Besides the main items in a nonfiction, other items can be included. For the last couple of weeks, weve been doing a blog series on the back matter of a book. This page is found either in the front or back matter of the book. Books can be divided into three areas front matter, body content and back matter.
Kindle create displays your book in three sections. For those who have worked on and helped write and publish the book, can be in the front matter or the back matter. Back matter items are essentially chapters within a part, with one additional option to customize. The back matter types menu lets you indicate an items type. Though, sometimes a second half title page will be followed by an epigraph or illustration. The front matter of a book consists of its very first pages. Front matter is the stuff in your book from the page after the cover till the page before chapter one.
The errata are sometimes found in the back of the book called the back matter. If readers really want to know more about you before they finished the book dont count on it they should be able to find this page from the table of contents. The back matter is where youll find components such as an index, a glossary, an. One of these components that often causes selfpublished authors pause is the front matter and back matter. Front matter of a book what is included in the front. The front matter includes any material that precedes the text. Across all books of all genres, theres one thing in common. Front and back matter goes after the book is fully edited and before you begin formatting the content. You can split, merge, or rearrange chapters as needed. Your body content is the book itself its your introduction. Then, when im setting up a new book, once i get the edited manuscript back, i add the front and back matter from the back matter file to the book. Because the back matter file has all the books, i do have to go in and delete the current book. Material, such as an index or appendix, that follows the main body of a book. Book front matter what to include in the front of your book.
Last week here, i presented the parts of a book which appear in the front of the book. Offer your readers great content first, and only talk about yourself afterwards. The interesting thing about matter is that there are fewer and fewer hard and fast rules about what goes in the front and what goes. After this comes the body of the book and after that, what is called the back matter. How to write the front and back matter of your kindle ebook.
There arent any definitive rules for how the different sections of front matter in an ebook should be organized, and it is very unlikely that your book will be rejected for publishing based on how you have structured it except for smashwords, the nitpicky ones. Front matter is information about a book which precedes the main text. The following list of sections that can be included in the back matter is by no means exhaustive. We all know what the title page is, but whats a half title.
It can be as simple as a single title page, or it can include multiple title pages, foreword, a preface, and much more. We tend to spend all of our time writing the main content of the book and fail to factor in the extra time required to write and organize the front and back matter. Front matter and back matter are terms used to describe the first and last pages of a book but not the actual story or body content of the book. That gives you headroom to play with the front matter. This includes all frontmatter items listed below, together with chapters in the body matter and back matter. Other books by if this is not your first book, you definitely want to list your other books. Were novices, so working with front matter and back matter is a new experience. The back matter can be as important as the front matter, particularly for nonfiction books.
Back matter is the stuff at the end of your book, after the main sections of the book are finished. A dystopian, probably a little misery mixed in with hope. If the reader has enjoyed the story, the first thing they will want to do is check out your other titles. The front matter is a section in the beginning of a book. For print books, there are a few differences from the ebooks, starting with the front matter. If so, hurricane wolf by diane paterson is about noah. Well never look at a childrens picture book in the same way again. Front and back matter in books alliance of independent.
Now before we get into it, these are merely meant as suggestions and there are definitely some who refuse to put a table of contents at the beginning of their book for instance since it. Front matter is the material at the front of a book that usually offers information about the book. This is a work file in kcb format you can use to update your book later. Book promotion expert ben cameron always says writing the blurb is the hardest 100 words youll ever write, and many authors are also stumped when it comes to writing the front and back matter another task that usually falls just when youre feeling least like writing another word, after completing your book s final edit. An indieauthors guide to organizing a book for publication.
In a book where the front matter is long, a second half title page with just the title of the book can serve to mark the end of the front matter and mark the start of the story. The title page, your information, and table of contents. Your books front and back matter is, essentially, the stuff that bookends the actual text of the book. I will usually list my books in the front matter, but in the back, i include a paragraph about each of the books to entice readers to go deeper. Whats it matter the front and back matter of a book the happy.
The front matter types menu lets you indicate an items type which may change how it. The specific elements included at the end of the book should appear in the table of contents in the front matter. Im the guest authoreducator there today talking about back matter in picture books. Whats it matter the front and back matter of a book. The particular parts and their order is more fluid in the back matter compared to front. Diy book front matter and back matter numinous productions. Book back matter includes some or all of these pages. What youve been working on, the manuscript youve sweated. Authors who diy in selfpublishing sometimes forget to add front matter and back matter. Depending on the book and style it may be named differently. Back matter in picture books marcie flinchum atkins.
Its the page at the very front of the book, not used in all cases, that has only the title of the book on it. Books are divided into three partsfront matter, body text with or without illustrations, and back matter. As you create your ebooks whether its meant for kindle or kobo or nook or whoever, you have the option of inserting front matter or back matter sections. Back matter is the final pages of a book, where endnotes, the appendix, the bibliography, the index, and. That allimportant book back matter and front matter. Its just a simple matter of cut and paste and im done. Youll learn the nitty gritty about book back matter in chapter 29, designing your back matter. Though many readers skip right over it, the front matter contains some pretty important information about the books author and. The front matter is paginated using lower roman numerals, however, the back matter is not. Front matter includes the title pages, the writers name, the edition, the publication date. What is included in front matter really depends on the type of publication, so lets go.
Hello, this is ken from bookfuel with a brief explanation of front matter and back matter. It can also be found in the front or back of the book. Books consist of many components, all of them important when creating a full, complete, and professional work. Back matter in your book celebrating independent authors. Your ultimate guide to front matter and back matter. You can create, edit, delete, rename or reorder front matter items the same way that you would with chapters, with one additional option. Back matter definition of back matter by the free dictionary. The matter of things all about front and back matter. Depending on the genre, the back matter may also include an afterword, appendix, glossary, index, bibliography and advertising about the author or publishers other books.
Carrie charley brown is hosting reforemo read for research month, a time when writers challenge themselves to read picture books as mentor texts to improve their writing. The front matter types menu lets you indicate an items type which may change how it is styled in outputs. You can find a good example of back matter at janice hardys fiction university. How you should be using back matter in your ebooks adam geen. Its the 30,000 to 50,000 words you just pumped out. Gain comprehension of how more complicated back matter like an index and notes section can function in an ebook utilize vendorspecific buy links to boost your sales and author brand pick up a copy of front matter, back matter, and metadata and improve your publishing level of knowledge to give you a professional edge. Most fiction books have a minimum of back matter, while nonfiction can include a number of items. Front matter and back matter grammar factory publishing. The purpose of front matter is mostly to make sure your book looks as professional. The back matter also known as the end matter is you guessed it material found at the back of a book. Front matter of a book what is included in the front matter of a book. It is more often found in the back of a work of fiction or an ebook.
Learn more about creating projects and tables of contents. Book promotion expert ben cameron always says writing the blurb is the hardest 100 words youll ever write, and many authors are also stumped when it comes to writing the front and back matter another task that usually falls just when youre feeling least like writing another word, after completing your books final edit. Include correct links under catalogue or your buyer hook. But that made me realize i was probably missing a major opportunity to connect with those readers, so i checked my back copy the material at the end of my book and found it seriously wanting. Nonfiction book formatting for microsoft word lulu blog. Sums up the book, sometimes within the story itself or sometimes with the author speaking as well. After the last page of the manuscripts text, pagination continues in numerical sequence into the back matter. Front matter is everything that comes before your content.
Some books have this in the front matter, but i prefer to have it in the back. Your books front and back matter your literary prose. Without rehashing the topic, there are a few special considerations for nonfiction books to think about. Front matter is the first section of a book and is generally the shortest. The title page must go on a recto page, and the page must go on the verso page immediately following the title page in other words, the page is printed on the back of the title page. In the modern world of publishing where authors are expected to publish several books a year, standards and literary traditions that have existed for centuries can understandably be overlooked. There may also be a preface by the author, or a foreword by someone familiar with their work. How to use your books back matter to massively boost your. Ive gone into some detail about what frontback matter is and why its important. Today, we look at the elements which make up the back matter. Some common items in back matter include an index, bibliography or appendix. Book back matter what to include in the back of your book. The usual order of the front matter is shown above.