Parts of a Book: The Basic Guide Authors Need

What Goes In The “Front Matter”?

Front matter comes before your book’s content and introduces the reader to your book. It’s made up of several components, many of which your book does not need.

Let’s look at each component to see which ones you should include.

Half Title Page

This is the first page of your book a reader sees. It has your book title with no subtitle or byline.

Why you might need it: It’s a customary part of every book.

Do most books need it: Yes, pretty much. All books have it, yours might look weird without it.

Series Title Page

If you’ve published other books, the second page is where you can list them by title. If you need to include the subtitle, you can, but it’s not necessary.

Typically this page begins with: “Also by [Your Name]…”

Why you might need it: To refer readers to your previous books.

Do most books need it: Only if you’ve published other books, and want to promote them.

Blurbs/Testimonials

Also known as endorsements, blurbs are quotes from notable people saying something positive about you or your book. Blurbs can also be included in the cover design, but in the front matter, they typically go in a section called “Advance Praise.”

Why you might need it: Testimonials are a great way to “credential” a book (and more importantly in many cases, an author) and help readers see that the book is relevant to them.

Most of all, testimonials should convince a potential reader to buy the book.

In terms of who to ask: it’s better not to have testimonials than to have bad ones or ones from unknown sources. If you include a testimonial, the reader should recognize the name.

For more guidance on getting good blurbs, check out the guide we wrote on book blurbs.

Do most books need it: No—testimonials are nice to have, not a necessity.

Frontispiece

An illustration on the left (or verso) side of the page facing the title page on the right side (or recto). Originally, the frontispiece (from the French word frontispice) was purely decorative, using architectural elements such as columns and pediments, and went on the title page.

Over time, the frontispiece moved to the verso page and evolved to be more illustrative and informative, giving readers a clue to a book’s themes or the time period in which it was written. Some books, including biographies, used a portrait of the author as the frontispiece.

Why you might need it: If you want your book to look like an old book. A frontispiece is common in classic books, but not today’s books.

Do most books need it: No.

Title Page

This page has your title, subtitle, and byline.

Why you might need it: Same as before—this is a customary part of every book.

Do most books need it: Yes, all books do.

Copyright Page

A page that shares the copyright information and may include the following elements:

The word “Copyright” and the symbol: Copyright ©

Copyright year: The year the book was published.

Copyright owner: In almost every case, this should be you, the author. Publishers should not try to take your copyright or publish the copyright in anyone’s name but yours.

Put the last three elements together on one line: Copyright © 2019 Author Name

Copyright statement: This boilerplate text is mainly a formality, but many books include it.

Here’s an example:

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Publisher information: In conjunction with the copyright notice, publishers will include their name, an email address, and a website to request permission to reproduce the book.

They might also include ordering information and trademark notices for their name or logo.

Disclaimer: Based on the type of book you write, you can include various disclaimers on the copyright page to protect yourself from being sued by readers. Here are a few examples:

Some parts of this book have been fictionalized in varying degrees, for various purposes.

This book is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of physicians.

The information in this book is meant to supplement, not replace, proper football training.

Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN): A unique identification number the Library of Congress assigns to titles it’s likely to acquire. Librarians use the LCCN to locate a specific Library of Congress catalog record in the national databases and to order catalog cards.

Your publisher must apply for this number in advance of the book being printed through the Preassigned Control Number Program (PCN). After publication, a “best edition” of the book (either paperback or hardcover) must be sent to the Library of Congress. Self-published books, ebooks, and books published outside the U.S. aren’t eligible to receive an LCCN.

Cataloguing-in-publication data: Also known as CIP data, this block of text includes the bibliographical information created by the Library of Congress prior to a book’s publication. It is an abbreviated version of the machine-readable cataloging (or MARC) record found in the Library’s database that is distributed to libraries and book vendors.

For examples of what a CIP data block looks like, click here.

ISBN: The International Standard Book Number is a 13-digit code that identifies the registrant, book title, format, and edition. That means you’ll need separate ISBN numbers for each format of your book (hardcover, paperback, ebook) and a new ISBN for each edition you publish.

ISBN numbers are used by every party involved with ordering, listing, selling, and stocking your book: publishers, booksellers, libraries, internet retailers, and other links in the supply chain.

A traditional publisher will apply for an ISBN on your behalf.

If you’re self-publishing, you can purchase one through an ISBN agency like Bowker.

Place of printing: List where your book was printed.

Edition number: For 2nd edition and beyond, list the edition number here or on the title page.

Printer’s key: A long-held convention of book printing, this seemingly random string of numbers near the bottom of the copyright page is used to indicate the printing history.

For the first edition of a book, you might see: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

For the second edition, the 1 will be dropped: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Different printers have different conventions around the printer’s key, but the same intent.

Credits: It is common (but not required) to give credit on this page to your cover and interior designer, illustrator, editor, proofreader, photographer, indexer, or production manager.

Why you might need it: You don’t need a copyright page, as you own the copyright for your book when you create it. Since it’s your intellectual property, copyright law automatically applies. A copyright page is helpful to identify the copyright owner.

Do most books need it: Yes.

Dedication

A book dedication is a device that some authors use to bestow a high honor on a person (or small group of people) they want to praise or otherwise spotlight.

The dedication page goes in the very front of the book, after the title page.

Why you might need it: Do you want to thank someone who supported you while writing the book, or call out a person who had a seminal impact on your work? You can dedicate the book to them.

There’s no formula for a dedication, other than keeping it short and sweet. For more detail, read our post on writing book dedications.

Do most books need it: No, although many books have a dedication.

Epigraph

A short quotation that typically faces the table of contents or the first page of the book. Epigraphs can also be used to lead off chapters. Be sure to attribute the epigraph to its source.

Why you might need it: Done right, epigraphs hook the reader and prep them to dive into your book.

Do most books need it: No.

Table of Contents

This page lists each of your chapters by title and includes the page number where they begin. If your book has sections, the section title should go above the chapters in that section.

The designer adds this page during layout once they know the page numbers for each chapter.

Why you might need it: To help readers navigate quickly to certain chapters.

Do most books need it: Yes, all books have them.

List of Illustrations/Figures

Similar to a table of contents, this list includes the page numbers for your book’s illustrations.

Why you might need it: This page is useful only if your book includes illustrations that are critical to understanding your book’s content (e.g. highly technical or science-focused books).

Most books use illustrations as visual aids that add context but aren’t critical for readers.

If you’re in the first group, give your designer a list of illustrations and they’ll generate this page and the corresponding page numbers during layout. The second group can skip this section.

Do most books need it: No.

List of Tables

This page lists your tables and their corresponding page numbers.

Why you might need it: Only if your tables are fundamental to understanding the book’s content.

Do most books need it: No.

List of Abbreviations or Chronology

A list of commonly used abbreviations in your book, alphabetized by the abbreviation (not the spelled out words), and including the page number where the abbreviation is first used.

A chronology is a timeline of events that are covered in your book.

Why you might need it: If your book uses abbreviations the reader is unfamiliar with, or if you include dozens of abbreviations, this page will help the reader keep things straight.

The same is true with the chronology. If your book covers several time periods or includes multiple dates, the reader can quickly reference the chronology if they get confused.

You should include these parts in the front matter if they’re critical to the reader’s understanding of your book. If they’re simply meant as reference points, move them to the back matter.

Do most books need it: No.

Second Half Title

A second instance of the half title page used at the end of the front matter.

Why you might need it: If your front matter is lengthy, a designer might add a second half title page to the front of your main text. Typically it’s followed by a blank page or an epigraph.

Do most books need it: No.

Foreword

A foreword is an introduction that’s written by someone other than the author. The foreword author doesn’t have to read the book, nor do they have to write the foreword themselves.

We wrote the guide on book forewords, and is worth the read if you’re considering including one.

Why you might need it: Most books don’t need a foreword, but there are two reasons to include one.

First, to confer status and credibility on you, the author. If this is your first book, having an expert or well-known authority write your foreword shows readers you should be taken seriously.

The second reason is to provide context and background for the reader. A foreword explains why readers need your book, and says things about the book that you cannot.

A good foreword should confer credibility and provide context. At the very least, it needs to do one of these jobs. If it does neither, it shouldn’t be included in your book.

Do most books need it: No.

Preface

A preface goes after a foreword and before the introduction. It’s your chance to talk directly to the reader about why you wrote the book, what they’ll learn, and why it’s important.

Why you might need it: Unless your preface provides critical insight for the reader before they dive into your content, or otherwise enhances their reading experience, you don’t need one.

Do most books need it: No.