“Epilogue” and “afterword” both refer to sections at the end of a book. However, there are some important differences between the two:
For more on the differences between an epilogue and an afterword, read on below.
An “epilogue” comes after the final chapter of a story and supplements or follows up on the main narrative. This might be for a number of reasons, such as to:
Importantly, an epilogue is always a part of the story world. It might not be written from the same perspective as the rest of the story (e.g., it might shift to a different character’s point of view). And it might take place long after the main story has ended. But an epilogue is an extension of the story, not something separate to it.
Since they are part of a story, epilogues are most common in fiction. However, you will also find them in narrative non-fiction (e.g., biographies and memoirs).
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An “afterword” is like a foreword, only it appears after the main body of a book as a concluding section. Sometimes, a book will be published with an afterword from the first edition. In other cases, though, a book will only gain an afterword in later editions (e.g., to let the author reflect on how their ideas have changed).
Regardless of whether they are part of the original manuscript or later additions, though, afterwords typically focus on one (or more) of the following:
This will usually be written by the author, but somtimes it will be someone else with a connection to the author, story, or subject matter. Since they aren’t restricted to narrative writing or part of a story, afterwords are common in both fiction and non-fiction books. In both cases, though, they are written from the perspective of the author or another contributor, not a character or narrator within a book.
If you’re writing an epilogue or afterword for a book, you’ll want to be sure it is clear, concise, and error free. And if you’d like any help with that, our expert proofreaders are available. Sign up for a free trial today and find out more.
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