Afterword: 3 Reasons Books Include an Afterword

The definition of “afterword” is the part of a book that comes after the main content or body matter and may or may not be written by the book’s author. In contrast to a foreword, which is placed at the beginning of the book as part of the front matter, an afterword is part of the back matter (also called the end matter) of a book.

An afterword can be as long or as short as the author intends. On occasion, a brief afterword is all that’s required to make the correct statement, whereas sometimes an unabridged version is necessary.

There are many possible reasons a book might have an afterword, including:

• It explains how the book was created. Books are not all created the same way and can have interesting or complex backstories. Authors can use an afterword to tell that story. In that scenario, the book’s author (or maybe a different writer) discusses the inspirations behind, or challenges involved in, the book’s development, giving further depth to the overall story.
• It comments on the book’s content. This happens frequently in reprintings of classic novels—a contemporary writer will give a modern-day interpretation of the original publication and its impact on society. They can provide historical context, describing how readers might have assessed the book at the time of its original publication. Additionally, sometimes a publisher will add a new afterword to commemorate a book remaining in print for multiple decades or even generations.
• It shares an alternative perspective. When an afterword is written by someone other than the book’s author, it can provide a rebuttal, back up facts, serve as a follow-up, or just share an alternative point of view related to the book’s main material. Afterword authors may be professors who specialize in a topic covered in the book; authors who write in the same genre; historians; or people who can share a firsthand account of significant, real-life events mentioned in the book.

Although the terms afterword and epilogue are often used interchangeably, they’re not synonyms—but they’re not quite antonyms, either. There are noticeable differences between the two, which focus on who is doing the writing, the information they provide, and the perspective taken.

• Perspective and voice: An epilogue uses the perspective and voice of either the main character or the narrator, whichever was used in the prior chapters. An afterword uses the perspective and voice of either the author of the book or a second author or commentator.
• Format: Epilogues are used only in fiction, whereas an afterword is used in fiction and non-fiction.
• Information: An epilogue provides further details for the preceding work of fiction, effectively becoming a concluding section and tying up loose ends. An afterword provides further details for the preceding work of fiction or nonfiction, but comes from the perspective of the author or commentator.

Despite the differences between the words afterword and epilogue, people do continue to mix them up, and some American English and British English dictionary definitions (as well as other language reference materials) cite afterword as a synonym of epilogue, which adds to the confusion.

Although a thesaurus may conflate epilogue and afterword, there are no direct replacement terms, and no clear-cut antonyms of afterword. Here are related words, similar words, and other words that people frequently think are synonyms for afterword but actually aren’t:

1. 1. Afterworld: This has nothing to do with writing and refers to a religious belief describing where a person goes after they die.
2. 2. Addendum: This is placed at the end of a book to clarify a detail that was potentially confusing for readers in the preceding chapters.
3. 3. Appendix: This is supplemental information at the end of a book. It might be reference materials, such as a chart of figures or a glossary of terms with example sentences.
4. 4. Coda: The end portion of a movement in music, a coda is additive to the overall structure of a musical piece.
5. 5. Codicil: A codicil comes at the end of a will—a legal document—to provide additional information and context.
6. 6. Epilog: Epilog is another way to spell epilogue.
7. 7. Excursus: An excursus is used in literature and is a short passage that may or may not have anything to do with the rest of the text. It can be placed anywhere in the book.
8. 8. Index: This contains word lists and page numbers indicating where you can find a particular word within the book. An index is placed at the end of the book.
9. 9. Postlude: A postlude is a piece of music meant to come at the end of something, for example, to close out a religious service.

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