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What do I include in my book's front and back matter?

When organizing the contents of a book, many authors primarily focus on their book’s main content. After all, this is what readers buy books for! But when polishing up your manuscript, it’s also important to consider what front and back matter content your book needs. Generally, front and back matter provide info about copyright, credit, and context.

What should your book’s front and back matter include? Read on to learn more.

Front Matter

A book’s front matter is what readers will see first. Containing publisher info, the table of contents, and more, the front matter prepares readers for the book’s content. A list of typical front matter content is below, as noted in the Chicago Manual of Style:

  • Half-title page
  • Title page
  • Copyright page (Check out our overview on copyright page basics!)
  • Dedication
  • Epigraph
  • Table of contents
  • List of illustrations
  • List of tables
  • Foreword
  • Preface
  • Acknowledgments
  • Introduction
  • Chronology
  • Abbreviations
  • Second half-title page

Back Matter

A book’s back matter follows the book’s main text and typically provides additional reference information. Here’s a list of back matter content:

  • Acknowledgments
  • Appendix
  • Chronology
  • Abbreviations
  • Notes
  • Glossary
  • Bibliography or References
  • Contributors (can be a list or a collection of contributor bios)
  • Illustration Credits
  • Index

You may notice some duplicates between the front and back matter lists. Whether to include certain content, such as the Acknowledgments or Abbreviations, before or after your main text comes down to preference and what will work best for your specific project. We recommend thinking about your readers’ experience when making this decision. For example, will it be more helpful for readers to have the Abbreviations before they start your story or as a reference section in the back?

Most books will not include every section of content listed above. Authors and publishers should include only what makes sense for the specific project. A poetry collection may not have use for a Chronology section, but readers of a historical fiction novel may find a Chronology helpful, for example.

Once you have your content finalized, we can transform it into a unique and professional book. Contact us for a custom book design quote!