1. Read the book. Understand the message.
2. Reading the Table of Contents and one chapter alone is not enough.
3.Take detailed notes throughout the book.
4. Write to the book’s audience.
5. Write in a familiar voice.
6. Be very careful not to talk down to the readers.
7. You should probably write between 750 and 1,500 words.
8. The foreword’s main role is to help give the book’s author credibility.
9. With increased credibility, comes more sales.
10. Explain how you know the author of the book.
11. If you don’t know the author personally, devote more space to the book’s message.
12. You are trying to make an emotional connection with the reader.
13. You want the reader to like you and your story.
14. Your job is to help get the reader to believe and trust what you have to say about the book’s author and the book itself.
15. Keep the tone simple and personal, but keep your writing tight.
16. Include short anecdotes and real world examples that illustrate the theme of the book.
17. Anecdotes are an important way to help the reader like you and your story.
18. Discuss why this book is significant or timely.
19. Show why the book’s author is a credible person to have written this book.
20. Tell readers why this book is worth reading.
21. Show how the reader will benefit by reading it.
22. Refer to specific things in the book.
23. Explain why you chose those things to discuss.
24. Connect the book to experiences that a reader might face in everyday life.
25. Mention the good points about the book and what the readers will get out of reading it.
26. Be sure to give a very brief synopsis of the book.
27. Talk to the reader as if you were talking to a friend.
28. Keep it engaging and tell an interesting story.
29. Make sure your foreword has a beginning, middle, and end.
30. Tell readers why you are qualified to write the foreword.
31. Don’t be afraid to name-drop.
32. If readers can recognize any of the names, you will gain credibility and likeability.
33. Put your name, title, and location at the end.
34. Make sure you mention if you have a fancy title or prestigious award.
35. These things help establish your own credibility and celebrity.
36. Remember that you are not just writing this foreword to help the author sell more books, but also to help your own career.
37. Authoring a book’s foreword is a great way to remind the public who you are and what you have accomplished.
This article was written by Joseph C. Kunz, Jr. and originally posted on KunzOnPublishing.com.