- The editor tells us that if ever a private story were worth making public, then this is the one.
- This man's life (that would be Robinson Crusoe's) is full of wonder and variety. It's also moral and can teach you a thing or two.
- Also? The editor wants us to know that this tale is not fiction, but a "History of Fact." Its publication is a public service. (Pro tip: the novel is, of course, fiction. Defoe is just trying to amp up some sales.)