How to structure a book

Most books are divided into three main parts: the front matter, the main text and the back matter. And within those sections, the pages tend to follow a familiar order.

Now, if there's anywhere that creativity should get to run around off its leash, it's in the pages of a book. But even if readers come prepared for something different, they still want it presented in a familiar way. Book structures, order, and conventions have evolved for a good reason. So, it's vital to learn about book structure and order. Then, if you decide to break convention, you'll be able to do it much more skillfully.

Here are all the elements you may want to include in your book. We've broken them down into the three main parts, along with a brief description of each.

It's unlikely you'll ever include all of these. Some are more common in fiction, while others are more relevant to nonfiction.

Front matter

When writing, you're likely to have focused almost entirely on the main text. And rightly so: that's where all the juicy stuff is. But before we get there, don't forget the following.

Cover: Your designer will produce your cover as a separate file, which your printer will use to form the very front of your book. Most printers won't print on the inside of a cover, so they'll leave this blank.

Endpapers: A paperback book will immediately proceed to a printed paper page. A hardback book, on the other hand, will usually include endpapers. These are double spreads of paper fixed between the cover and the book block, helping attach the pages securely to the case. Some printers offer colored papers for these, but they're typically left blank.

Half title: This is the first recto, or right hand, page you'll see when you open your book. It simply displays the name of the book, with no byline and no subtitle. You could use the same typeface as the book cover or keep it much simpler. Although this is the first physical page, you won't see a page number displayed. Some modern books leave the half title out altogether, while others use these early pages for endorsements or reviews instead.

Frontispiece: On the back of the half title page, you may have a frontispiece, usually an illustration facing the title page. Otherwise, we often keep this page blank, although it can also contain information about other books in a series or other books by the author.

Title page: We reserve the next recto page for the full title, subtitle, author name, co-writers, publisher name and any logo.

Copyright: Now it gets a little busier. The verso, or left hand page, of the title page includes all sorts of information. Here you'll find the publisher's imprint, publication details, copyright notices, ISBNs and credits. There may also be permissions, cataloging information and printer details. Phew! If you want to keep the front matter to a minimum, the copyright information can sometimes be moved to the back instead.

Page numbering: These early pages still count as part of the book, even though their page numbers aren't usually displayed. When numbering does appear in the front matter, it commonly uses Roman numerals. The main text then starts again with Arabic numerals from page 1.

Dedication: Any personal dedication you'd like to include goes on the first available recto page after the copyright.

Epigraph: This is a short quotation or saying at the beginning of a book, often used to set the tone for what's coming. If your book has an epigraph, you'd usually place this after the dedication.

Contents: This is a list of chapter headings and subheadings, and their page numbers. However, if your work of fiction only uses chapter numbers with no titles, you won't need one. Your contents can include front matter that appears after it, but not pages that came before it. You'll sometimes see the contents placed later in the front matter instead, so there is some flexibility here.

Lists of figures and tables: You'll likely only include these if you've written a technical or nonfiction book that uses captioned tables and figures. They're usually divided into one list for figures and another for tables.

Foreword: You'll often find a foreword in a nonfiction book. This is usually written by someone other than the author, often an expert in their field chosen to give the book some extra authority. Oh, and it's worth double checking the spelling. It's amazing how many incorrect "forwards" slip through!

Preface: The use of a preface is common in nonfiction. It is written by the author and usually outlines the purpose, scope and background of the book.

Acknowledgments: Here's your chance to express gratitude to anyone who has helped and supported your writing. It's more formal than a personal dedication and may also include credits for illustrations or other contributions. If your acknowledgments are particularly long, you may prefer to move them to the back of the book instead.

If you're publishing online, there is one other thing worth considering. Some retailers use the first few pages of the book as a preview, so you may decide to keep your front matter fairly lean or move some of it to the back. That way, readers get to see more of the actual book before the preview runs out.

Main text

With all those formalities out of the way, it's time to move on to the main content of your book.

Introduction: Finally, we've got to the first proper content page. This is where Arabic page numbering begins, starting with 1. If the book has no introduction, just jump right in with Chapter One instead.

Abbreviations: If you've used lots of abbreviations in your book, especially if it's nonfiction, then it's a good idea to include a list of these. Alphabetize them in their short form with their longer versions alongside.

Prologue: This mainly applies to fiction. You may decide to include a prologue before your chapters to set the scene or give important background to the story.

Second half title: If the front matter of the book is unusually extensive, you might want to include a second half title before the main body of text, just as a reminder.

Parts: If you've written your book in parts, start each new part on a new recto page where possible. Typically, you'd label parts with Roman numerals or spell them out as Part One, Part Two and so on.

Chapters: Every new chapter should start on a new page to give the book a clear structure. If chapters are a decent length, it's often best to start them on fresh recto pages. If they're short, just start them on the next available page. This helps avoid too many blank pages.

Conclusion: This can help you sum up the book's findings and put everything in context, or make one final point. You can number it as the last chapter or leave it unnumbered.

Epilogue: An epilogue comes immediately after the main text and is most common in fiction. It can help conclude the narrative, wrap up any loose ends, or perhaps offer a hint of what might come next.

Afterword: An afterword can tell the story of how the book came about or give some extra background once the main text has finished.

Back matter

You've done all the hard work now, but before we go, there are still a few extra things to consider.

Appendix: We refer to more than one appendix as the appendices. They're often important in nonfiction, giving you somewhere for extra details or supporting material that would have interrupted the main text.

Endnotes: You could use endnotes as an alternative to footnotes, especially if you want to help maintain the flow of text in the main body. Most people head these "Notes."

Glossary: A glossary can give your reader definitions of words that are relevant to the work. They're especially useful in nonfiction. Start each definition on a new line and alphabetize them.

Bibliography: Here's where to cite any works you've consulted when writing. It's most common in nonfiction books and academic work.

List of contributors: These are particularly useful for a book written by several authors where only the volume editor appears on the title page.

Index: Yes, more work for nonfiction writers! An index can be really helpful to anyone trying to find specific information in your book. It's an alphabetical list of significant terms, with page numbers directing readers to where they can learn more. Because those page numbers need to be accurate, the index is created once the pagination is final.

About the author: Many books now end with a short author bio, perhaps mentioning your background and how it relates to your book. You could also include an invitation to connect with you and add your website details.

Advertisements: Sometimes these form part of the book itself. If you bind them in as part of the book, they should go right at the back and are usually left unnumbered.

Getting help

And that's it! That's everything you need to know about the parts of a book and their order. Now, we realize that this is an overwhelming list, so as a final point, let us add a note of reassurance.

As an author, you never need to try and get your book order completely right all by yourself. Your book designer is the perfect person to help advise and guide you on anything that needs tweaking or changing. It will save some time if you can do as much initial preparation as you can, but don't worry if you're not sure about some aspects.

Ask for help from the right people and take on board their suggestions and comments. Getting this structure right is part of what our book formatting services handle for every manuscript we typeset.