When we read a book, we don’t often notice all of the different parts of a book. We probably notice the book cover, which tells us the book title and has some sort of exciting or eye-appealing art on it.
Before we get into the story, we may even flip the book over and check out the back cover to read a short description or review of the book. We may notice the table of contents so that we can see how the book is divided (chapters, sections, subsections), and then we get right into the first chapter and the main story.
We might notice chapter titles as we read, and we may note the page numbers as we progress, but usually, if the book tells a good story, we don’t notice much else until we finish.
When we finish the book, we may glance at the author bio on the inside of the dust jacket to see what the person who just took us on an adventure looks like, where he/she is from, and what sort of family they have.
When we write a book, we have no choice but to pay attention to all of the parts of a book. We have to put thought into how we want to style those parts. We have to consider which parts we need in the writing process.
If you go with a traditional publisher, you will get help with some of these choices, and some of these choices may even be made for you. Even in this case, it’s still a good idea to have a basic understanding of all of the parts of a book. If you self-publish, most of these choices are entirely up to you to make.
If you feel intimidated with figuring out how to format the elements of a book, there are resources available to you. You can buy books, contact a publisher or ask your literary agent, or check out the Chicago Manual of Style, which is a guide to all things writing, from grammar to format to style. They are available online as well.
This article will offer helpful information to explain the many parts of a book so that if you are a reader, you may notice what many readers skip through and have a new appreciation for all of the work that gets put into the product you buy or borrow from the library to enjoy. If you are a writer, you will see some of the parts of a book that you may not have been aware of and the reasons they are important.
The Pages Before the Actual Story
There are several pages in a book before the main story begins. These pages don’t get a page number, as these are the parts of a book that are primarily technical and have little or nothing to do with the book’s main text.
With the exception of some pages devoted to title, the below information highlights the pages that come before the story begins in a book.
The Book Cover
The first thing a reader notices about a book is its cover or its dust jacket if it is a hardback printed book. The book cover is designed in a specific way so that you will pick it up, and the information on the cover is arranged in a certain way so that you will select that book. The author and the publisher behind the author hope that you will find the book cover attractive and appealing enough to purchase the book.
The Front Cover
Why does the front matter? Especially if you’ve heard of the book? The front cover of the book is where the book title is. The full title is displayed on the cover, along with the author’s name.
Well-known authors sometimes place their names in large letters above the title of the book on the front cover because as they gain a reputation for themselves, fans and devoted readers will buy a book simply because it has the author’s name on it.
The title is of somewhat less importance after the author has reached a certain level of fame. Still, it’s included on the front cover because no matter how much of a fan of a certain author you are, you still want to be able to provide an answer when someone asks you, “What’s the book called?”
The book’s title will be on the front of the book, along with the author’s name, but there will also usually be some sort of artwork on the page to draw you in. The colors of the dust jacket are often bold or contrasting so that it is more noticeable, as well.
Many books also have the book’s subject matter printed on the front cover. It usually won’t be too specific, but it will say something like; New Fiction, Nonfiction, Biography, A Mystery Novel, Short Story Collection, etc. This lets you know before you buy what sort of book you’re holding in your hands as you stand there in the book store considering the purchase.
The Inside Covers
The inside covers of the book vary in content. The front inside cover is usually a short book description. It gives the reader a sneak peek of what they can expect to read if they purchase the book or borrow it from the library. There aren’t spoilers in this description. It’s meant to get the reader more interested in the book’s subject matter.
The inside back cover of the book is where the author’s bio can usually be found. Most of the time, there is a small photo of the author and simple biographical information. How many previously published books the author has written, any awards they have won for their writing, and if they’ve been on a bestseller list. It also typically includes where they live, a short snippet about family, and possibly a couple of their hobbies.
This is done to help the reader relate to the author and also to put a face to the name that wrote the book the reader just read.
The Back Cover
The book’s back cover will either have a brief description of the book or reviews of the book by various publications and other authors. The quick blurbs about the book are placed on the back cover so that you can be nudged a bit as the reader to purchase the book.
You’ll see that other people and publications liked the book, so it stands to reason that you will, too. It’s a bit of a marketing ploy, and it can help the author sell books.
Title Page
The title page, located just inside the cover of the book, has all of the same information as the cover but also usually includes the name of the publishing company.
This is true of traditionally published books, but if you are a self-publishing author, your title page will not have the name of a traditional publishing house on the title page, obviously.
There are many different types of title pages, and they aren’t all located at the very front of the book. Still, we’ll go over the different variety of title pages now because not all books have the same ones, depending on what type of book it is, how the book is formatted, the book length, and other factors.
Series Title Page
A book that is part of a series, such as the Harry Potter series, has a series title page that announces the particular book’s place in the series. This is so that the reader knows before they begin reading the main story that this story starts where another left off and is part of a series.
Full Title Page
This is usually placed right before the main story. It’s a full-page where the title is displayed without any other content. The full title is the only thing on the page. It marks the beginning of the story. When you get to this page in the book, you know that the actual book is about to begin.
Half Title Page
Sometimes if a book is particularly long or composed of two parts that then come together at the end, there will be a half-title page after the title page. This announces the title for the first half of the book. It’s a way to section off a book so that a reader can track their progress, keep track of how far into the story they are and be given an indication of what the first half of the book will entail. The half-title page will typically give away a little of what you can expect within the first portion of the book.
Second Half Title
This serves the same function as the first half-title but for the second half of the book. Again, this is typically done if the book is long or if the book changes direction to conclude the story. The second half-title tells you what sort of content you’re about to read to conclude the book.
Copyright Page
The copyright page is usually the next page to come after the page for the title. It is often printed on the back of the page for the title.
This page gives information including: Who the publishing company is, a waiver that states that the book is based upon fictitious events and people (if it’s a fiction book), a copyright notice, the edition notice and edition dates, and the ISBN number.
It also answers the crucial questions for some book collectors: When was the book written, and is this the first round of copies published?
The copyright page is a necessity for all books, including those written by self-publishing authors. Keep in mind that self-publishing is still publishing.
The copyright page is there to protect you from being plagiarized as the author. If you don’t have a copyright page, anyone can come along and basically steal your work because no one is claiming official ownership of the work.
It is an absolutely essential page to have in a book. It doesn’t matter if you write fiction, nonfiction books, or children’s books. You must include this page in a published work.
Prologue Vs. Preface
A book can either have a prologue or preface. A prologue is an introduction to the story in the book, whereas a preface is an introduction to the book itself. The writing in the prologue is from a character’s point of view, which helps establish a beginning scene or event of the plot or aids in presenting initial characters. Whereas, a prologue commonly appears in fiction books. In contrast, the preface’s point of view is from the author, where they explain how the book was conceptualized, developed, completed, revised, and so on. A preface may also narrate the author’s struggles during the book’s development.
Dedication Page
If you are going to dedicate your book to someone (usually someone close to you), the dedication page usually comes next in the book. It’s a page in which you can announce who you are dedicating your book to, along with a short message. Usually, it’s a family member or close friend, but it’s your book, and you can dedicate it to anyone you want.
Table of Contents Page
The table of contents usually follows the dedication, and it is helpful because it will tell you how the book is divided. If there are chapters, it will usually list the chapter titles, as well as the page numbers for the start of each chapter.
Readers like having a table of contents in a book because they can map their progress while reading and keep track of how close they’re getting to the final chapter.
Some readers who are dedicated to a single author find that pacing themselves is best because they will have to wait for the next book to come out, and sometimes it’s years before the next book. Having this table of contents with page numbers and the chapters divided up gives them a way to create a strategy to stretch out their reading.
The Main Narrative
After the table of contents and the various pages that announce titles, you are finally to the narrative, where the main story begins. This is where page numbers start. All the pages of the story will be numbered and correspond with the contents page so that the reader can keep track of where they are and how they are progressing.
From the first page of your book to the last chapter, you finally get to tell your story to your reader. The writing is now all that matters until the end of the story, and you can only hope as the author that the reader gets lost in what you have written and no longer cares about elements or format.
You want your writing to be so consuming that no one cares about any part of your book but the writing once they get to the page where the real story begins.
After the Story
After the story concludes, there are still more pages that can be included, and usually are. In these pages, you will get a chance to plug yourself, your other books, add supplementary notes and other technical elements that may need to be included.
Acknowledgment Page/Author Page
An author may lump these two topics into one page, or they may use separate pages for them. For the sake of explanation, we will describe them separately in this article.
Acknowledgment Page
This is where the author gives credit to those who helped him get his book written. From his family who supported him, to his publisher, editor, and agent, to the people he asked to help do background research for him. It might be your own book, but it’s seldom completed by one person’s support and effort alone.
If there are many people you need to thank, you can include an alphabetical list of names to be sure that you don’t leave anyone out.
Author Page
You can write just about anything you want on this page. This is the place where you can connect to the reader as a person if you want. Not to be confused with an author bio, this is where you can explain where you got the idea for your story while addressing the reader directly.
This establishes a closeness and intimacy between yourself and the reader, and it helps you grow a fan base that could lead to better book sales later on.
Coming Soon Page
Sometimes, if an author is working on another book or has one that is finished and is waiting to see publication and distribution, they tease the upcoming book in one that is currently being marketed. It is an optional page to include and isn’t present in all books.
You can include a small sample or a chapter of the new book so that the reader will be teased with the book and either pre-order or anticipate its release.
Understanding Your Book
Making yourself familiar with the parts of a book is beneficial both as a reader and a writer. A reader, especially one who is also a collector, can better assess what they are in for when they buy a book if they understand the parts of a book.
A writer who understands the parts of a book can usually get through the process of formatting and publication faster when the writer doesn’t have to be led by the hand each step of the way. Familiarizing yourself with the parts of a book can get your story on a store shelf faster, or get it online faster and available for purchase and download.
