What is a Preface
In publishing, a Foreword, Introduction, Preface, Prologue and Epilogue serve distinct purposes. Each contributes something different to the
reader's experience, and they appear in different parts of the book.
Prologue — Setting the Stage for the Story
A Prologue appears before Chapter One and is used to introduce an event, situation, character, or piece of background information that is important to the story but falls outside the main narrative's starting point.
Unlike a Foreword or Introduction, a Prologue is generally part of the story itself.
Written by: The author.
Placement: Immediately before Chapter One, following any Foreword, Preface, or Introduction.
Purpose: To establish atmosphere, create suspense, introduce an earlier event, or provide essential background.
Typical length: 500–2,000 words, although there is no fixed requirement.
Example in a Novel
Imagine a novel that begins in New York City in 2025, but the central mystery originates with a murder committed in 1975.
The author might open with a Prologue describing that murder, without revealing the killer's identity.
Chapter One then begins fifty years later, introducing the main characters and the contemporary storyline.
The Prologue creates intrigue and gives the reader information that the characters themselves may not yet know.
Example in a Memoir
An author writing about an extraordinary career might begin with a Prologue describing a dramatic, life-changing event.
Chapter One then returns to the author's childhood, and the narrative proceeds chronologically toward that pivotal moment.
The Prologue gives readers a compelling reason to discover how the author arrived at that point.
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