Guides

Front Matter and Back Matter: What Goes in a Book

2026-09-15 · 6 min read

Plan, draft, edit and pitch the same book in one project.

The story is the heart of your book, but the pages that surround it — the front matter before chapter one and the back matter after the final page — do important work too. They make your book look professional, provide necessary information, and (especially the back matter) offer one of your most valuable, most underused marketing opportunities. Many self-publishers throw these pages together carelessly or omit them, missing both the professionalism and the reader-conversion they enable.

This guide covers what goes in front and back matter and how to use them well.

What front matter is

Front matter is the set of pages that appear before your story begins. The conventional elements, in roughly their traditional order, include:

Title page — the book's title, subtitle, and author name.
Copyright page — the copyright notice (symbol, year, your name or imprint), "all rights reserved," publication details, ISBN if applicable, and often a disclaimer (especially the "this is a work of fiction" notice for novels).
Dedication — a brief personal dedication, if you include one.
Table of contents — essential and navigable in ebooks; common in nonfiction print, often omitted in print fiction.
Epigraph — an optional quote setting the tone, if used.
Other optional elements — a foreword, preface, or acknowledgments (which can also go in back), prologue (though a prologue is part of the story, not front matter).

The conventions cover order and, in print, which pages fall on the right or left, with some pages traditionally starting on a right-hand page. Following these conventions signals professionalism.

Keep front matter lean

A common mistake is too much front matter — pages of quotes, multiple dedications, long forewords, and acknowledgments all stacked before the story, forcing the reader to wade through material before they reach chapter one. This is especially damaging in ebooks, where the retailer's "look inside" sample may be consumed by front matter, leaving no actual story for the browser to be hooked by. Keep front matter lean and get to the story quickly. Move anything non-essential (like long acknowledgments) to the back, and resist front-loading the book with throat-clearing. The reader came for the story; do not make them earn it.

What back matter is

Back matter is everything after your story ends, and it is where the marketing magic happens. Common elements:

Author's note — a brief personal message, context, or thank-you to the reader.
Acknowledgments — thanks to those who helped (often better here than in front matter).
A call to join your email list — an invitation and link to subscribe, ideally with a reader-magnet offer.
A request for a review — a warm ask for an honest review, with a pointer to where.
Information about your other books — especially the next book in a series, with a link to buy.
About the author — a short bio and where to find you.
A sample chapter of another of your books, to hook the reader into your next title.

The reader who reaches your back matter just finished your book — they are at peak engagement. That is the single best moment to ask them to join your list, leave a review, or buy your next book.

Back matter is your best marketing real estate

This deserves emphasis because so many authors waste it. A reader who has finished your book and loved it is the warmest possible lead. Yet many books end with "The End" and nothing else — squandering the moment. A well-built back matter converts that engaged reader into a subscriber (a durable fan you can reach for every future launch), a reviewer (social proof for the next reader), and a buyer of your next book (read-through, the engine of a series). These three asks, placed at the moment of maximum goodwill, compound across your catalog. Treat back matter as a core part of your marketing, not an afterthought.

Order the asks well

In your back matter, sequence the calls to action thoughtfully. A common effective order: end the story, then a brief author's note, then the strongest single ask (often the email list signup, since an owned subscriber is so valuable, or the next-book link for a series), followed by the review request and other-books information. Do not overwhelm with a dozen competing asks; lead with the one or two that matter most for your goals, make them easy (clear links), and keep it warm rather than pushy. The reader is doing you a favor; ask graciously.

Consistency across formats

Your front and back matter should be consistent across your ebook and print editions (adapted to each format's conventions), so the reader gets the same professional presentation and the same calls to action regardless of how they read. Many formatting tools carry this matter across both formats from one source.

The bottom line

Front matter (title page, copyright page, dedication, and a navigable table of contents in ebooks) makes your book look professional and provides necessary information — but keep it lean so the reader reaches the story quickly, especially in ebook samples. Back matter is your most valuable, most underused marketing real estate: at the moment of peak reader engagement, invite them to join your email list, request an honest review, and point them to your next book. Sequence the asks well, keep them warm, and treat back matter as a core marketing tool. The pages around your story are small, but used well they make your book look professional and turn satisfied readers into lasting fans.

Frequently asked questions

What goes in the front matter of a book?

Front matter typically includes the title page, copyright page (with the copyright notice and any ISBN), an optional dedication, a table of contents (essential in ebooks), and optional elements like an epigraph or foreword. Keep it lean so readers reach the story quickly, especially in ebook samples.

What is back matter in a book?

Back matter is everything after the story ends — an author's note, acknowledgments, a call to join your email list, a request for a review, information about your other books, an about-the-author bio, and sometimes a sample chapter. It is prime marketing space because the reader just finished your book.

Why is back matter important for marketing?

Because the reader who reaches it just finished your book and is at peak engagement — the warmest possible moment to ask them to join your email list, leave a review, or buy your next book. These asks, placed at maximum goodwill, convert satisfied readers into lasting fans and compound across your catalog.

Should I put acknowledgments in the front or back of a book?

Either works, but placing long acknowledgments in the back keeps your front matter lean so readers reach the story faster — which matters especially in ebooks, where the retailer's sample can be consumed by front matter. Short dedications commonly stay in front; lengthier thanks often work better in back.