What an afterword is, how it differs from an epilogue, and whether your nonfiction book needs either
An epilogue continues the story after it ends. An afterword steps outside the story to talk about the book itself. Most nonfiction books need neither, because the conclusion does the closing work. Here is what each one is, when to add one, and how to write it.
What an afterword is
An afterword is a short section after the main text in which the author, or someone else, speaks to the reader about the book. Scribe's guide to prefaces, forewords and introductions suggests putting extra material at the back of the book, and notes that you can write an afterword that explains how the book came into being. Wikipedia's entry on afterwords adds that one is often written for a later edition, and that it may be written by someone other than the author.
Typical afterwords cover:
- How and why the book was written, when that story would have slowed down the opening.
- What has changed since the first edition, in the field or in the author's thinking.
- What readers did with the book, told without inventing or inflating results.
- A tribute or reflection by someone close to the author or the subject.
What an epilogue is
An epilogue picks up after the main story ends and tells the reader what happened next. In nonfiction it is most common in memoir, biography and narrative books: where the people in the book are now, how a situation turned out, or a scene set years later. It stays inside the story. An afterword steps outside it.
Afterword, epilogue and conclusion compared
| Section | What it does | Voice | Who writes it | Common in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conclusion | Closes the argument: sums up and tells the reader what to do next | The author, inside the book's argument | The author | Almost every nonfiction book |
| Epilogue | Tells what happened after the story ended | Inside the story | The author | Memoir, biography, narrative nonfiction |
| Afterword | Talks about the book itself: its making, its life since, why it matters now | Outside the story | The author or someone else | New editions, memoir, books with a story behind them |
| Postface | Speaks directly to the reader, like a preface, but at the end | Outside the story | Usually the author | Rare; often grouped with appendixes |
The postface description comes from Scribe's guide to the parts of a book. The rest of the comparison is Scribe Media's guidance for nonfiction authors.
Does your nonfiction book need one?
Usually not. A clear conclusion closes most nonfiction books, and every extra section is one more thing a reader may skip. Add one only when it does a job nothing else can:
- Add an epilogue when readers will close the book wondering what happened next, and the answer is worth a few pages. A memoir about building a company might end with where the company and its people are five years on.
- Add an afterword when you have something to say about the book itself: a new edition, a story about how the book came to be that would have cluttered the opening, or a reflection from someone else that belongs at the end rather than the front.
- Skip both if what you want to say is really a summary or a call to action. That belongs in the conclusion. If it is data or reference material, it belongs in an appendix.
How to write one
- Keep it short. A few pages is plenty. It is the last thing the reader sees, so make it feel like a send-off, not another chapter.
- Pick one job. What happened next, how the book came to be, or what has changed. One of these, not all three.
- Date it if it is for a new edition. Say when it was written so readers know how much time has passed.
- Do not repeat the conclusion. If it summarizes the book, cut it, or move that material into the conclusion.
- Stay accurate. If you describe what happened after the book, or what readers did with it, report only what is true and checkable.
Two short openings we wrote, to show the difference in voice. Neither is from a real book.
Epilogue (inside the story): "Three years after the night I sat in the parking lot and decided to sell, I drove past the old building again. The sign had changed. Most of the people inside had not."
Afterword (outside the story): "When I finished the first edition of this book, I thought the hardest part of hiring was finding good people. Since then, the questions readers have sent me have changed my mind. This afterword is about what I got wrong."
Where it goes
Both come after the main text, following the conclusion, and before back matter such as acknowledgments, appendixes, notes and the index. The Chicago Manual of Style's chapter on the parts of a book covers the conclusion (1.59) and then the epilogue or afterword (1.60) among the divisions of the text. List it in your table of contents like a chapter.
For the sections at the front of the book, see foreword, preface, introduction and prologue. For how to end the book well, see writing the introduction, the conclusion and the parts around your book.
Start here: read your last chapter and conclusion. If a reader would close the book asking "and then what?", write a short epilogue. If not, you probably do not need either.
Common questions
What is an afterword in a book?
A short section after the main text that steps outside the book to talk to the reader: how the book came to be, what has changed since it was written, or why it matters now. It is often added to a later edition, and it can be written by the author or by someone else.
What is the difference between an afterword and an epilogue?
An epilogue usually continues the story: what happened next to the people or events in the book. An afterword usually sits outside the story: a note about the book itself, its making or its life since publication.
Does a nonfiction book need an afterword or an epilogue?
Usually not. The conclusion does the closing work in most nonfiction books. Add an epilogue when readers will want to know what happened after the story ended, and an afterword when you have something to say about the book itself, such as in a new edition.
Where does an afterword go in a book?
After the main text, following the conclusion, and before back matter such as acknowledgments, appendixes, notes and the index. The Chicago Manual of Style covers the conclusion and the epilogue or afterword one after the other among the text divisions.
Can someone else write the afterword?
Yes. An afterword is sometimes written by someone other than the author, for example a colleague, family member or expert adding commentary, much as a foreword is at the front of a book.
Sources: Scribe Media, Preface vs Foreword vs Introduction (extra material at the back; an afterword that explains how the book came into being) and Parts of a Book (postface); Wikipedia, Afterword (often for a later edition; may be written by someone other than the author); The Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition, Chapter 1 contents (sections 1.59 Conclusion and 1.60 Epilogue or afterword); all read October 29, 2026. The comparison, guidance and example openings were written by Scribe Media; the examples are invented. Published by Scribe Media.