A Deep Dive into the Many Parts of a Book
A Couple Notes Before We Get Started
When reading our favorite books, there are several things we often scan over and take for granted. But if you plan to self-publish a book of your own, how do you know what to include? Do you have to include everything on the lengthy list? Where do you put each piece in regard to the rest of the book? Below, I’ve created a guide on the possible inclusions in the correct order that they should be listed within your book. I also discuss what each part entails, which parts are specifically for nonfiction or fiction, and what side of the leaf it should be on (hint: it’s almost always recto).
Basic Anatomy
The basic anatomy of a book is the Front Matter, the Body, and the Back Matter. To put it very simply, the front matter sells the current book, making it appear professional and fully invested in by the author. The body is the bulk of the book and includes the fictional plot or the nonfiction topic. And finally, the back matter sells future books by garnering followers and leaving a snippet of another book as a teaser. Typically, you will use a different numbering system for the front matter (often Roman numerals) than for the body and back matter of the book. (Need help with figuring out how to create different page numbering for each section?)
Quick Guide to Publisher Lingo
Before we dive in, let me give you a very quick lesson on publisher lingo. When you crack open a book, the right page is known as recto and always has an odd page number. Opposite to that, the left page is known as verso and always has an even page number. A leaf is a single sheet in a book and includes both the recto and subsequent verso page.
“The Code is More What You’d Call ‘Guidelines’ than Actual Rules”
Keep in mind that this list is not law. It’s simply a guideline to help you navigate the maze of proper book anatomy. As a self-published author, you get to decide what to include or exclude. You can also decide to do things differently than I suggest here, whether to put the pieces in a different order or place them on verso instead of recto (or vice versa). With that disclaimer, let’s jump into the lengthy list of possibilities within the anatomy of a book. Bear with me because this will take a while.
Additional Resource
I highly recommend checking out The Editing Podcast, hosted by two editors who explain a plethora of book-related topics for fellow editors and authors alike. Their second episode ever, called Publishing Lingo Explained, goes over the very information I have below as well as some additional items. Sometimes hearing it explained in a different way can help with comprehension.
Front Matter
***The front matter should use Roman numerals rather than standard page numbers, which begin with the body of your book.
HALF TITLE PAGE (RECTO): This is the title of your book—that’s it!
FRONTISPIECE (VERSO): If you have a map that correlates to the book, a sketch or picture of your main character, or any other graphic that correlates to your subject matter or plot, this is the place to put it. You could also list the title of the series if your book is part of one, add a list of contributors, list other books you’ve written, or leave it as a blank page.
TITLE PAGE (RECTO): This is where you would put the full title, subtitle, publisher imprint (if you have one), and your name as the author.
ACCOLADES (RECTO): If you have any awards, badges, or raving reviews in regards to this book (think Kirkus or other large reviewers and publications), you have every right to brag about it here.
COPYRIGHT PAGE (VERSO): This page lists the year of publication, includes other basic copyright language and mentions, and often has a link to your website. Remember that simply putting this in your book does not truly protect your rights should you wind up in court. In addition, the old way of mailing a copy of your manuscript to yourself and using the date stamp as your proof does not hold up in court. Consider taking the proper steps to invest in yourself and copyright your hard work. I’ve included an example of a copyright page below. You only need to include the sections that pertain to your book. Ensure you customize everything that’s highlighted in green. (Need help with the ISBN process?)
DEDICATION (RECTO): Who is the primary person or persons you wish to dedicate your book to?
TABLE OF CONTENTS (RECTO): This is mostly important for nonfiction, but some fiction authors also choose to include a table of contents.
***This can be a bit tedious to create and maintain, but fortunately, Word has a wonderful feature to help with this step! In the top menu, click the Help button, type “Table of Contents,” and click “Get Help for Table of Contents” for a walkthrough on how to use this feature. I’d highly recommend doing this after you are finished writing, as this feature draws on the headings of your text (be sure to use the Headings feature within Word consistently for this to work properly—Home ribbon, right side) and the current pages they land on to generate the table of contents. If you end up adding in a heading or changing anything such as font style or size, it will affect the accuracy of your table of contents, however you can always update it as needed (also using Word’s Table of Contents tool!). And finally, if you are making an ebook, be sure to check that all hyperlinks open the correct corresponding location within the book.
EPIGRAPH (RECTO): This is a quote that is important or pertinent to your book. Some authors choose to combine this with the frontispiece.
FOREWORD (RECTO): This is an introduction to the book written by someone other than the author and explains to the reader why they should read the book. If you are writing nonfiction, consider getting another expert in the field to read your book and write this for you. Doing so would really help to solidify the material within as being knowledgable and true. If you are writing fiction, consider having a friend or family member write it.
PREFACE (RECTO): This section is written by the author and touches on why or how the book came to be written. It may discuss the process the author used to gather material and create the content. If this is an edition other than the first, it might explain any changes that took place in the new edition.
Body
PROLOGUE OR INTRODUCTION (RECTO): Differing from the preface, this section directly relates to or leads into the main topic or subject matter.
| Prologue (fiction) | Introduction (nonfiction) |
| The purpose of this section is to intrigue the reader to want more and helps set the stage of the narrative. Often, fiction authors will use an action scene near the climax or of great importance that the reader won’t fully see or understand until later in the book. | This section usually covers the early history or information that helps to give the reader a solid footing before diving into the main body of the book. |
NEW CHAPTERS (RECTO): This section is pretty self-explanatory. It’s the bulk of your book that covers the topic or plot. The chapters help to break up the content. Some authors use titles, others simply use chapter numbers, and still others use both. Every new chapter should always begin on the recto side of a leaf.
EPILOGUE OR CONCLUSION (RECTO): This is basically a final scene or tidbit to enhance your conclusion with a nice little bow—the grand finale.
| Epilogue (fiction) | Conclusion (nonfiction) |
| This helps to tie up any lingering loose ends of the plot. Sometimes, it may take place immediately after the events in the book, and others, the author may choose to write about a time in the future. If this is one book in a series, it may include hints at what’s to come in the next book. | This section summarizes the main concepts of the book. |
AFTERWORD (RECTO): This can be written by the author or someone else and simply offers any final words about the topic. It’s also a great place to include any further recommended reading or resources for the reader to learn more on the subject matter (nonfiction). If you have a website where you offer services, templates, or information on this topic, be sure to sell yourself here!
Back Matter
CALL TO ACTION (RECTO): A good place to thank your readers for purchasing your book, this is also a great spot to ask them to leave you a review wherever they bought the book from. In addition, it’s a great location to remind readers about your newsletter, website, and social medias to garner a following and build up intrigue for your subsequent works (marketing!).
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (RECTO): The perfect place to acknowledge everyone else you considered dedicating the book to, and also anyone who helped encourage or support you as you worked on the book (spouse, kids, parents, friends, schools, editors, illustrators, publishers, etc.). Some choose to put this in the front matter, but personally, I much prefer it in the back matter.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR (RECTO): Does anyone really want to know about you? Yes! People are curious by nature, and if they loved (or even if they hated) your book, they will enjoy learning more about you. Discuss any previous written works, why you got into writing, your career, education, family life, where you live, pets, hobbies, etc. If you are writing a nonfiction book, consider specifically including information that explains how you are an expert on your subject matter. (Want to learn more About Me? Check out my Blog for an even deeper look into who I am.)
COPYRIGHT PERMISSIONS (RECTO): If you included any lyrics, art, or extended excerpts from other works, this is where it would be wise to note that you obtained the proper permissions for doing so.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (RECTO): Think your book could wind up in a book club or college course? Consider creating some thought-provoking questions to help guide the discussion of the group.
APPENDIX OR APPENDUM (RECTO): Used primarily in nonfiction books, this section allows notes about updated information in a newer edition that is relevant to the topic of the book. Some fiction books will actually place this at the beginning of their book to include maps or other such things of their fantasy worlds.
CHRONOLOGY OR TIMELINE (RECTO): Also primarily used in nonfiction books, this section can be combined with the appendix if desired. It gives a basic timeline of events that may help the reader keep everything straight. Some fiction books may also make use of this, especially in a series.
ENDNOTES AND FOOTNOTES (RECTO): These are notes on specific passages that are denoted within the body by superscripts. It could be links to another material on that topic or further explain something for better comprehension.
| Endnotes | Footnotes |
| Placed all together at the end of the book (usually before the bibliography). | Placed at the bottom of each corresponding page. |
GLOSSARY (RECTO): This is a list of definitions of words and acronyms that appear within the book. Used primarily with nonfiction to help clarify the meaning of important terms, this can sometimes be found in fiction books as well. In that case, it would typically be about specific characters or settings, and may also include words that the author made up for their created world. The glossary is almost always in alphabetical order.
INDEX (RECTO): This is an alphabetical list of important terms that appear within the book. This is not the place to include definitions (see Glossary), but rather where you indicate correlating page numbers where the reader can find these terms within the text.
BIBLIOGRAPHY (RECTO): Usually just for nonfiction, this is a list of all sources that you cite within your text. You must follow a specific manual of style and be consistent with all sources. Often, these are alphabetized by author’s last name and indented on any subsequent lines after the first, with a hard return (space) between each source.
LIST OF PREVIOUS BOOKS (VERSO OR RECTO): If you’ve written any other books, this is the place to list them. It’s usually titled “Also by,” followed by the author’s name. Some authors choose to put this in the front matter of the book (between the half-title page and the title page).
PREVIEW OF NEXT BOOK (RECTO): If you are writing another book, whether it’s the sequel to this one or another story all together, this is the perfect place to leave a teaser to draw readers to seek it out. Write up a summary of the plot or include the whole first chapter. If it’s published, mention where it can be purchased. If not, mention the release date (month and/or year). You could also mention your newsletter, website, and social medias again (“Be the first to learn when new books are released!”).
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