Front Matter of a Book: What Goes Where (Order, Back Matter and a Checklist)

Open any published book and you'll notice something odd. Before chapter one even starts, there are pages you barely register: a title, a copyright notice, maybe a dedication. They're easy to ignore, and they're easy to get wrong. A copyright page on the wrong side of the paper, or a table of contents with the wrong page numbers, makes a book look homemade before the reader has read a word. This guide shows the front matter of a book in the right order, what belongs in the back matter, how to number the pages, and a checklist you can work through.

Key takeaways#

• Front matter is everything before chapter one. The usual order is half title, title page, copyright page, dedication, epigraph, contents, foreword, preface, acknowledgements and introduction.
• Only the title page and copyright page are essential. Everything else is optional, so include a page only if your book has something real to put on it.
• In print, the title page sits on a right-hand page and the copyright page is on its back, a left-hand page. Neither shows a page number.
• Back matter is everything after the last chapter, such as an author bio, notes, a bibliography or an index. Your first back matter section starts on a right-hand page.
• Kindle ebooks work differently. They need a contents page, and they don't need page numbers, headers or footers.

What is front matter, and what are the other parts of a book?#

A book has three parts:

• Front matter: all the pages before chapter one.
• Body matter: the main text, meaning your chapters and any part pages.
• Back matter: everything after the last chapter.

You'll see this called the "parts of a book". It matters because each part has its own conventions for page order, which side of the spread a page falls on, and whether it carries a page number. Get those right and your interior looks professional.

Front matter in order#

Amazon KDP's own formatting guide gives the usual order as half title, title, copyright, reviews and praise, dedication, table of contents, preface, acknowledgments, prologue and introduction. Traditional publishing follows much the same sequence and adds the epigraph, usually between the dedication and the contents, and a foreword before the preface. The rule is simple: you can leave pages out, but the ones you keep stay in this order.

Here's what each page does.

Half title

A page with just the book's title and nothing else. It's the first page inside the cover, a hangover from old bookbinding. It's optional. Many self-published books skip it, and KDP lists it as an element rather than a requirement. If you do use one, it falls on a right-hand page and has no page number.

Title page

The title, subtitle if you have one, and your name. This one's essential. In print it always falls on a right-hand page, straight after the half title, with no page number or header. Don't put "by" in front of your name. Publishers leave it out, and KDP's formatting guide says the same.

Copyright page

This goes on the back of the title page, so it's the first left-hand page after it. Again, no page number or header. It usually carries the copyright line, your rights statement, the ISBN for that format, the edition, and the publisher or imprint. UK copyright arises automatically when you write the work, so the page records your claim rather than creating it. Our book copyright page guide has wording you can use, and the free Copyright Page Generator for UK authors builds one for you in a minute. If you're unsure what an ISBN does for you, see how to buy an ISBN in the UK. Remember that each format, such as paperback and ebook, needs its own.

Dedication

A short line to the person (or people) the book is for. It goes on a right-hand page, usually straight after the copyright page, and has no page number unless it runs over. Keep it short and personal. For ideas, read how to write a book dedication.

Epigraph

A short quotation that sets the tone for the book. Many books skip it, and if you use one, check that you have the right to quote it. Formatting and permission rules are in our guide on how to format an epigraph.

Table of contents

Essential for most non-fiction and any Kindle ebook, and optional for many novels. In print it falls on a right-hand page without a page number. It should match your chapter titles word for word. KDP gives its own example: if the manuscript says "Chapter 1: The Big Dog" in the contents but the chapter itself says "The Large Dog", make them match. Add the page numbers last, because they shift every time you edit.

Foreword, preface and introduction

These are easy to mix up:

• A foreword is written by someone other than you, and signed by them. It vouches for you or the book.
• A preface is written by you. It explains how the book came to be.
• An introduction is about the subject. It tells the reader what they'll get and how to use the book. Some publishers treat it as part of the main text.

Most books need one of these at most, and plenty need none. KDP's list also includes a prologue after these pages, which many authors treat as the first part of the story. If you're writing one, read how to write a prologue first.

Acknowledgements

You can put these in the front matter, or after the last chapter in back matter. Many authors prefer the back, so readers reach chapter one sooner. Choose one place, never both.

Page sides and numbers in print: the quick reference#

If you format your own interior, this is the part that causes the most head-scratching. These rules come from KDP's paperback formatting help.

Page numbering is also where Word trips people up. Front matter can use lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii, iii), and KDP allows that, then the main text starts again at 1. Many pages in the front matter are counted but show no number. Our step-by-step guide to formatting a book in Word shows how to use section breaks to make that happen.

Back matter: what goes after the last chapter#

Back matter is the part most first-time authors forget. It's also where you can look after your reader once the story is over. KDP's guidance says it usually covers references and the author bio, and that the first section starts on a right-hand page. Common elements include:

• Epilogue or afterword. A closing note, sometimes placed in the main text.
• Acknowledgements. If you didn't put them at the front.
• Appendices, notes and glossary. Supporting material that would slow the main text down.
• Bibliography or references. Your sources, if the book needs them.
• Index. Mostly for non-fiction. KDP says an index always starts on a right-hand page and is set in a hanging-indent style.
• Author bio. Short, warm and in the third person. Our guide to writing an author bio has templates.
• Also by this author, or a sample of the next book. A natural next step for a reader who has just finished.
• A polite request for a review. One sentence is enough. See how to get book reviews before launch for the wider picture.

Don't pad it. A reader who has just finished your book wants one or two useful pages, not ten.

Front matter for Kindle ebooks#

Ebooks reflow, so the print rules about left and right pages don't apply. What matters:

• Keep it short. Readers who preview your ebook see the opening pages first, so get them to chapter one quickly.
• Include a title page and a copyright page. KDP's ebook formatting guide recommends both.
• Add a table of contents. KDP says all Kindle ebooks need one, so readers can move between chapters. Use heading styles and generate it automatically.
• Leave out page numbers, headers and footers. KDP's ebook guide says they don't apply because the text reflows.

If you're building the ebook yourself, our guide to Kindle formatting covers the rest.

Front and back matter checklist#

Print this and tick it off before you upload.

1. 1Title page: title, subtitle, your name, no "by".
2. 2Copyright page: copyright line, rights statement, the right ISBN for this format, edition and publisher.
3. 3Title page starts on a right-hand page and the copyright page is on its back.
4. 4Dedication, epigraph, foreword or preface only if you have something to put there.
5. 5Table of contents matches your chapter titles exactly, and page numbers are checked last.
6. 6Acknowledgements in one place only.
7. 7No page numbers or headers on the title page, copyright page and half title.
8. 8Chapter one starts on a right-hand page.
9. 9Back matter starts on a right-hand page, with the author bio and any "also by" list.
10. 10Ebook version has a working contents page and no page numbers.
11. 11Page count is final before you order a cover, because the spine width depends on it.
12. 12Proofread the front and back matter too. Typos in the copyright page and the contents are common, and readers spot them.

Number 11 trips people up more than you'd think. Your page count sets your margins and gutter and, later, your spine width and cover size. If a front-matter page appears or disappears, run the checks again. And if the file bounces, our guide to KDP manuscript upload errors shows how to fix it.

Do it yourself, or hand it over?#

You can do all of this in Word with patience, and the guides above will get you there. If section breaks and Roman numerals sound like a weekend you'd rather not lose, our book formatting service uses human typesetters in Adobe InDesign. You can see your first chapter formatted free before you decide anything. For the whole journey, from manuscript to published book in the UK, see how to self-publish a book in the UK.