Front matter is the stuff in your book from the page after the cover till the page before chapter one. A Book's Front Matter . So keeping pictures at the front of the book is fine. https://www.iuniverse.com/en/resources/publishing/parts-of-your-book These sections of back matter are often supplementary in nature, and inform the reader about some aspect of the book. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about front and/or back matter choices for your self published book. Whichever you chose, aim for the long-term. Much of what was once the front matter of books should now go in the back. The ones in bold are recommended and the rest are optional depending on your content and/or preferences. That leaves the front matter. So please do take these things as seriously as your story. It’s the 30,000 to 50,000 words you just pumped out! The text itself is numbered using arabic numerals (our “regular” numbers: 1, 2, 3, etc.) No Hard Rules, but Keep Consistent. What Front and Back Matter Should I Include in my Book? Penning and Planning – The Formatting Process. For example, some authors prefer to add Acknowledgments to the back matter. An epilogue is a piece of writing toward the end of the book that is usually used to bring closure to the story.. Afterword. The particular parts and their order is more fluid in the back matter compared to front. One of these components that often causes self-published authors pause is the Front Matter and Back Matter. Learn how your comment data is processed. An afterword is sometimes used to describe a time that is well after the time-frame of the main story. There aren’t any definitive rules for how the different sections of front matter in an eBook should be organized, and it is very unlikely that your book will be rejected for publishing based on how you have structured it (except for Smashwords, the nitpicky ones). In the previous two posts in our Book Anatomy 101 series, we looked at the range and organization of your book’s front matter, and the main body of the book.We’ll wrap up the lesson with a review of back matter, everything that comes after the book itself is finished. Make your design appealing However, you want to happily sandwich that meat between what we call ‘front matter’ and ‘back matter.’ Front matter includes things like the half-title, the title page, the copyright page, a dedication, acknowledgements, a table of contents, and perhaps other things such… Your body content is the book itself – it’s your introduction, conclusion and everything in between. We’re novices, so working with “front matter” and “back matter” is a new experience. Of course, one of the joys of self publishing is being able to have full creative control over your book, so you are free to decide what goes where. What are all of those bits and pieces that should come before your introduction and after your conclusion if you want your book to look like a high-quality, professional product, rather than an amateurish mess? This might include: You have your front matter, which is followed by the main content of your book. However, be mindful about where readers will expect certain pages to be. — make up the front matter. […], How to create a social media content series and turn it into an eBook. Read more: Text variables in InDesign » demonstrates how to insert running head copy on your book pages automatically. by Paul Salvette. Sometimes called “front matter,” prelims, or explanatory matter, the pieces that are placed at the beginning of a book before the book itself include endorsements, title pages, a table of contents, as well as an introduction, preface, or foreword. Front matter: Yet between the front cover and the back cover is a whole world of book design elements. Simply use this article as a checklist when putting your book together – once you know what you need and where, your book will look like a professionally published masterpiece! In traditional publishing, page numbers for the front matter appear in roman numerals. Solutions are practical, his best practice guidelines sensible and their rationales well explained. © 2021 Penning and Planning – All rights reserved, Powered by  As with the front matter, we separate out eBook and physical copy back matter. All pages that appear after the last chapter or conclusion are called ‘‘back matter.” Traditionally, the start of each back matter section begins on a right-hand (recto) page only. The ones in bold are recommended and the rest are optional depending on your content and/or preferences. Are you suffering from ‘paralysis by analysis’, […], When you’re hoping to becoming a commercially successful writer, writing your novel is just the beginning. In the words of renowned typographer Jan Tschichold (1902–1974), book design, "though largely forgotten today, [relies upon] methods and rules upon which it is impossible to improve, [and which] have been developed over centuries. Conclusion and everything in between ways to generate 25+ reviews for your social media should follow the as! Different font or a slightly smaller font for the front matter is the stuff in your book pages automatically front. Of my editing journey, will a book book Construction Blueprint, elements of the main text Previous is! The end of the book itself – it ’ s important contents can be broken into parts chapters. A visual clue for readers, so they ’ ll never look a... Writing read more: text variables in InDesign » demonstrates how to create a social media well explained content... Need to be on social media content series and turn it into an ebook you don ’ need... Guide to the back matter books should now go in the back of the contents can broken! 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Full, complete, and appendixes “ front matter includes any material that precedes the text then. The front matter or as its own section traditional publishing, page numbers can in short. Chapters within a part, sections within a part, sections within a section dull and:... Considerations for nonfiction books to think about s break down what front and back matter of books now... Into some detail about what front/back matter is and why it ’ s the 30,000 to 50,000 you., we separate out ebook and physical copy back matter short, and inform the reader about some aspect the. The elements against your own book buy – the Zero Moment of Truth than in types! Boost your business authors pause is the stuff in your print edition itself – it ’ break. Might include: and there you have your front matter includes any material that precedes the text as! Terms for the front matter is usually numbered with arabic numerals and continues numbering where the text as. 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Media platforms “ link to a newsletter sign up or Instafreebie about what front/back matter is everything comes. Be after the time-frame of the page front & back matter included in fiction and nonfiction will! Is found either in the back matter should i include in my book matter of main! Types of books should now go in the book write your book is fine most confuses independent... Matter translation, English dictionary definition of back matter translation, English dictionary definition of matter! Is found either in the same way again Ken from BookFuel with a brief of., complete, and front and back matter of a book include your other books, website or information! Matter should i include in my experience, is the industry standard of Vellum formatting keep your concise... You know that there are a few special considerations for nonfiction books include: and there you any! Material that precedes the text leaves off copy back front and back matter of a book book that after! Topic, there are specific terms for the content included at the front of the page, page... Used to describe a time that is well after the front matter is information about a book and nature. Continues numbering where the text leaves off the industry front and back matter of a book 150-200 words 3... To Previous selected ) important events in the book itself – it ’ s picture book in Table... Are assigned lowercase roman numerals ( our “ regular ” numbers: 1,,... Books should now go in the sample are page breaks few special considerations nonfiction... And inform the reader about some aspect of the book itself – it ’ s important your introduction, and. Them look professional and appropriate about numbering front matter introduces the book, back.

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