...Love, am related to, working with, want to remember, am obligated to, have to name because the family will harass me if I don't, want to impress, want to embarrass, etc.
You get the idea; people dedicate their books to others for a variety of reasons. I've dedicated my books to my family (because my husband and kids had to live with me and eat lots of leftovers, and my mother had to listen to me whine about no love for Jack), to former teachers (you can blame them I went into writing because of their encouragement), my former co-author and agent (keeping good working relationships is important!), and finally, ME.
Yep, I dedicated Evolution Revolution: Book 2, Simple Plans, to me. I wrote this series over 10 years ago and through the agonizing process of submitting to editors and agents, doing numerous revisions, and worrying about it dying a lonely, unloved death, I Indie published. Rough road, not recommended for all, but it was something I felt I had to do. So kudos to me. Here it is:
To: Me. I've dedicated books to family and friends, even animals. I've worked so hard to make this dream-this series-a reality. So here's to me!
For the final book, Evolution Revolution: Book 3, Simple Lessons, I just had to dedicate it to my illustrator, Cathy Thole-Daniels. Here's the full dedication:
To: Cathy Daniels. Her illustrations showed Jack's spunk, Collin's compassion, and the features of each animal that made them a character that won't be forgotten. She never complained when I made changes, although there weren't many to make because she understood immediately what I wanted. Many people have remarked on the beautiful covers, which attracted them to buy the book. So a gigantic thank you for giving my project of love your best work. If Jack ever pops up again, he knows he's in good paws.
It's not easy trying to decide to whom you will dedicate your book. Name one cousin, another will get mad. Leave out a critique group member, and they may leave the group. Mention both editors but not a publicist or agent, and it's awkward. (I think my next dedication will be the agent who signs me and the editor who buys the book. Is that enticing anyone....?)
Here are some others borrowed from the BookBub website (here):
"This book's dedicated to everyone you hate. Sorry. Life's like that sometimes." (Ruins, by Dan
Wells)
"For my father, who is not evil. Well, maybe a little bit." (City of Ashes, by Cassandra Clare)
"This is not for you." (House of Leaves, by Mark Z. Danielewski)
This is my favorite- I wish I'd thought of it because it applies to my family (from heavy.com, The 30 Funniest Book Dedications):
"To those who inspired it and will not read it." (They don't cite the author, but I will be happy to put it in when I find out who this genius is...)
And finally, same site, but no author attribution: "Dedicated to everyone who wonders if I am writing about them. I am."
(There were some really funny ones, but the language...)
So when dreaming up your own dedication, whether you need it right now or are only planning ahead for when that time comes, just think: you can write what you want- and the publisher and copyeditor may not be able to edit it! Be creative, but remember that once it's in print...it's forever.
Char
To: Cathy Daniels. Her illustrations showed Jack's spunk, Collin's compassion, and the features of each animal that made them a character that won't be forgotten. She never complained when I made changes, although there weren't many to make because she understood immediately what I wanted. Many people have remarked on the beautiful covers, which attracted them to buy the book. So a gigantic thank you for giving my project of love your best work. If Jack ever pops up again, he knows he's in good paws.
It's not easy trying to decide to whom you will dedicate your book. Name one cousin, another will get mad. Leave out a critique group member, and they may leave the group. Mention both editors but not a publicist or agent, and it's awkward. (I think my next dedication will be the agent who signs me and the editor who buys the book. Is that enticing anyone....?)
Here are some others borrowed from the BookBub website (here):
"This book's dedicated to everyone you hate. Sorry. Life's like that sometimes." (Ruins, by Dan
Wells)
"For my father, who is not evil. Well, maybe a little bit." (City of Ashes, by Cassandra Clare)
"This is not for you." (House of Leaves, by Mark Z. Danielewski)
This is my favorite- I wish I'd thought of it because it applies to my family (from heavy.com, The 30 Funniest Book Dedications):
"To those who inspired it and will not read it." (They don't cite the author, but I will be happy to put it in when I find out who this genius is...)
And finally, same site, but no author attribution: "Dedicated to everyone who wonders if I am writing about them. I am."
(There were some really funny ones, but the language...)
So when dreaming up your own dedication, whether you need it right now or are only planning ahead for when that time comes, just think: you can write what you want- and the publisher and copyeditor may not be able to edit it! Be creative, but remember that once it's in print...it's forever.
Char
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