How to Format Your Book's Front Matter and Back Matter (The Right Order)
Front matter is everything before your story or main content; back matter is everything after. In order, front matter runs: half-title, title page, copyright page, dedication, epigraph, table of contents, then any foreword, preface or acknowledgments. Back matter runs: acknowledgments (if not up front), about the author, an “also by” page, a call to review, and any appendices, glossary or bibliography for non-fiction. Not every book needs every page — the essentials are a title page, copyright page and (for ebooks) a clickable table of contents. Print and ebook order the front matter slightly differently. Here's the full sequence.
The pages around your actual content — title page, copyright, dedication, about-the-author — are called front and back matter, and getting their order right is a small thing that makes a book feel professionally made. Here's what goes where, and which pieces you actually need.
What is front matter and back matter?
Front matter is everything a reader sees before the story or main content begins. Back matter is everything after it ends. Together they frame your book — handling the legal, navigational and marketing pieces that a professional book includes and an amateur one often skips or misorders.
Front matter, in order
- Half-title page — just the book's title (optional; common in print).
- Title page — title, subtitle, author name, and publisher/imprint. Essential.
- Copyright page — copyright notice, edition, ISBN, disclaimers and credits. Essential.
- Dedication — your short dedication (optional).
- Epigraph — a quote that sets the tone (optional).
- Table of contents — essential for non-fiction and for all ebooks (clickable); optional in print fiction.
- Foreword / preface / acknowledgments — if included, these come after the TOC (a foreword is written by someone else; a preface by you).
Keep essentials — title, copyright, TOC — and add the optional pages only if they serve the book. A slim novel doesn't need a half-title or epigraph.
Back matter, in order
- Acknowledgments — thanks to those who helped (can go here or in front matter).
- About the author — a short bio and, ideally, where to find you.
- Also by / other books — a list of your other titles, linked in the ebook — one of the best tools for read-through.
- Call to action — an invitation to leave a review or join your newsletter.
- Appendices, glossary, bibliography, index — for non-fiction that needs them.
How print and ebook differ
The pieces are the same, but two things change between formats:
- The table of contents. In an ebook it must be clickable and is expected even for fiction; in print fiction it's often omitted. Ebooks also shouldn't bury a long TOC before the story — many authors place a short one and rely on the device's built-in navigation.
- Links. In an ebook, the “also by” page and review call-to-action should be live links; in print they're just text (with a QR code as an option).
- Front-loading. Some authors move heavy front matter (long forewords) toward the back in ebooks so readers reach the story faster, which can help sample conversions.
The copyright page: don't skip it
The one piece of front matter beginners most often get wrong is the copyright page. At minimum it should include the copyright notice (© year, author/publisher), the edition, your ISBN, a rights-reserved statement, and any credits (cover designer, editor). It's short, but it's what signals a book was published properly. (See our guide on ISBNs, barcodes and copyright pages.)
The essentials checklist
- Must have: title page, copyright page, and (for ebooks) a clickable TOC.
- Strongly recommended: about-the-author, an “also by” page, and a review call-to-action.
- As needed: dedication, epigraph, foreword/preface, and non-fiction back matter (glossary, index, bibliography).