Should my book have a foreword? Do I need a foreword from another author in my book?

First, let’s get really specific about what we are talking about. In terms of front matter in your book you could have:
-introduction
-prologue
-author’s note/how to use this book
-foreword
The first three are all written by the author. Whether it is a non-fiction book and you are introducing the genesis of the book, how to use it, intended references or notes, or if it is fiction and this is a prologue.
A foreword is written by someone else. This is more common for non-fiction. So let’s say you are a new non-fiction author. You may have some name brand or credibility but your intended audience may also respect some other more established names in your space. Those people would be great to ask for a foreword. They’ll read the book and write 1-2 pages on your expertise, the book itself and how it adds to the canon for your topic, giving the reader an assurance that they are in good hands.
You should ask 1 person to do this. If that person says no, go to the next person. Don’t ask 5 people at once and then all 5 say yes. That’s a bad problem.
You don’t see it as often in fiction unless it is a release for a book that did well and now another author is commenting on how much it has made a cultural impact.
To be clear, you don’t NEED a foreword to have a successful book. It can be a help to have an established name on the cover of your book touting its benefits. It’s nice to have them listed on the Amazon listing because everyone who follows that author on Amazon will get a notification about your book.
It can help. But it can hurt. What if this expert makes public statements that you disagree with, or that your audience disagrees with. And how your book is associated with them permanently. What if this person just phones it in, but now you’re stuck putting this foreword in your book and it isn’t what you hoped it would be. So, ask carefully.
I had never done a foreword for one of my books until recently. I could have asked for any of my non-fiction books, but I didn’t. I probably should have lent more credibility to them. But they’re selling just fine without that.
For my fiction, I recently re-released Enemies of Peace. The cover needed a makeover. And I figured while I'm opening it up for edits, why not ask for a foreword. In this case, it wasn’t a strategic author move. It was more of a sentimental ask. I’ve known Doug Nordman since 2017 when this book came out. He was immediately a huge advocate for it, literally handing his copy to someone else, ordering another, and handing that one on. He just believed in it so much. And I had the privilege to then work with him and his daughter on their book. So we’ve worked together and it just felt right for Doug to write the foreword. And if he said no, I probably wouldn’t have added one. And you’re probably not on this channel for sentimental decisions but more author hacks and optimization. But, sometimes it just is a gut feeling.
Okay, what questions do you have about your book?
**The service I reference in this video, FormattedBooks, has decided to close their doors. For anyone looking for a similar service, 100Covers now also offers interior file formatting: 100Covers: 100covers.com/?ref=49 **
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[@SDHuston]

All great information! I have a nonfiction book I started last year, and in seeing this video, it made me question if I should get a forward for it once I'm done writing it. I really appreciate your time in delving into these topics!

[@1MKWilliams]

So glad I can help in some way. Can't wait to read this book when it comes up on your publication list!

[@bobgonzalez2282]

Hi M.K. Nice video. I just started loading videos on youtube & could really use a follow. Thanks.