How to compose your memoir’s Back Matter

 

Recently we studied your memoir’s Front Matter, and this week we’ll begin looking at its Back Matter (or End Matter)—those pages that appear after the Main Body of your book.

 

Often I read a book’s Back Matter before reading the story itself.

 

Do you?

 

I’m drawn to the Back Matter because after reading it (as well as the Front Matter), I feel a connection to the author and have a better grasp of the story I will soon enter.

 

Many if not all Back Matter components are considered optional. This week we’ll look at the first two:

 

Acknowledgments:

 

Most people want to publicly thank those who helped them write their books.

 

But not everyone advocates including Acknowledgments. That seems strange, I know.

 

Mick Silva writes this about Acknowledgments: “I know many people who are against acknowledgment pages. But to me, . . .  acknowledgments are the best part of a book. Teamwork, camaraderie, and sacrificial love get poured into an author and their work, and it’s often on wonderful display in the acknowledgment pages. It’s a testament to all that goes into a book. . . .” Mick Silva, Higher Purpose Writers.

 

I agree, Mick, I agree!

 

Judith Briles offers a long list of those you could include in your Acknowledgments:  Click on Who Are You Going to Acknowledge in Your Book?

 

Tucker Max also offers insightful tips and examples in his post, How to Write Your Book Acknowledgments.

 

Author Bio (“About the Author”):

 

In my opinion, an Author Bio (“About the Author”) is a must. Usually the Author Bio is in the Back Matter, but occasionally you’ll find one in a book’s Front Matter. I favor placing it in the Back Matter.

 

You’ll write your Author Bio in third person. For example: “Jane Doe has written _____ and ______ . . . . She lives in ___________. . . .”

 

If you’re a speaker, and/or if you’ve written other books, newspaper/magazine articles, chapters for anthologies, or guest blog posts, include that in your Author Bio.

 

Also tell readers what makes you uniquely qualified to write your memoir. For example, in my Author Bio in Please, God, Don’t Make Me Go: A Foot-Dragger’s Memoir, I wrote that I’d spent three years working in South America which, you’ll no doubt agree, qualifies me to write a memoir about living there. I also included info about my other memoir, Grandma’s Letters from Africa, stating that I worked as a missionary journalist and that the publisher gave the memoir three awards.

 

If you haven’t previously published anything, don’t worry—just skip that aspect of your Author Bio. Joel Pitney offers this advice for first-timers: “Some authors don’t feel like they have enough to say about themselves; but just the fact that you’ve written a book makes you important enough to have at least a 3-4 line bio! Think creatively about what elements of who you are might be of interest to readers; don’t be shy!”

 

Consider including your education, background, past experiences, and interests, especially if they pertain to your memoir and lend credibility.

 

In my most recent Author Bio, I also included links to Facebook Pages for my two memoirs, followed by “In addition to speaking, Linda teaches the craft of writing memoir to community and church groups and through her blog, Spiritual Memoirs 101 at https://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com.”

 

Include links for your newsletter, as well as other social media info if you’re comfortable doing so.

 

And be sure to include a professional-quality photo of yourself.

 

For additional tips on how to write your Author Bio, click on the following:

4 Elements to Craft Your Author Bio

How to Write a Killer Author Bio

 

For now, work on your Acknowledgments and Author Bio, and come back next week when we’ll cover additional components of your memoir’s Back Matter.

 

Your memoir’s ministry: “through us, with us, in spite of us”

 

“Writing can be a true spiritual discipline,” writes Henri Nouwen.

 

He highlights one of the core aspects of writing memoirs—the necessity of, and blessing of, introspection and reflection and analysis of what happened in the past.

 

He points out that as we write, “new ideas emerge, ideas that surprise us and lead us to inner places we hardly knew were there.” Nouwen calls those “deep wells of hidden treasures.”

 

“Writing can help us concentrate, to get in touch with the deeper stirrings of our hearts, to clarify our minds, to process confusing emotions, to reflect on our experiences, to give artistic expression to what we are living, and to store significant events in our memories.”

 

“Writing can also be good for others who might read what we write,” Nouwen says. “Quite often a difficult, painful, or frustrating [event] can be ‘redeemed’ by writing about it. . . . Then writing can become lifesaving for us and sometimes for others, too.”

 

Nouwen continues, “Each human being is unique. . . and nobody has lived what we have lived. . . . What we have lived, we have lived not just for ourselves but for others as well. Writing can . . . make our lives available . . . to others. We have to trust that our stories deserve to be told.” (Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey)

 

Maybe you doubt what Nouwen claims—maybe you doubt your story can be lifesaving for others.

 

Many would-be memoirists struggle with that.

 

But look at what dear Mick Silva discovered:

 

“For such a long time, I felt my story wasn’t important. . . .

I didn’t know who my story had made me. . . .

But exhuming it, the healing has been profound,

pulling me from ashes of charred memories. . . .

And the things I’ve discovered have been treasures. . . .

Through writing I’ve discovered that . . .

protecting and preserving our stories

is about discovering God’s story.

What he did through us, with us, in spite of us,

continually pursuing that story

is a matter of faithfulness and obedience,

to become aware and invest in this life he’s given.

To speak its life-affirming power in proper words and context,

it can be the delight of our lives,

an endless source of inspiration.”

(Mick Silva, Higher Purpose Writers)

 

“We are storytellers,” writes Carolina Hinojosa-Cisneros. “With the help of God, it is up to us to steward our calling and steward it well.”

 

Believe this: Your story is important. 

Write it!

Make your life and your story available for others.

 

Front Matter: Have you created it yet for your memoir?

 

After you’ve finished writing your memoir, develop your book’s Front Matter, those important documents you’ll place at the beginning of your book.

 

The task can be daunting. “The part of a book that most confuses new independent authors . . . is the front matter,” writes Joel Friedlander.

 

But we’re here to help you!

 

Keep in mind that a book’s front matter can include a variety of pages, each serving a different purpose. Below I’ll explain some of your options. (See more at “Front Matter: What It Is and Why It Is Important”.)

 

Many people begin with a Half Title Page—that is, only the name of your memoir. The subtitle and the author’s name don’t appear on the Half Title Page.

 

The Title Page will include your memoir’s full title, including its subtitle, and the author’s name. If you’ve used an illustrator, his name also goes on your Title Page.

 

If you’re self-publishing, you’ll need to create a Copyright Page. You’ll find everything you need to know at “What is the difference between a preface, a foreword, and an introduction?” This is a valuable resource for you and it includes much more than info on Prefaces, Forewords, and Introductions. Scroll down to “What goes on the copyright page?”

 

The next page will be your Dedication Page, where you name those for whom you’ve written your story. (See last week’s post, “Your memoir needs a book dedication.”)

 

Consider adding an Epigram or Epigraph to your Dedication Page. An Epigram/Epigraph is a saying or quote that pertains to what your readers will discover. It can be a parable, proverb, quotation, Bible passage, or something clever. It can be a line from a poem, an adage, a maxim, a witticism, a precept, or a prayer. (See examples in last week’s post, “Your memoir needs a book dedication.”)

 

Next, develop your Table of Contents (optional). If your memoir is a collection of essays or chapters, you will have given them titles. If so, list them for readers and include page numbers.

 

If you want to include a FOREWORD (note the correct spelling), place it after the Table of Contents. You, the author, do not write the Foreword—someone else does, someone of your choosing, someone who can speak with authority and who assures readers they can trust you and your writing. You’ll appreciate this article: “How Do I Get A Foreword For My Book?”

 

An optional Preface appears after the Foreword. Learn more about Prefaces at:

• “What is a Preface: Definition and Tips for Writers”  
• “How to Write a Preface . . . .” 
• “What is the difference between a preface, a foreword, and an introduction?”

 

Another optional feature is a Timeline. Why? Think back: You have a good grasp of the order of your life’s events. Probably your kids do, too, but how about your grandchildren and great-grandchildren? And other readers? They probably won’t have a clue.

 

If you arrange your memoir in a non-chronological order, or if you have flashbacks or insert backstory, a Timeline can be a helpful tool for readers. Your goal is to make it easy for them to follow along with you. A Timeline can clear up anything that confuses readers or hinders your stories’ messages.

 

Keep your Timeline simple—a list with dates should work, or you could create a horizontal line across two facing pages with key dates marked.

 

Some authors include an Introduction and/or a Prologue in their Front Matter, but technically neither is part of Front Matter—they’re part of the Main Body of the book. Think of your Introduction as writing a letter to your readers. State why you wrote your story. You might want to explain how and why you chose your title. Tell readers what you hope they’ll discover in your book. Make it personal. Humor is good. Love is a must.

 

Frank P. Thomas has this good advice: “Avoid making any apologies in your Introduction for your life, for your writing, or for anything else. You are better than you think. So be positive” (How To Write The Story of Your Life).

 

Read more about Introductions at “What is the difference between a preface, a foreword, and an introduction?” and “Forewords, Prefaces, and Introductions: Where to Begin?”

 

A Prologue gets the reader ready to begin Chapter One. It might include your memoir’s setting, date, and other background information. A Prologue can help readers settle into your story—which makes it more likely they’ll read your memoir all the way to the end. However, consider the pros and cons of including a Prologue: Click on “The Great  Debate: To Prologue or Not to Prologue?” See also “Does My Memoir Need a Prologue?” and “When to Use a Prologue.”

 

Composing your memoir’s Front Matter can be a huge task, but if you persist and work with today’s resources, you should do fine. Also, in conclusion:

 

This blog post by Joel Friedlander is a valuable resource for you when crafting all your Front Matter: “How to Organize Your Book’s Front Matter.”

 

I highly recommend you use “What is the difference between a preface, a foreword, and an introduction?” as you compile your memoir’s Front Matter. In writing my memoir, I referred to this article many, many times. It contains much more than info on prefaces, forewords, and introductions. It’s a long article so keep scrolling down. It’s a rich, rich resource!

 

Have fun!

 

Your memoir needs a book dedication

 

Question #1: Do you know who you’re writing your memoir for?

 

If you’re still early in the process of writing, you might not know who you’re writing it for.

 

If that sounds like you, Biff Barnes at Stories to Tell explains why it’s important to ask yourself: “Who am I writing my book for?” and “Why are those people special to me?”

 

Biff says that knowing your audience will help you pin down your voice, your tone, your vocabulary, what stories to include, and how to shape your book. (Click on “Memoir or Family History.”)

 

Question #2 (which is related to Question #1): Do you know what a book dedication is?

 

The dedication appears on one of the first few pages of a book and often begins with “For” or “I dedicate this book to” followed by names of people for whom you’ve written your memoir.

 

So, tie #1 to #2 and there you have it: Besides all the reasons Biff listed above, you need to know who you’re writing your book for so you can write your memoir’s dedication.

 

Even in the early stages of writing your story, compose a rough draft of your dedication, knowing you can revise it later, just before you publish.

 

A word of caution: Don’t confuse a book’s dedication with your acknowledgments page. Lucille Zimmerman at WordServe Water Cooler says the book dedication is not “the acknowledgments page where you thank everyone who ever helped you” write, revise, edit, and publish your story,  but rather it’s “that mostly blank page tucked in the beginning of a book, after the title page and publishing credits.”

 

Lucille is fascinated with book dedications. Her blog post, 7 Ways to Do Book Dedications, includes charming examples for you.

 

A book dedication should be personal. Joseph C. Kunz, Jr., emphasizes the emotional connection a book dedication can create and writes, “Whether your book’s dedication is only a few sentences or an entire paragraph, you shouldn’t miss this opportunity to give the reader a small look into your life’s story.” Click here to read his post, Book Dedications to Spur Your Imagination, which includes a dozen examples.

 

Study dedications in books you have on your shelves, or go to the library, or check out the “Look inside” feature on Amazon.com. These will give you added inspiration.

 

When it comes time to craft your final version of your memoir’s dedication, keep this in mind: It doesn’t have to be dull and formal. Get creative. Give your dedication some charisma, some pizzazz. And have fun!

 

Also consider including an epigram below your dedication. An epigram is a concise statement that illuminates or summarizes your message. If used following a dedication, an epigram helps make your dedication relatable and memorable. It can even make your readers curious.

 

An epigram can be a parable, a proverb, a quotation, a Bible passage, or something clever. It can be a line from a poem, an adage, a maxim, a witticism, a precept, or a prayer.

 

Here are a few examples of epigrams:

 

“The Masaai have a saying, Meata nkerai lopeny: A child is not owned by one person.”

 

“Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping . . . will return with songs of joy” (Psalm 126:5-6).

 

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

So, craft a dedication for your memoir.

Make it special.

Create a dedication with grace and charm and wit.