In Your Writing, Do You Use Footnotes, Endnotes or No Notes?
Footnotes and endnotes are used in printed documents to explain, comment on, or provide references for text in a document. You might use footnotes for detailed comments and endnotes for citation of sources. The Reference tab in your Word document will be your source for both Footnotes and Endnotes. You also will have the ability to ID what type of numbering format you want.
I repeatedly get questions in the AuthorU workshops and meetings about the use of Footnotes and Endnotes. My usual advice is–don’t, at least with Footnotes. Unless you are doing an academic or clinical type of book, they tend to clutter a page up and disrupt reading. Otherwise, it’s best for reader ease to either describe in your text the source.
Go with No Notes when possible and fully describe your resource in the body of your writing. If you choose, at the end of the book, you can have a section with References and include your valuable resources PLUS I think it’s a good idea to add a line as to why you recommend it—just my two bits.
With using an Endnotes page either at the end of each chapter or a separate section at the end of the book, you will have full details of the referenced material.
Footnotes will appear at the bottom of the page they appear on. If you have several … a page could be half text with the detailed Footnote breaking the page up.
No Notes example: Writing in the body of you work on toxic behavior in the workplace would look like this:
Judith Briles reveals in Stabotage! that if a woman worked in health care, she was 42 percent more likely to be undermined by a coworker and that 55 percent of women employed in a health care environment experienced sabotage, abusive and bullying behavior. Yikes!
—the author (that’s me) of the work is cited as well as the title of the book.
Endnotes version:
Judith Briles reveals in Stabotage! that if a woman worked in health care, she was 42 percent more likely to be undermined by a coworker and that 55 percent of women employed in a health care environment experienced sabotage, abusive and bullying behavior .[i] Yikes!
—the author of the work is cited as well as the title of the book plus a reference citing at the end of the sentence which will give additional information at the cited work.
Footnote version:
Research shows that a woman working in health care is 42 percent more likely to be undermined by a coworker and that 55 percent experienced sabotage, abusive and bullying behavior.[ii]
Blah, blah, blah …
[ii] Briles, Judith (2013). Stabotage! How to Deal with Pit Bulls, Skunks, Snakes, Scorpions & Slugs in the Health Care Workplace. Denver: Mile High Press.
—in this example, the author/title of the book or study are referred to as “research”; the reference citing at the end of the sentence tells the reader to travel to the bottom of the page if more information of actual work is desired. Above is what that would look like.
Your Endnote would show at the end of the chapter … or at the end of the book, with each chapter identified that contained Endnotes. Examples would be:
For end of chapter:
Endnotes
1Briles, Judith (2013). Stabotage! How to Deal with Pit Bulls, Skunks, Snakes, Scorpions & Slugs in the Health Care Workplace. Denver: Mile High Press.
For back of book or final section:
Endnotes
Chapter 3
1Briles, Judith (2013). Stabotage! How to Deal with Pit Bulls, Skunks, Snakes, Scorpions & Slugs in the Health Care Workplace. Denver: Mile High Press.
Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and coach. She empowers authors and is the Founder of Author U, a membership organization created for the serious author who wants to be seriously successful. She’s been writing 
about and conducting workshops on publishing since the 80s. Judith is the author of 34 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms (ForeWord IndieFab Book of the Year), Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers and a speaker at publishing conferences. Book #34 was published this summer: The CrowdFunding Guide for Authors & Writers. Get your copy.
Become part of her inner circle by joining the Author’s Ark and exclusive monthly webinar and coaching event. Each summer, she holds Judith Briles Book Publishing Unplugged, a three day intensive limited to a small group of authors who want to be seriously successful. In 2015, the dates are August 27-29th. Her audio and workbook series, Creating Your Book and Author Platform is now available. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for Author U – Your Guide to Book Publishing on the Toginet Network at bit.ly/PublishingShow .
Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and Judith Briles – TheBookShepherd on Facebook. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact Judith at Judith@Briles.com.
Author U is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the author who wants to be seriously successful. Monthly education programs delivered face-to-face and online, The Author Resource ezine, BookCamps and the annual Author U Extravaganza are tools designed for authors pre, during and post publishing of their books. Join AuthorU.org today.
If you are looking for FREE author and book coaching … call in to Judith’s Author Monday Mornings at NOON Eastern each Monday. The number is 218-632-9854; Access Code 1239874444 … have your questions ready–there’s a full hour to ask and listen
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