings. Choose acknowledgements or acknowledgments and keep it the same in the heading and the table of contents.

Before you send the book to print

• The heading spelling matches the table of contents.
• Every name is spelt and titled correctly, and everyone named has agreed.
• The page sits where similar books in your genre put it (front or back).
• It fits on one or two pages in your trim size.

Acknowledgements are one of the last pages you write, and an easy page to get wrong under deadline. Our proofreading and book formatting services check the front and back matter along with the rest of your book. To see what each package includes, visit our self-publishing packages. If you are still writing, start with how to write a book, or read what a memoir is.