Understanding book structure
Do you know what a half title is? How about a frontispiece or an epigraph? Should a fictional book have a forward or a preface? It helps if you know what these terms are and where they should be placed in a book.
| Item | Description | Included in Print | Included in Ebook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half title | The book title. This page contains the title of the book, usually written in CAPITALS at the top of the first page. It’s the first page you see when opening the cover and is always a right hand page of an open book. This page is TOP aligned. Follow this with a 'section break (new page)' if you are using a frontispiece. If you are not using one then use a ‘section break (odd page). | Yes | No, not used |
| Frontispiece | A full page illustration on the verso (other side) of the half title and facing the title page. | Optional | Not usually used |
| Title page | The title, subtitle, author and publisher of the book. May also include the year of publication and location of the author. This is always a right-hand page of a two page spread. This page is MIDDLE aligned | Yes | Yes |
| Copyright page | On the verso of the title page and containing copyright notice, edition information, publication information, cataloging data, legal notices, and the book’s ISBN number. This page is usually BOTTOM aligned. | Yes | Yes |
| Dedication | Short text dedicating the book | Optional | Optional |
| Table of contents | A table of contents should always start on the right hand side of a two page spread and should be an even number of pages, even if this means a blank page in a printed book. | Optional but common in non-fiction | Optional |
| List of figures/tables | Usually limited to technical non-fiction or art books | Optional | Optional |
| Epigraph | A quotation or poem. This may be placed on the verso of contents, list of figures, or facing chapter one. Epigraphs may also be placed at the start of each chapter. | Optional | Optional |
| Forward | A short piece written by someone other than the author possibly explaining the context of the book. | Optional | Optional |
| Preface | A short piece written by the author explaining the context of the book and how it came about. Rare in fiction. | Optional | Optional |
| Prologue | Sets the scene for a fictional work and should be written in a character’s voice rather than the author’s voice. | Optional and often undesirable | Optional and often undesirable |
Content
|
The main text of the book which should always start on the right hand page of a two page spread. | Yes | Yes |
| Back matter | A 'from the author' section which serves multiple purposes:
|
Yes | Yes |
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