# Prologue vs epilogue: the difference, and the afterword

> Prologue vs epilogue: what each one does, where it goes in the book, when your story needs one, and how an afterword differs. With examples and Markdown.

Canonical: https://buk.press/blog/prologue-vs-epilogue

7 November 2026 · 5 min read

A prologue comes before chapter one and an epilogue comes after the last chapter, and both are part of the story: a prologue sets something up that the first chapter can't (an earlier event, another point of view), and an epilogue shows what happened after the ending, often some time later. An afterword is different. It isn't part of the story at all: the author or someone else steps outside the book to talk about it, and it sits in the back matter. Plenty of books have none of the three; add one only when it does a job the chapters can't.

You've finished the last chapter and there's one more scene you want: the characters a year later. Or you've started with a dramatic moment from the past and you're not sure whether to call it chapter one. The words prologue, epilogue and afterword get used loosely, and the choice changes where the section sits, how it's numbered and what a reader expects from it.

## What is the difference between a prologue and an epilogue?

Both are part of the story. The difference is which side of the main narrative they sit on and what job they do.

|  | Prologue | Epilogue | Afterword |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it goes | Before chapter one | After the last chapter | In the back matter |
| Part of the story? | Yes | Yes | No |
| Who's speaking | The narrative | The narrative | The author or a guest |
| Typical job | Set up an earlier event or another view | Show what came after the ending | Explain how or why the book was written |
| Common in | Fiction | Fiction | Fiction and non-fiction, often later editions |

For non-fiction, the pieces before the main text have their own names: [foreword, preface and introduction](https://buk.press/blog/foreword-vs-preface-vs-introduction). A prologue is a fiction tool.

## What is a prologue for?

A prologue gives the reader something the first chapter can't, because it's set at a different time, in a different place or from a different point of view. Classic uses:

- **An event from the past** that the main story keeps circling back to.
- **The villain's or another character's view** before the story settles with the main character.
- **A frame** that explains how the story came to be told: a found diary, an old woman telling it to her grandchildren.

A useful test: if the section could be called chapter one without anything feeling odd, it's chapter one. A prologue earns its name by being separate from the main line of the story.

## When should you skip the prologue?

Some readers skip prologues, and some agents advise against them in debut fiction, so it's worth being sure yours is needed. Skip it if it:

- Delivers background the reader doesn't need yet. Backstory lands better when the reader has a reason to care about it.
- Is a dramatic scene from the middle of the book placed at the front as a hook. If the opening needs a hook, the first chapter should carry one.
- Exists to explain the world. Let the story show the world as it goes.

## What is an epilogue for?

An epilogue shows what happened after the ending. The main conflict is resolved in the last chapter. The epilogue jumps forward, often by months or years, to show where the characters ended up or to open a door to a sequel.

It works when readers will want to know "and then what?" and the last chapter can't answer without dragging. It fails when it repeats the ending, ties up threads that were better left open, or runs as long as a chapter. A few pages is usual.

## How is an afterword different?

An afterword steps outside the story. The author, or sometimes another writer or an editor, talks to the reader about the book: how it was researched, what was real and what was invented, why the author returned to the subject, what changed since the first edition. Because it isn't part of the narrative, it belongs in the back matter with the acknowledgements and the author bio, not right after the last chapter as story.

An "author's note" does a similar job and can sit at the front or the back. Use whichever name your genre uses; historical fiction, for example, often closes with an author's note on the real events. [Front matter and back matter](https://buk.press/blog/front-matter-and-back-matter) lists where every section goes.

## Where do they go, and how are they numbered?

In a printed book, the prologue opens the main text, so it usually starts on a right-hand page and takes arabic page 1. The epilogue follows the last chapter as part of the main text. The afterword comes after the epilogue, in the back matter, where numbering simply continues. [Book page numbering](https://buk.press/blog/book-page-numbering) covers the rules in detail.

In an ebook there are no fixed pages, so what matters is that each section has its own heading and shows up as its own entry in the reader's table of contents.

## How do you mark them up in Markdown?

Give each one its own heading at the same level as your chapters, so it starts on a new page and shows up in the contents:

```
<code>## Prologue

The fire started in the east wing, three years before...

---

## 1. The Letter

...

---

## Epilogue

Two summers later, the house was sold.

---

## Afterword

This book began with a newspaper clipping...</code>
```

Don't number the prologue or epilogue. "Prologue" and "Epilogue" are their titles.

## How do you lay them out in bukpress?

In [bukpress](https://buk.press/) the whole book is one Markdown file. Each `---` line on its own is a hard page break, so the prologue, the epilogue and the afterword each start on a new page. Their headings take your title typeface and the text takes the body settings you set once for the whole book. Export a [typeset PDF](https://buk.press/markdown-to-pdf) and a reflowable EPUB from the same file, where each section becomes its own entry in the reader's navigation menu. [The sample book](https://buk.press/sample-book) shows a real export.

It's one payment of $27 for books up to 500 pages, with a 7-day refund.

[Start your book in bukpress](https://buk.press/markdown-to-pdf)

## Common questions

### Can a book have both a prologue and an epilogue?

Yes. When a book has both, they often mirror each other: the prologue shows a moment before the story, the epilogue a moment after it. Each still has to earn its place on its own.

### Is a prologue the same as chapter one?

No. A prologue is set apart from the main story by time, place or point of view. If nothing sets it apart, call it chapter one.

### How long should a prologue or epilogue be?

Usually shorter than a typical chapter: a few pages. If it runs as long as a chapter, it may be a chapter. [How long should a chapter be](https://buk.press/blog/how-long-should-a-chapter-be) gives the usual ranges.

### Do non-fiction books have prologues?

Rarely. Non-fiction usually opens with a foreword, preface or introduction instead, and closes with a conclusion or afterword. Narrative non-fiction, such as memoir, sometimes borrows a prologue.

### Who writes the afterword?

Usually the author, sometimes another writer, an editor or an expert, especially in a new edition of an older book. A foreword by someone else goes at the front; an afterword goes at the back.

**About this article.** Written by the team that builds bukpress, which turns Markdown into print-ready PDF and EPUB books. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Write to [support@buk.press](mailto:support@buk.press).

## Read next

Explainers 10 October 2026 · 6 min read

## [Foreword vs preface vs introduction: which you need](https://buk.press/blog/foreword-vs-preface-vs-introduction)

A foreword is written by someone other than the author and vouches for the book. A preface is written by the author about the book: why and how it was written. An introduction is written by the author and is part of the book itself, preparing the reader for chapter one. Most books need at most one of the three, and many need none.

[Read it](https://buk.press/blog/foreword-vs-preface-vs-introduction)

Guides 3 September 2026 · 5 min read

## [Front matter and back matter: what goes in a book](https://buk.press/blog/front-matter-and-back-matter)

Front matter is everything before chapter one: half title, title page, copyright page, dedication, epigraph, contents, and sometimes a foreword or preface, in that order. Back matter is everything after the last chapter: appendices, notes, glossary, acknowledgements, an about-the-author page, and whatever you want the reader to do next. Neither is decoration; both are conventions readers use without noticing.

[Read it](https://buk.press/blog/front-matter-and-back-matter)

Explainers 3 September 2026 · 5 min read

## [How long should a chapter be? Ranges by genre](https://buk.press/blog/how-long-should-a-chapter-be)

Most published chapters run between 1,500 and 5,000 words, with 2,500 to 3,500 the commonest band across fiction and nonfiction alike. But the number is downstream of the decision that matters: a chapter is one complete movement of the book, and it ends when that movement does. Length is what you measure afterwards to check the pacing, not what you aim at while writing.

[Read it](https://buk.press/blog/how-long-should-a-chapter-be)

Explainers 3 November 2026 · 6 min read

## [Book page numbering: where page 1 starts and what to skip](https://buk.press/blog/book-page-numbering)

In a printed book, page 1 is the first page of the main text, and it falls on a right-hand page, so right-hand pages are always odd. The front matter before it (title page, copyright, contents, foreword) is counted separately in lowercase roman numerals, and pages such as the half-title, title, copyright, blank pages and part openers are counted but print no number (blind folios). Numbers sit in the footer or the outer corner of the header, and chapter openers either drop the number to the footer or leave it off. Ebooks have no fixed pages, so they carry no printed numbers.

[Read it](https://buk.press/blog/book-page-numbering)

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