This book is dedicated to....

[Paul Whybrow]

I came across this article on the Bored Panda site, about unusual book dedications:

https://www.boredpanda.com/creative-book-dedications/?media_id=945061

I like E. E. Cumming's retort to the publishers who'd rejected his collection of poetry, forcing him to self-publish with a $300 loan from his mother.

Book dedications from the author to the reader can be many things, including tributes, messages of thanks, mysterious allusions, romantic declarations, humorous quips and refreshingly honest—Michael Moorcock dedicated his science-fiction novel The Steel Tsar, "To my creditors, who remain a permanent source of inspiration."

Some dedications are lovely, such as this one from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C. S. Lewis:

In my own writing, I've dedicated a dozen poems to the women who inspired them, as well as several novellas; all of my novels are dedicated to somebody, sometimes a specific person, other times a group of people—a novel whose antagonist has PTSD, I dedicated to war veterans who continue to battle mental turmoil.

Dedications can be very revealing, causing more soul-searching over how they should be worded than even composing a synopsis of your book's plot!

Do you give credit to your partner, family or friends through inscriptions at the beginning of your work?

 

[MaryA]

To my beloved sister who told me (aged 10) 'Your adjectives make me want to puke. Bleh.'

To the ex-boyfriend who said, 'You'll get there. Eventually. In the meantime, let's have some fun.'

To the publisher who commented on a submission, 'Not your finest hour. May be you should think about becoming a librarian? Or a plumber?'

To the sweet-faced friend in the writing group who said, 'It's soggy in the middle, if you know what I mean. A story like a dropped pelvis.'

To the cheerful brother-in-law who remarked, 'You're the dimmer-witted version of Dan Brown, if that's possible.'

To the English teacher who told me, 'Every word you write is pure gold. I say that to every gel in my class and it is always true.'

To the first person who published me. 'We need a filler piece and if you take 560 words off it might just squidge in.'

To me. 'You did it, my darling. Next time lose the damn adverbs.'

 

[Robinne Weiss]

I dedicated my insect-themed middle grade novel: To the Psocopterans. I hope you find this book to your taste.

I'd never expect a middle grade reader to get it on first read, but I hope it has encouraged some readers to look up what Psocopterans are...they are book lice.

 

[MaryA]

@Lex, that publisher went bankrupt. A clever man and astute at business deals but with no people skills. As we used to say, nobody ever regrets not working with him! I am grateful though that he toughened me up because publishing can be a brutal business.

Seriously I sometimes think that there are so many friends and editors who have helped me along the way that I would need about a dozen dedications pages to name them and say thank you.

 

[James Marinero]

Just to the people who helped me.