A printed book has three zones: front matter (everything before the main text), the body, and back matter. The order below follows long-standing publishing convention. Right-hand pages (rectos) carry odd numbers; left-hand pages (versos) carry even numbers.

Front matter, in order

  1. Half title — recto. The main title only.
  2. Also by / series page — verso, optional.
  3. Title page — recto. Title, subtitle, author, publisher.
  4. Copyright page — verso. Legal notice, ISBNs, credits.
  5. Dedication — recto, optional.
  6. Epigraph — recto, optional.
  7. Table of contents — recto.
  8. List of illustrations or tables — optional.
  9. Foreword — by someone other than the author.
  10. Preface — by the author, about the book.
  11. Acknowledgments — often moved to the back.
  12. Introduction — if it is not part of the main text.

Front matter is traditionally numbered with lowercase roman numerals (i, ii, iii…), though numbers are not printed on display pages such as the half title, title page and copyright page.

The body

The main text restarts at Arabic page 1 on a recto. It may open with a prologue, be divided into parts and chapters, and close with an epilogue or conclusion. Chapter openers usually omit the running head and either omit the page number or move it to the foot.

Back matter, in order

  1. Afterword or author's note
  2. Appendices
  3. Notes
  4. Glossary
  5. Bibliography
  6. Index
  7. Reading group guide
  8. About the author
  9. Also by / next in series
  10. Colophon

What indie authors can trim

Retailer previews show the first pages of your book. Long front matter pushes your opening chapter out of the preview. For fiction, a lean sequence — half title, title page, copyright page, perhaps a dedication — gets readers into the story fast; acknowledgments, author notes and "also by" lists work better at the back. Nonfiction readers, by contrast, expect a table of contents and often an introduction up front.

Ebooks

Ebooks follow the same order but need a navigational table of contents built from headings, and many retailers start the reading experience at the first chapter. Put marketing pages (newsletter sign-up, next book) in the back matter, with live links.