Parts of a Book in Order: Front Matter, Chapters, Back Matter + Page Numbering Rules—The Overview

Michelle M. White
2 days ago
5 min read

When you put together your manuscript for publishing, it’s important to put things in order according to industry standards. There is a proper place for each section of the book, and if your book strays from the usual order, it can reflect poorly on your message.

In most books, the pages before Chapter 1 are called front matter and are numbered with Roman numerals. The main text begins on page 1 in Arabic numerals, and the back matter continues that same Arabic numbering.

Parts of a Book series

The following topics will be covered in this series:

Front Matter Pages in Order: Title Page, Copyright, Dedication, TOC, and More (coming soon)
Foreword vs Preface vs Introduction: Differences + Where Each One Goes (coming soon)
Dedication and Acknowledgements (Are they Needed and Where do They Go?) (coming soon)
Does Your Book Need a Table of Contents? Best Practices for Fiction, Nonfiction and Memoirs (coming soon)
Back Matter for Nonfiction: What to Include (About the Author, Notes, CTA, Acknowledgments) (coming soon)

At a Glance: the Standard Order of the Parts of a Book

Front matter (Roman numerals)
Main text (Arabic numerals begin at 1)
Back matter (Arabic numerals continue)

Odd page numbers appear on the right-hand page (recto), and even page numbers appear on the left-hand page (verso). A blank page is sometimes inserted on the left to ensure key sections begin on the right.

Front Matter Pages in Order (nonfiction)

Front matter is the set of pages before Chapter 1. Not every book needs every item below, but when they are included, this is the standard order.

Half title (small title) on the right — Traditionally just the title. Some authors use this page instead for advance praise or endorsements.
Verso of the half title (left) — Often blank, or used for a list of other books by the author or books in the series.
Title page on the right — Shows the title, subtitle, and author. It may also include a small image, and sometimes the publisher’s logo and city appears at the bottom.
Copyright page on the left (verso of the title page) — At minimum: copyright year, name of the copyright holder, a legal notice (such as “All rights reserved”), an ISBN, and publisher information. Many books also include an LCCN, disclaimers, credits (design/photos/illustrations), bulk sales info, and contact details, so long as it fits on one page. See blog series on your copyright page.
Dedication on the right — This page may also be used for a special epigraph or quotation.
Epigraph on the right (optional) — If you include both a dedication and an epigraph, they are typically separate pages.
Table of contents — For nonfiction, the table of contents typically begins on the right. If it will span two pages, some designers start it on the left so both pages display together as a spread.
Foreword (optional) — Written by someone other than the author. Typically a few pages and begins on the right.
Preface (optional) — Written by the author and begins on the right.
Acknowledgments (optional) — May appear in the front matter or in the back matter. Placement is a matter of preference.

Main Body of the Book: Where Page 1 Begins

Following the front matter, each chapter or major section typically begins on the right-hand side. An exception is when a book has many very short chapters and starting every chapter on the right would create too many blank pages.

The first page with the Arabic numeral 1 is the first page of the Introduction (if your book has one) or Chapter 1 (if it does not).

● Introduction or Chapter 1

● All subsequent chapters

● Conclusion

● Epilogue (if included)

Back Matter Essentials (nonfiction)

Back matter is the set of pages after the main text. Sections typically begin on the right, and page numbers continue in Arabic numerals.

● Acknowledgments (if not included in the front matter)

● Appendices

● Notes or endnotes (if footnotes are not included within chapters)

● Bibliography / references (if applicable)

● Index (if applicable)

● About the Author (optional)

● A call to action, website/social links, or contact information (optional)

Page Numbering Rules (Roman vs Arabic and margins)

Front matter uses Roman numerals (uppercase or lowercase is fine, but choose one and stay consistent).
The Roman numeral count begins with the first page of the book, but some early pages typically do not display a number (such as the half title, copyright page, dedication, and epigraph). Because of this, the table of contents often begins on page v or vii.
Arabic numerals begin at 1 on the Introduction (if included) or Chapter 1.
Back matter continues the Arabic numbering.
Page numbers can be placed at the top or bottom, centered or aligned to the outside margin, just be consistent and use automatic headers/footers.
If page numbers are at the top, omit the number on the first page of each chapter (or move it to the bottom). The next page continues the count as if the number had appeared.
Keep page numbers at least 1/4 inch from the edge of the paper (3/8 or 1/2 inch is often safer). Check your printer’s margin requirements.
Leave at least 1/4 inch between the page number and the main text on the page.

Common questions

Do fiction books need a table of contents? It’s optional. Most fiction is read from front to back, so readers don’t usually need it for navigation. However, some epic novels have creative names for each chapter or section, and list them in the Table of Contents. Anthologies or short story collections would need one.
Where should acknowledgments go? Either front matter or back matter can work. If you want readers to reach the story quickly, placing acknowledgments in the back is often a better fit.
What standards should I follow? In publishing, The Chicago Manual of Style is commonly used as a reference for conventions and formatting standards.

Final Thoughts

This overview reflects the conventions used in most nonfiction books I design. Your genre, audience, and publishing goals can influence what you include and where it goes.

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