BFP: Acknowledgments and Dedications

In this case, the F is for Blatant Friend Promotion, rather than Self, dagnabbit.

The Good Liar is a recently-released international thriller of romance and espionage by a writing group buddy of mine, Laura Caldwell. (Hmmm, Laura C.'s are good omens!) In my entirely biased opinion, having been lucky enough to read/crit as she wrote it, this one's a yummy read with snappy characters in exotic locales. That said, I must admit that the writing of hers I've enjoyed most recently is in the acknowledgments.

To explain: Not long ago, while doing the weekly errands, my sister-in-law was able to pull a Laura Caldwell title off the rack of their neighborhood drugstore, and show my 8 and 6 year-old nieces my name in the front while explaining why it was there. This led my oldest niece to surprise me later by asking how many authors I've helped, and whether I can get her a publishing deal for her picture books, and whether I'll be eligible for the Caldecott. I'm afraid I had to let her down a little, but it was neat to get the stamp of legitimacy as a publishing professional, though I've never been published (yet). Even if my own name's not on TGL's spine, it's in there, and has the potential to sneak insidiously into tote bags and onto nightstands across the nation. Feel free to buy and share multiple copies to aid my subliminal infiltration campaign.

"I know I've seen that name somewhere before...Don't bother with the manuscript. Just fax over a contract. The fat one." I imagine it'll work something like that.

Yesterday, WoM's own Laura C. discussed being in the acknowledgments of her sister-in-law's non-fiction book on weddings, which led me to think more about the subject of front matter.

Acknowledgments are a tip-of-the-hat from an author, and I've been warmly flattered (buttered?) to think someone found my comments useful. Some acknowledgment sections are sprawling and widely inclusive, while some are hardly there at all. I think they have to remain somewhat fluid based on what and whom one goes through in the research and publishing. But dedications, it seems to me, get decided and stone-cut a lot earlier.

So, have you been thrilled or dismayed to find yourself in an acknowledgment or dedication? Has your credit hit the cutting room floor? Whether you're already in print or not, do you know how your next dedication will read? Confess in the comments.