Mixing
Name of excerpt at start of a book
In the front matter of some books, before the half-title, on the very first page, is a small excerpt from the book, sometimes slightly edited in relation to the actual content, as a kind of teaser. In a paperback, it's normally on the first recto immediately after the cover.
Does this excerpt have a specific name?
publishing
asked Jan 15 at 18:50
Simon ScudderSimon Scudder
283
add a comment |
In the front matter of some books, before the half-title, on the very first page, is a small excerpt from the book, sometimes slightly edited in relation to the actual content, as a kind of teaser. In a paperback, it's normally on the first recto immediately after the cover.
Does this excerpt have a specific name?
publishing
asked Jan 15 at 18:50
Simon ScudderSimon Scudder
283
Not my specialist field, but perhaps An epigraph is a quotation included by the author that is relevant but not essential to the text.
– FumbleFingers
Jan 15 at 18:58
...maybe blurb?
– Cascabel
Jan 15 at 19:31
@FumbleFingers the not essential to the text is the catch. What I'm looking for is sometimes word for word of a significant scene in the book. From what I've researched, the epigraph would be a poem or quote at the start of the book or chapter. I don't recall ever finding one before the title page.
– Simon Scudder
Jan 15 at 19:49
Harlequin tends to call these either "Introduction" or "Back cover text" in TOCs of ebooks. Or sometimes the TOC entry is just the first line from the excerpt/teaser (e.g. "What are you doing here? They told me you were dead!" or For one woman, life just got a little more complicated...). That leads me to believe there isn't a term that's commonly known.
– 1006a
Jan 15 at 23:44
It's a true "multimedia" context, but as I recall, the introduction to each video-based story within Buster Scruggs consists of an excerpt from the relevant text-based original story (specifically, the last line of each tale). Whatever - I see that epigraph was the only suggestion in both answers when this exact question was asked on SE Literature Beta over a year ago.
– FumbleFingers
Jan 16 at 13:02
add a comment |
In the front matter of some books, before the half-title, on the very first page, is a small excerpt from the book, sometimes slightly edited in relation to the actual content, as a kind of teaser. In a paperback, it's normally on the first recto immediately after the cover.
Does this excerpt have a specific name?
publishing
asked Jan 15 at 18:50
Simon ScudderSimon Scudder
283
In the front matter of some books, before the half-title, on the very first page, is a small excerpt from the book, sometimes slightly edited in relation to the actual content, as a kind of teaser. In a paperback, it's normally on the first recto immediately after the cover.
Does this excerpt have a specific name?
publishing
publishing
asked Jan 15 at 18:50
Simon ScudderSimon Scudder
283
asked Jan 15 at 18:50
Simon ScudderSimon Scudder
283
asked Jan 15 at 18:50
Simon ScudderSimon Scudder
283
asked Jan 15 at 18:50
Simon ScudderSimon Scudder
283
asked Jan 15 at 18:50
Simon ScudderSimon Scudder
283
283
Not my specialist field, but perhaps An epigraph is a quotation included by the author that is relevant but not essential to the text.
– FumbleFingers
Jan 15 at 18:58
...maybe blurb?
– Cascabel
Jan 15 at 19:31
@FumbleFingers the not essential to the text is the catch. What I'm looking for is sometimes word for word of a significant scene in the book. From what I've researched, the epigraph would be a poem or quote at the start of the book or chapter. I don't recall ever finding one before the title page.
– Simon Scudder
Jan 15 at 19:49
Harlequin tends to call these either "Introduction" or "Back cover text" in TOCs of ebooks. Or sometimes the TOC entry is just the first line from the excerpt/teaser (e.g. "What are you doing here? They told me you were dead!" or For one woman, life just got a little more complicated...). That leads me to believe there isn't a term that's commonly known.
– 1006a
Jan 15 at 23:44
It's a true "multimedia" context, but as I recall, the introduction to each video-based story within Buster Scruggs consists of an excerpt from the relevant text-based original story (specifically, the last line of each tale). Whatever - I see that epigraph was the only suggestion in both answers when this exact question was asked on SE Literature Beta over a year ago.
– FumbleFingers
Jan 16 at 13:02
add a comment |
Not my specialist field, but perhaps An epigraph is a quotation included by the author that is relevant but not essential to the text.
– FumbleFingers
Jan 15 at 18:58
...maybe blurb?
– Cascabel
Jan 15 at 19:31
@FumbleFingers the not essential to the text is the catch. What I'm looking for is sometimes word for word of a significant scene in the book. From what I've researched, the epigraph would be a poem or quote at the start of the book or chapter. I don't recall ever finding one before the title page.
– Simon Scudder
Jan 15 at 19:49
Harlequin tends to call these either "Introduction" or "Back cover text" in TOCs of ebooks. Or sometimes the TOC entry is just the first line from the excerpt/teaser (e.g. "What are you doing here? They told me you were dead!" or For one woman, life just got a little more complicated...). That leads me to believe there isn't a term that's commonly known.
– 1006a
Jan 15 at 23:44
It's a true "multimedia" context, but as I recall, the introduction to each video-based story within Buster Scruggs consists of an excerpt from the relevant text-based original story (specifically, the last line of each tale). Whatever - I see that epigraph was the only suggestion in both answers when this exact question was asked on SE Literature Beta over a year ago.
– FumbleFingers
Jan 16 at 13:02
Not my specialist field, but perhaps An epigraph is a quotation included by the author that is relevant but not essential to the text.
– FumbleFingers
Jan 15 at 18:58
Not my specialist field, but perhaps An epigraph is a quotation included by the author that is relevant but not essential to the text.
– FumbleFingers
Jan 15 at 18:58
...maybe blurb?
– Cascabel
Jan 15 at 19:31
...maybe blurb?
– Cascabel
Jan 15 at 19:31
@FumbleFingers the not essential to the text is the catch. What I'm looking for is sometimes word for word of a significant scene in the book. From what I've researched, the epigraph would be a poem or quote at the start of the book or chapter. I don't recall ever finding one before the title page.
– Simon Scudder
Jan 15 at 19:49
@FumbleFingers the not essential to the text is the catch. What I'm looking for is sometimes word for word of a significant scene in the book. From what I've researched, the epigraph would be a poem or quote at the start of the book or chapter. I don't recall ever finding one before the title page.
– Simon Scudder
Jan 15 at 19:49
Harlequin tends to call these either "Introduction" or "Back cover text" in TOCs of ebooks. Or sometimes the TOC entry is just the first line from the excerpt/teaser (e.g. "What are you doing here? They told me you were dead!" or For one woman, life just got a little more complicated...). That leads me to believe there isn't a term that's commonly known.
– 1006a
Jan 15 at 23:44
Harlequin tends to call these either "Introduction" or "Back cover text" in TOCs of ebooks. Or sometimes the TOC entry is just the first line from the excerpt/teaser (e.g. "What are you doing here? They told me you were dead!" or For one woman, life just got a little more complicated...). That leads me to believe there isn't a term that's commonly known.
– 1006a
Jan 15 at 23:44
It's a true "multimedia" context, but as I recall, the introduction to each video-based story within Buster Scruggs consists of an excerpt from the relevant text-based original story (specifically, the last line of each tale). Whatever - I see that epigraph was the only suggestion in both answers when this exact question was asked on SE Literature Beta over a year ago.
– FumbleFingers
Jan 16 at 13:02
It's a true "multimedia" context, but as I recall, the introduction to each video-based story within Buster Scruggs consists of an excerpt from the relevant text-based original story (specifically, the last line of each tale). Whatever - I see that epigraph was the only suggestion in both answers when this exact question was asked on SE Literature Beta over a year ago.
– FumbleFingers
Jan 16 at 13:02
add a comment |
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
A number of people involved in publishing on demand or Amazon.com marketing use the term front matter excerpt:
Scott Merrill will record a special scene — perhaps the cover scene — of your latest book, or the back cover blurb and front matter excerpt and review snips, or a short (2-4 minutes long) pitch for your work. — Brenda Novak’s On-line Auction for Diabetes Research
Prepare front matter excerpt if desired, copyright page, and any additional material, i.e. About the Author, Glossary, Author's Note, etc. — Ebook Conversion Tips, Nancy's Notes From Florida (blog), 27 July 2011.
The Front Matter excerpt (and "See a random page") are based on the PDF file uploaded to the old Look Inside program. — Forum post, KBoards.com, 26 July 2012.
I had a good time taking the paperback of Worldwar: In the Balance around to my friends and getting them to read the front-matter excerpt. NielsenHayden.com (blog), 22 Sept. 2007.
Although I wouldn’t consider any of these sources authoritative, the term is readily understood by anyone who knows what the front matter of a book entails. I have only seen front matter excerpts in works of popular fiction in paperback, especially by relatively new authors.
A professional editor discusses a fairly exhaustive list of what components constitute front matter:
Frontmatter
Anything that comes before the start of the text is considered frontmatter. Usually, frontmatter is numbered using roman numerals, and the text (or half title page, or part opener) starts with page 1. Here are some things you might see in the frontmatter (some of these are required, and we have to make space for them no matter what):
Teaser/Excerpt page (optional) — you may decide you want to put in a short, compelling teaser of the text as the first page of a book, to give readers a taste of the book. — Christine Barcellona, “Ask an Editor: What are the parts of a book and how are they laid out?” Swoonreads.com, 22 Feb. 2016.
Other terms in the list are “praise page,” a page of favorable reviews, and “ad card,” a list of books by the same author (or, I presume, the same series.) She also mentions that an excerpt can be included in the back matter, say, of the next book/volume in a series or for another title that might interest the reader.
answered Jan 15 at 22:30
KarlGKarlG
22k53160
1
@1006a: I had another citation I should have added in the first place.
– KarlG
Jan 17 at 19:38
add a comment |
I know no standard name for this feature, so I would default to a name that describes the content. (Nota bene: I have mainly worked with medieval manuscripts and early modern books.)
Because the half-title or bastard-title is so often the first recto of a volume, what precedes the half-title has no formal name. If it's a listing of review blurbs, it can be called a number of names, including "Endorsement," "Advance Praise," or "Praise." If the text is a blurb when it's on a back cover, it's also a "Blurb" on the front cover. Following the same principle, an excerpt from the text that's being used as a preview or promotional hook can be called a "Preview" or "Hook".
I've seen this appear on the front endpaper (flyleaf/pastedown) or on the first page preceding a half-title or full title.
It's not an epigraph, since an epigraph customarily quotes another text, and is usually an exercise in comparison or juxtaposition: how does the outside text flavor the way the text will be read?
answered Jan 15 at 19:58
TaliesinMerlinTaliesinMerlin
3,955724
add a comment |
I would argue it is called an
abstract
An abstract is a self-contained, short, and powerful statement that describes a larger work. Components vary according to discipline. An abstract of a social science or scientific work may contain the scope, purpose, results, and contents of the work. An abstract of a humanities work may contain the thesis, background, and conclusion of the larger work. An abstract is not a review, nor does it evaluate the work being abstracted. While it contains key words found in the larger work, the abstract is an original document rather than an excerpted passage.
This is according to https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/abstracts/.
It could also be called a blurb.
Blurb
A short description of a book, film, or other work, written and used for promotional purposes.
This is according to https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blurb
answered Jan 15 at 22:50
M. C.M. C.
446
Abstract is really only used for scientific papers, not books. Books and journals can contain several scientific papers and thus would have several abstracts, one for each paper. The abstract always comes directly before the rest of the paper it describes.
– Laurel
Jan 15 at 22:54
add a comment |
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3 Answers
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A number of people involved in publishing on demand or Amazon.com marketing use the term front matter excerpt:
Scott Merrill will record a special scene — perhaps the cover scene — of your latest book, or the back cover blurb and front matter excerpt and review snips, or a short (2-4 minutes long) pitch for your work. — Brenda Novak’s On-line Auction for Diabetes Research
Prepare front matter excerpt if desired, copyright page, and any additional material, i.e. About the Author, Glossary, Author's Note, etc. — Ebook Conversion Tips, Nancy's Notes From Florida (blog), 27 July 2011.
The Front Matter excerpt (and "See a random page") are based on the PDF file uploaded to the old Look Inside program. — Forum post, KBoards.com, 26 July 2012.
I had a good time taking the paperback of Worldwar: In the Balance around to my friends and getting them to read the front-matter excerpt. NielsenHayden.com (blog), 22 Sept. 2007.
Although I wouldn’t consider any of these sources authoritative, the term is readily understood by anyone who knows what the front matter of a book entails. I have only seen front matter excerpts in works of popular fiction in paperback, especially by relatively new authors.
A professional editor discusses a fairly exhaustive list of what components constitute front matter:
Frontmatter
Anything that comes before the start of the text is considered frontmatter. Usually, frontmatter is numbered using roman numerals, and the text (or half title page, or part opener) starts with page 1. Here are some things you might see in the frontmatter (some of these are required, and we have to make space for them no matter what):
Teaser/Excerpt page (optional) — you may decide you want to put in a short, compelling teaser of the text as the first page of a book, to give readers a taste of the book. — Christine Barcellona, “Ask an Editor: What are the parts of a book and how are they laid out?” Swoonreads.com, 22 Feb. 2016.
Other terms in the list are “praise page,” a page of favorable reviews, and “ad card,” a list of books by the same author (or, I presume, the same series.) She also mentions that an excerpt can be included in the back matter, say, of the next book/volume in a series or for another title that might interest the reader.
answered Jan 15 at 22:30
KarlGKarlG
22k53160
1
@1006a: I had another citation I should have added in the first place.
– KarlG
Jan 17 at 19:38
add a comment |
A number of people involved in publishing on demand or Amazon.com marketing use the term front matter excerpt:
Scott Merrill will record a special scene — perhaps the cover scene — of your latest book, or the back cover blurb and front matter excerpt and review snips, or a short (2-4 minutes long) pitch for your work. — Brenda Novak’s On-line Auction for Diabetes Research
Prepare front matter excerpt if desired, copyright page, and any additional material, i.e. About the Author, Glossary, Author's Note, etc. — Ebook Conversion Tips, Nancy's Notes From Florida (blog), 27 July 2011.
The Front Matter excerpt (and "See a random page") are based on the PDF file uploaded to the old Look Inside program. — Forum post, KBoards.com, 26 July 2012.
I had a good time taking the paperback of Worldwar: In the Balance around to my friends and getting them to read the front-matter excerpt. NielsenHayden.com (blog), 22 Sept. 2007.
Although I wouldn’t consider any of these sources authoritative, the term is readily understood by anyone who knows what the front matter of a book entails. I have only seen front matter excerpts in works of popular fiction in paperback, especially by relatively new authors.
A professional editor discusses a fairly exhaustive list of what components constitute front matter:
Frontmatter
Anything that comes before the start of the text is considered frontmatter. Usually, frontmatter is numbered using roman numerals, and the text (or half title page, or part opener) starts with page 1. Here are some things you might see in the frontmatter (some of these are required, and we have to make space for them no matter what):
Teaser/Excerpt page (optional) — you may decide you want to put in a short, compelling teaser of the text as the first page of a book, to give readers a taste of the book. — Christine Barcellona, “Ask an Editor: What are the parts of a book and how are they laid out?” Swoonreads.com, 22 Feb. 2016.
Other terms in the list are “praise page,” a page of favorable reviews, and “ad card,” a list of books by the same author (or, I presume, the same series.) She also mentions that an excerpt can be included in the back matter, say, of the next book/volume in a series or for another title that might interest the reader.
answered Jan 15 at 22:30
KarlGKarlG
22k53160
1
@1006a: I had another citation I should have added in the first place.
– KarlG
Jan 17 at 19:38
add a comment |
A number of people involved in publishing on demand or Amazon.com marketing use the term front matter excerpt:
Scott Merrill will record a special scene — perhaps the cover scene — of your latest book, or the back cover blurb and front matter excerpt and review snips, or a short (2-4 minutes long) pitch for your work. — Brenda Novak’s On-line Auction for Diabetes Research
Prepare front matter excerpt if desired, copyright page, and any additional material, i.e. About the Author, Glossary, Author's Note, etc. — Ebook Conversion Tips, Nancy's Notes From Florida (blog), 27 July 2011.
The Front Matter excerpt (and "See a random page") are based on the PDF file uploaded to the old Look Inside program. — Forum post, KBoards.com, 26 July 2012.
I had a good time taking the paperback of Worldwar: In the Balance around to my friends and getting them to read the front-matter excerpt. NielsenHayden.com (blog), 22 Sept. 2007.
Although I wouldn’t consider any of these sources authoritative, the term is readily understood by anyone who knows what the front matter of a book entails. I have only seen front matter excerpts in works of popular fiction in paperback, especially by relatively new authors.
A professional editor discusses a fairly exhaustive list of what components constitute front matter:
Frontmatter
Anything that comes before the start of the text is considered frontmatter. Usually, frontmatter is numbered using roman numerals, and the text (or half title page, or part opener) starts with page 1. Here are some things you might see in the frontmatter (some of these are required, and we have to make space for them no matter what):
Teaser/Excerpt page (optional) — you may decide you want to put in a short, compelling teaser of the text as the first page of a book, to give readers a taste of the book. — Christine Barcellona, “Ask an Editor: What are the parts of a book and how are they laid out?” Swoonreads.com, 22 Feb. 2016.
Other terms in the list are “praise page,” a page of favorable reviews, and “ad card,” a list of books by the same author (or, I presume, the same series.) She also mentions that an excerpt can be included in the back matter, say, of the next book/volume in a series or for another title that might interest the reader.
answered Jan 15 at 22:30
KarlGKarlG
22k53160
A number of people involved in publishing on demand or Amazon.com marketing use the term front matter excerpt:
Scott Merrill will record a special scene — perhaps the cover scene — of your latest book, or the back cover blurb and front matter excerpt and review snips, or a short (2-4 minutes long) pitch for your work. — Brenda Novak’s On-line Auction for Diabetes Research
Prepare front matter excerpt if desired, copyright page, and any additional material, i.e. About the Author, Glossary, Author's Note, etc. — Ebook Conversion Tips, Nancy's Notes From Florida (blog), 27 July 2011.
The Front Matter excerpt (and "See a random page") are based on the PDF file uploaded to the old Look Inside program. — Forum post, KBoards.com, 26 July 2012.
I had a good time taking the paperback of Worldwar: In the Balance around to my friends and getting them to read the front-matter excerpt. NielsenHayden.com (blog), 22 Sept. 2007.
Although I wouldn’t consider any of these sources authoritative, the term is readily understood by anyone who knows what the front matter of a book entails. I have only seen front matter excerpts in works of popular fiction in paperback, especially by relatively new authors.
A professional editor discusses a fairly exhaustive list of what components constitute front matter:
Frontmatter
Anything that comes before the start of the text is considered frontmatter. Usually, frontmatter is numbered using roman numerals, and the text (or half title page, or part opener) starts with page 1. Here are some things you might see in the frontmatter (some of these are required, and we have to make space for them no matter what):
Teaser/Excerpt page (optional) — you may decide you want to put in a short, compelling teaser of the text as the first page of a book, to give readers a taste of the book. — Christine Barcellona, “Ask an Editor: What are the parts of a book and how are they laid out?” Swoonreads.com, 22 Feb. 2016.
Other terms in the list are “praise page,” a page of favorable reviews, and “ad card,” a list of books by the same author (or, I presume, the same series.) She also mentions that an excerpt can be included in the back matter, say, of the next book/volume in a series or for another title that might interest the reader.
answered Jan 15 at 22:30
KarlGKarlG
22k53160
edited Jan 17 at 19:37
answered Jan 15 at 22:30
KarlGKarlG
22k53160
answered Jan 15 at 22:30
KarlGKarlG
22k53160
answered Jan 15 at 22:30
KarlGKarlG
22k53160
22k53160
1
@1006a: I had another citation I should have added in the first place.
– KarlG
Jan 17 at 19:38
add a comment |
1
@1006a: I had another citation I should have added in the first place.
– KarlG
Jan 17 at 19:38
1
1
@1006a: I had another citation I should have added in the first place.
– KarlG
Jan 17 at 19:38
@1006a: I had another citation I should have added in the first place.
– KarlG
Jan 17 at 19:38
add a comment |
I know no standard name for this feature, so I would default to a name that describes the content. (Nota bene: I have mainly worked with medieval manuscripts and early modern books.)
Because the half-title or bastard-title is so often the first recto of a volume, what precedes the half-title has no formal name. If it's a listing of review blurbs, it can be called a number of names, including "Endorsement," "Advance Praise," or "Praise." If the text is a blurb when it's on a back cover, it's also a "Blurb" on the front cover. Following the same principle, an excerpt from the text that's being used as a preview or promotional hook can be called a "Preview" or "Hook".
I've seen this appear on the front endpaper (flyleaf/pastedown) or on the first page preceding a half-title or full title.
It's not an epigraph, since an epigraph customarily quotes another text, and is usually an exercise in comparison or juxtaposition: how does the outside text flavor the way the text will be read?
answered Jan 15 at 19:58
TaliesinMerlinTaliesinMerlin
3,955724
add a comment |
I know no standard name for this feature, so I would default to a name that describes the content. (Nota bene: I have mainly worked with medieval manuscripts and early modern books.)
Because the half-title or bastard-title is so often the first recto of a volume, what precedes the half-title has no formal name. If it's a listing of review blurbs, it can be called a number of names, including "Endorsement," "Advance Praise," or "Praise." If the text is a blurb when it's on a back cover, it's also a "Blurb" on the front cover. Following the same principle, an excerpt from the text that's being used as a preview or promotional hook can be called a "Preview" or "Hook".
I've seen this appear on the front endpaper (flyleaf/pastedown) or on the first page preceding a half-title or full title.
It's not an epigraph, since an epigraph customarily quotes another text, and is usually an exercise in comparison or juxtaposition: how does the outside text flavor the way the text will be read?
answered Jan 15 at 19:58
TaliesinMerlinTaliesinMerlin
3,955724
add a comment |
I know no standard name for this feature, so I would default to a name that describes the content. (Nota bene: I have mainly worked with medieval manuscripts and early modern books.)
Because the half-title or bastard-title is so often the first recto of a volume, what precedes the half-title has no formal name. If it's a listing of review blurbs, it can be called a number of names, including "Endorsement," "Advance Praise," or "Praise." If the text is a blurb when it's on a back cover, it's also a "Blurb" on the front cover. Following the same principle, an excerpt from the text that's being used as a preview or promotional hook can be called a "Preview" or "Hook".
I've seen this appear on the front endpaper (flyleaf/pastedown) or on the first page preceding a half-title or full title.
It's not an epigraph, since an epigraph customarily quotes another text, and is usually an exercise in comparison or juxtaposition: how does the outside text flavor the way the text will be read?
answered Jan 15 at 19:58
TaliesinMerlinTaliesinMerlin
3,955724
I know no standard name for this feature, so I would default to a name that describes the content. (Nota bene: I have mainly worked with medieval manuscripts and early modern books.)
Because the half-title or bastard-title is so often the first recto of a volume, what precedes the half-title has no formal name. If it's a listing of review blurbs, it can be called a number of names, including "Endorsement," "Advance Praise," or "Praise." If the text is a blurb when it's on a back cover, it's also a "Blurb" on the front cover. Following the same principle, an excerpt from the text that's being used as a preview or promotional hook can be called a "Preview" or "Hook".
I've seen this appear on the front endpaper (flyleaf/pastedown) or on the first page preceding a half-title or full title.
It's not an epigraph, since an epigraph customarily quotes another text, and is usually an exercise in comparison or juxtaposition: how does the outside text flavor the way the text will be read?
answered Jan 15 at 19:58
TaliesinMerlinTaliesinMerlin
3,955724
answered Jan 15 at 19:58
TaliesinMerlinTaliesinMerlin
3,955724
answered Jan 15 at 19:58
TaliesinMerlinTaliesinMerlin
3,955724
answered Jan 15 at 19:58
TaliesinMerlinTaliesinMerlin
3,955724
3,955724
add a comment |
add a comment |
I would argue it is called an
abstract
An abstract is a self-contained, short, and powerful statement that describes a larger work. Components vary according to discipline. An abstract of a social science or scientific work may contain the scope, purpose, results, and contents of the work. An abstract of a humanities work may contain the thesis, background, and conclusion of the larger work. An abstract is not a review, nor does it evaluate the work being abstracted. While it contains key words found in the larger work, the abstract is an original document rather than an excerpted passage.
This is according to https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/abstracts/.
It could also be called a blurb.
Blurb
A short description of a book, film, or other work, written and used for promotional purposes.
This is according to https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blurb
answered Jan 15 at 22:50
M. C.M. C.
446
Abstract is really only used for scientific papers, not books. Books and journals can contain several scientific papers and thus would have several abstracts, one for each paper. The abstract always comes directly before the rest of the paper it describes.
– Laurel
Jan 15 at 22:54
add a comment |
I would argue it is called an
abstract
An abstract is a self-contained, short, and powerful statement that describes a larger work. Components vary according to discipline. An abstract of a social science or scientific work may contain the scope, purpose, results, and contents of the work. An abstract of a humanities work may contain the thesis, background, and conclusion of the larger work. An abstract is not a review, nor does it evaluate the work being abstracted. While it contains key words found in the larger work, the abstract is an original document rather than an excerpted passage.
This is according to https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/abstracts/.
It could also be called a blurb.
Blurb
A short description of a book, film, or other work, written and used for promotional purposes.
This is according to https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blurb
answered Jan 15 at 22:50
M. C.M. C.
446
Abstract is really only used for scientific papers, not books. Books and journals can contain several scientific papers and thus would have several abstracts, one for each paper. The abstract always comes directly before the rest of the paper it describes.
– Laurel
Jan 15 at 22:54
add a comment |
I would argue it is called an
abstract
An abstract is a self-contained, short, and powerful statement that describes a larger work. Components vary according to discipline. An abstract of a social science or scientific work may contain the scope, purpose, results, and contents of the work. An abstract of a humanities work may contain the thesis, background, and conclusion of the larger work. An abstract is not a review, nor does it evaluate the work being abstracted. While it contains key words found in the larger work, the abstract is an original document rather than an excerpted passage.
This is according to https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/abstracts/.
It could also be called a blurb.
Blurb
A short description of a book, film, or other work, written and used for promotional purposes.
This is according to https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blurb
answered Jan 15 at 22:50
M. C.M. C.
446
I would argue it is called an
abstract
An abstract is a self-contained, short, and powerful statement that describes a larger work. Components vary according to discipline. An abstract of a social science or scientific work may contain the scope, purpose, results, and contents of the work. An abstract of a humanities work may contain the thesis, background, and conclusion of the larger work. An abstract is not a review, nor does it evaluate the work being abstracted. While it contains key words found in the larger work, the abstract is an original document rather than an excerpted passage.
This is according to https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/abstracts/.
It could also be called a blurb.
Blurb
A short description of a book, film, or other work, written and used for promotional purposes.
This is according to https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blurb
answered Jan 15 at 22:50
M. C.M. C.
446
answered Jan 15 at 22:50
M. C.M. C.
446
answered Jan 15 at 22:50
M. C.M. C.
446
answered Jan 15 at 22:50
M. C.M. C.
446
446
Abstract is really only used for scientific papers, not books. Books and journals can contain several scientific papers and thus would have several abstracts, one for each paper. The abstract always comes directly before the rest of the paper it describes.
– Laurel
Jan 15 at 22:54
add a comment |
Abstract is really only used for scientific papers, not books. Books and journals can contain several scientific papers and thus would have several abstracts, one for each paper. The abstract always comes directly before the rest of the paper it describes.
– Laurel
Jan 15 at 22:54
Abstract is really only used for scientific papers, not books. Books and journals can contain several scientific papers and thus would have several abstracts, one for each paper. The abstract always comes directly before the rest of the paper it describes.
– Laurel
Jan 15 at 22:54
Abstract is really only used for scientific papers, not books. Books and journals can contain several scientific papers and thus would have several abstracts, one for each paper. The abstract always comes directly before the rest of the paper it describes.
– Laurel
Jan 15 at 22:54
add a comment |
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Not my specialist field, but perhaps An epigraph is a quotation included by the author that is relevant but not essential to the text.
– FumbleFingers
Jan 15 at 18:58
...maybe blurb?
– Cascabel
Jan 15 at 19:31
@FumbleFingers the not essential to the text is the catch. What I'm looking for is sometimes word for word of a significant scene in the book. From what I've researched, the epigraph would be a poem or quote at the start of the book or chapter. I don't recall ever finding one before the title page.
– Simon Scudder
Jan 15 at 19:49
Harlequin tends to call these either "Introduction" or "Back cover text" in TOCs of ebooks. Or sometimes the TOC entry is just the first line from the excerpt/teaser (e.g. "What are you doing here? They told me you were dead!" or For one woman, life just got a little more complicated...). That leads me to believe there isn't a term that's commonly known.
– 1006a
Jan 15 at 23:44
It's a true "multimedia" context, but as I recall, the introduction to each video-based story within Buster Scruggs consists of an excerpt from the relevant text-based original story (specifically, the last line of each tale). Whatever - I see that epigraph was the only suggestion in both answers when this exact question was asked on SE Literature Beta over a year ago.
– FumbleFingers
Jan 16 at 13:02