Epigraphs and dedications: the conventions (and the permissions trap)
Where the dedication goes
The dedication is one of the simplest pages in the front matter, and also one of the most commonly mis-placed. It belongs on its own recto page, meaning the right-hand page, immediately after the copyright page. It does not get a printed heading that says "Dedication." It is just the line or two of text, centered or set to one side, sitting by itself with plenty of white space around it.
Keep it short. A dedication is not the place for a full page of gratitude, that belongs in the acknowledgments section further back in the front or back matter. One sentence, one name, or a short phrase is standard. It also does not appear as an entry in the table of contents.
Where the epigraph goes
An epigraph is the quotation an author places before the story begins, meant to set tone or theme. There are two conventional placements:
- A single epigraph page, positioned after the dedication (or after the table of contents, depending on the book) and before chapter one. This is the more common choice for a book-length epigraph that applies to the whole work.
- Chapter-opener epigraphs, repeated at the top of each chapter, usually set smaller than a full-page epigraph would be, since they share the page with the chapter heading and the opening lines of text.
Either way, the epigraph is unlabeled. No heading announces it as an epigraph; the quote and its attribution simply sit on the page, and readers understand the convention on sight.
How to set it on the page
Typographically, an epigraph is meant to feel quieter than the body text it precedes, so professional setting usually does one of two things:
| Element | Typical treatment |
|---|---|
| Quoted text | Italic, or a size slightly smaller than the body face |
| Source attribution | Set smaller than the quote itself, often in small caps or plain roman, right-aligned or centered beneath the quote |
| Page layout | Generous white space above and around the block; the text rarely fills the page |
| Chapter-opener version | Reduced further so it does not compete with the chapter number, chapter title, or drop cap |
The goal on the page is restraint. An epigraph crowded against the margins, or set at full body size with no visual distinction from the prose that follows, reads as a formatting oversight rather than a deliberate literary choice. Generous white space is doing real work here: it tells the reader this text is a threshold, not the start of the story itself.
The permissions trap
This is where good intentions go wrong most often. An author finds the perfect line of poetry, or the perfect lyric, to open their book, and assumes that because it is only a sentence or two, using it is automatically fine. It usually is not.
Quoting copyrighted prose or poetry as an epigraph is a use that generally requires permission from the rights holder, whether that is the author, their estate, or a publisher. Fair use exists as a legal doctrine, but it is narrow, fact-specific, and unreliable for this purpose; courts weigh factors like the amount used relative to the whole work and the effect on the market for the original, and a self-published book quoting someone else's finished creative line without a transformative purpose does not sit comfortably inside that narrow space.
Song lyrics deserve a specific warning. Music publishers and rights holders are notoriously protective of lyrics, even a single line, and licensing a lyric for a book epigraph can be slow, expensive, or simply refused. Many authors who love a particular lyric ultimately choose a different quote rather than pursue the license.
What is genuinely safe:
- Public domain works. Older poetry, classic literature, historical documents, and other works whose copyright has expired can be quoted freely. This is why so many epigraphs come from Shakespeare, the King James Bible, or nineteenth-century poets: the safety is part of the appeal.
- Your own words. An original line, written for the book itself, sidesteps the entire question.
- Properly licensed material. If a quote matters enough to fight for, contacting the rights holder or their publisher for permission is the correct path, even if it takes time.
When in doubt, treat "I found it online and it's short" as no protection at all. The safest working rule for a self-published author without legal counsel on retainer is: public domain, your own words, or a permission you can point to in writing.
A quick sanity check before you finalize front matter
- Is the dedication on its own recto page, brief, and unlabeled?
- Is the epigraph set apart typographically, in italic or a reduced size, with the attribution set smaller still?
- Does the epigraph page have real white space around it, rather than feeling crammed?
- If the epigraph quotes anyone other than yourself, is the source public domain, or do you have permission in hand?
Get those four right and the opening pages of your book will read the way readers expect them to: quiet, considered, and out of the way of the story that follows.
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Frequently asked questions
Where does the dedication go in a book?
The dedication sits on its own recto (right-hand) page after the copyright page, usually before the table of contents. It needs no heading, just a short line or two, and it does not appear in the table of contents.
Can I quote a song lyric or a poem as an epigraph?
Only if the work is in the public domain or you have permission from the rights holder. Fair use for a book epigraph is narrow and unreliable, especially for song lyrics, which publishers and estates guard closely. When in doubt, ask permission, use a public domain source, or write your own line.
How should an epigraph be formatted on the page?
Set the quoted text in italic or a slightly smaller size than body text, with the source attribution smaller still, often set in small caps or roman type below the quote. Give the page generous white space rather than crowding it, and place it either on its own page before chapter one or repeated smaller at individual chapter openers.
Do I need a heading that says Dedication or Epigraph?
No. Neither element uses a printed heading in professionally typeset books. The dedication is simply the short text sitting alone on its recto page, and the epigraph is simply the quote and its attribution, unlabeled, on its own page or at a chapter opener.