Book structure
Parts of a Book: Front Matter, Body & Back Matter Order
Use this order as the skeleton of your interior file. Not every book needs every part.
Conventional order of a book
| # | Part | Zone | Page side | Numbering | Needed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Half Title Page | Front matter | Recto | Not printed (counted as i) | Standard in trade books |
| 2 | Series Title / Also By Page | Front matter | Verso | Not printed | Optional |
| 3 | Frontispiece | Front matter | Verso | Not printed | Optional |
| 4 | Title Page | Front matter | Recto | Not printed (iii) | Required |
| 5 | Copyright Page | Front matter | Verso | Not printed (iv) | Required |
| 6 | Dedication | Front matter | Recto | Not printed | Optional |
| 7 | Epigraph | Front matter | Recto | Not printed | Optional |
| 8 | Table of Contents | Front matter | Recto | Roman (v, vii…) | Nonfiction: required; fiction: optional |
| 9 | List of Illustrations / Tables | Front matter | Recto | Roman | Optional |
| 10 | Foreword | Front matter | Recto | Roman | Optional |
| 11 | Preface | Front matter | Recto | Roman | Optional |
| 12 | Acknowledgments | Front or back matter | Recto | Roman or Arabic | Optional |
| 13 | Introduction | Front matter or body | Recto | Roman or Arabic | Optional |
| 14 | Prologue | Body | Recto | Arabic | Optional (fiction) |
| 15 | Part Opener | Body | Recto | Not printed | Optional |
| 16 | Chapter | Body | Recto or either | Arabic (folio dropped on opener) | Required |
| 17 | Interlude | Body | Either | Arabic | Optional |
| 18 | Epilogue | Body | Recto or either | Arabic | Optional |
| 19 | Afterword | Back matter | Recto | Arabic | Optional |
| 20 | Conclusion | Body | Recto | Arabic | Nonfiction: common |
| 21 | Appendix | Back matter | Recto | Arabic | Optional |
| 22 | Author's Note | Back matter | Recto | Arabic | Common in historical fiction |
| 23 | Notes (Endnotes) | Back matter | Recto | Arabic | Nonfiction with sources |
| 24 | Glossary | Back matter | Recto | Arabic | Optional |
| 25 | Bibliography / References | Back matter | Recto | Arabic | Academic and research-based books |
| 26 | Index | Back matter | Recto | Arabic | Nonfiction: strongly recommended |
| 27 | Reading Group Guide | Back matter | Recto | Arabic | Optional |
| 28 | About the Author | Back matter | Recto | Arabic or none | Strongly recommended |
| 29 | Also By / Next in Series | Back matter | Recto | None | Optional |
| 30 | Colophon | Back matter | Verso or final page | None | Optional |
Physical parts of a printed book
| Part | What it is |
|---|---|
| Spine | The bound edge that faces out on a shelf; carries title, author and publisher logo. |
| Head | The top edge of the book. |
| Tail | The bottom edge of the book. |
| Fore-edge | The edge opposite the spine, where pages open. |
| Front cover | The outside front of the case or wrapper. |
| Back cover | The outside back, carrying the blurb, barcode and price. |
| Endpapers | Folded sheets glued between the text block and the case of a hardcover. |
| Headband | A decorative band of thread at the top of the spine of a hardcover. |
| Hinge / Joint | The flexible area where the cover meets the spine. |
| Gutter | The inner margins where pages meet at the binding. |
| Text block | All the pages of the book, without the cover. |
| Dust jacket | A removable paper wrapper with flaps around a hardcover. |
Recto is the right-hand page (odd numbers), verso the left (even). Front matter is traditionally numbered in lowercase roman numerals; the main text restarts at Arabic 1 on a recto.