Books are generally divided into three parts: The frontmatter, the body of the book, and the backmatter.
Keep in mind that there is no book that has all of these parts. Use this list instead to make sure you have the right content in the right category, and that elements of your book appear in the sequence in which they are expected.
Normally, unless otherwise noted, each of these items should start on a right-hand page.
Frontmatter
The Frontmatter are the pages at the beginning of a book before the body of the book. These pages are traditionally numbered with lowercase Roman numerals.
Half title Page—Sometimes called the Bastard Title. This page contains only the title of the book and is the first page you see when opening the cover.
Title Page—Contains the title, subtitle, author, and publisher of the book.
Copyright Page—This is on the reverse of the Title Page and contains the copyright notice, publisher information, the ISBN number, Library of Congress number, and printing information (usually “Printed in the United States of America”). Legal notices, credits for illustrations, or cover design are also commonly listed on the page.
Dedication—Not every book carries a dedication but, for those that do, it is opposite the copyright page. Dedication is always personal. Professional acknowledgments go on the Acknowledgements page or in the Preface.
Foreword—An introductory essay written by someone other than the author. The Foreword is always signed, usually with the Foreword author’s name, and title. Please note that the Foreword (literally meaning “the word before”) should never be spelled as Forward.
Preface—An introductory essay written by the author that tells how the book came into being, followed by thanks and acknowledgments to people who were helpful to the author during the time of writing. The Preface is usually signed with the author's name, place, and date.
Acknowledgments—The author expresses their gratitude for the help in the creation of the book. The acknowledgment page should not be more than 1 page. If you have a Preface page that includes acknowledgments, then you do not need a separate Acknowledgements page.
Introduction—Here the author introduces the material that is covered in the work. Typically, an author tells the reader what will be revealed in greater detail if they continue reading.
Table of Contents—Also known as the Contents page, this page lists all the major divisions of the book including parts and chapters and their page numbers. Depending on the length of the book, a greater level of detail may be provided to help the reader navigate the book.
Please note, you should include all your Front Matters in your Table of Contents (with the exception of the Title and Copyright Pages), even though they come before the Table of Contents.
A Table of Contents should start on a right-hand page unless it requires the use of two pages, in which case it should start on the left-hand side.
Prologue—In a work of fiction, the Prologue sets the scene for the story and is told in the voice of a character from the book, not the author’s voice.
Body
The Body is the main portion or body of the book. These pages are traditionally numbered with Arabic numerals with page 1 beginning with the first text of the main body (which means page 1 is usually the first page of the first chapter).
Parts—Both fiction and nonfiction books are often divided into parts when there is a large conceptual, historical, or structural logic that suggests these divisions.
Chapters—Most fiction and almost all nonfiction books are divided into chapters for the sake of organizing the material.
Backmatter
The Backmatter is the pages after the body of the work.
Epilogue or Epilog—A short essay, in the voice of the author, that brings closure to the work.
Afterword—An Afterword either covers how the book was created (in which case you would not have a Preface) or it is written by someone other than the author, seeking to put work in some wider context (often done if the work is being reissued after many years)
Postscript— The postscript is a final “PS” note at the end of a book, providing additional information that doesn’t fit as part of the story or the main point of the book.
Appendix —A supplement to the main work. An Appendix typically includes referenced documents cited in the text, or articles peripherally related to the subject of the book.
Notes—If your main text requires notes to amplify or document certain passages throughout the text, please arrange the notes by chapter in a notes section.Glossary—An alphabetical list of terms and their definitions, helpful in understanding the terms referenced frequently in the book.
Bibliography—The bibliography section lists the sources for works used in your book. Be sure to arrange the sources alphabetically by the author’s last name.
Index—An alphabetical listing of people, places, events, and subjects cited along with page numbers. This is typically done for a scholarly, non-fiction book.
About the Author—A brief biography, not more than 1 page, about the author. This is typically the last page of a book and is on the left-hand side. The author's biography should either be on the last page of the book, or on the cover of the book (but not both).
One size for the keywords of the title (usually 48 or higher), a second size for the author name and subtitle (anywhere from 18-36 points), and a third for blurbs, promos, and descriptive text (usually 10-12 points). If needed, a fourth size can be used for less significant words in the title, such as the and of.
Font Size for Body, Chapter Headings, and Section Titles
Although the font size used in a book’s normal text usually varies, most authors use a 12-point size as the standard. 16-point sizes are considered perfect for chapter titles, while section titles do well with 14-point sizes. These font sizes make the heading and section titles more noticeable and different from the body.
It’s also a good idea to choose a font for chapter titles that differs from the body. In this case, I can recommend Helvetica. With the body’s font size being 12-pt, you can consider writing your chapter titles in 16-point font, bold, and ALL CAPS.
Why Font Size Matters
While weaving imagination into words takes the praise of a book, typesetting is the uncelebrated hero. In fact, you’ll barely notice the formatting of a book with a high-quality arrangement on its pages.
So, why is font size significant?
When you use the right font sizes, your book becomes:
- Pleasant to look at.
- Easy to read.
- Suitable to the context and genre of your story.
Using the right font size also helps demonstrate to the reader that you are considerate, careful, and professional. And if you aren’t self-publishing, it helps you match the publisher’s preferences. This directly affects the editing charges, total page count, and, obviously, the cost of publishing.
Factors That Influence the Choice of Font Sizes
Fonts are generally divided into two; Serif and San Serif.
Serif fonts have an extra stroke or curve at the end and might be difficult to read, especially if the texts are small-sized. ‘Sans’ literally means ‘without’, so Sans Serif fonts do not have the little curves and are considered ideal for books.
As mentioned earlier, 10-12 point San Serif fonts are the ideal sizes for a book’s body. However, you aren’t limited to them, especially if you are self-publishing. You can settle on any other size.
But first, you must look into these factors before making any decision:
The Target Audience
Your target audience affects the font size you will use in your book. Who will read the book? Are they adults who barely have time to read or young teenagers who are obsessed with romance novels? Are they kids?
You must choose a font size that your target audience will find easy to read. For instance, kids prefer reading books with much larger font sizes since they are more striking and digestible to them.
Genre
Your writing genre is another critical factor to consider when choosing font sizes. While this may go hand-in-hand with the target audience, choosing an ideal font size for your writing genre affects readers’ perception significantly enough to warrant special attention.
For instance, it’s an unwritten rule that scholarly books should be printed with small-size fonts. Perhaps it’s because this kind of text requires the reader’s complete concentration.
Whatever the reason, authors typically use smaller-size fonts to express seriousness, intelligence, and authenticity, and it works like a charm. That’s why a smaller font size is standard in modern literary fiction and classic books.
On the contrary, non-fiction books tend to use larger fonts. Readers of this genre find large-size fonts easily readable and more appealing.
Trim Size
Trim size is the measure of the Length and Width of your book. You should determine the size of the book you want to publish before starting to write.
Beforehand knowledge will help you select the type of font to use and the potential page count of the book. Of course, smaller trim sizes will demand smaller sizes and more pages, and vice versa.
Word Count
Publishers are typically economical with a book’s number of pages, so consider asking yourself these questions before approaching a publishing firm:
- How long is your story?
- How do they charge for their services?
If your story or message is too long, the words will be more and will eat up more pages. To reduce the costs of publishing, you may consider using smaller-size fonts, consequently reducing the number of pages.
Readability
When formatting your book, you must recognize that your potential readers will have different eyesight abilities 一 not everyone is hawk-eyed. Consider choosing a font size that your readers can follow from line to line.
The best way to solve the font size problem is to ensure that you (as the author) don’t strain when you read through a few lines of the book.
The Bottom Line
You must give enough thought to every element of your book writing process, including formatting. There are many ways to format your book. But as I’ve explained in this post, most of it comes down to the font size.
As much as it may sound overwhelming, selecting a font size is an essential practice that you can learn easily. I’d say trust your gut more, especially if you’re an experienced writer. If a 12-point font size doesn’t look appealing despite being the “norm” in your writing domain, experiment with other sizes and see what suits you.
Margins and gutter
Is your content outside the margins? Does it extend into the gutter?
If your pages have a background color or graphic and Print Previewer is showing a margin error, first try changing the Bleed Settings option to “Bleed” and also review the trim and bleed section.
Open your original file. Reposition content that is outside the margins or continue to Step 2 to reset your margins.
- In the "Page Setup" section of the Layout tab, click Margins.
- Select Custom Margins. This will open a dialog box.
- In the "Pages" section, select Mirror margins from the "Multiple pages" drop-down menu.
- In the "Preview" section, select the Whole document from the "Apply to" drop-down menu.
- Enter your top, bottom, inside, and outside margins based on your book's page count* and whether it contains bleed (see margin requirements) and click OK.
- Upload your revised file to KDP.
Trim size and bleed
Chose the wrong trim or page size? Do your images that bleed not extend far enough beyond the trim line?
To update your page size:
- Open the original Word file.
- In the "Page Setup" section of the Layout tab, click Size.
- Select More Paper Sizes. This will open a dialog box.
- Set your page width and height according to your book's trim size. If your book has bleed, add 0.125" (3.2 mm) to the width and 0.25" (6.4 mm) to the height. For example, if your trim size is 6" x 9" (15.24 x 22.86 cm), set the page size to 6.125" wide x 9.25" high (15.54 x 23.46 cm). For help calculating your book dimensions, try our calculator.
- Enter your book's trim size, including bleed if necessary, into the "Width" and "Height" fields.
- Click OK.
Note: After you change the page size, the text will shift and the page count will change. Make sure the margins you entered are correct based on the new page count. See the Margins and Gutter section for steps on how to update your margins. Once you’ve selected the correct page size and margins for your page count, you should go through your file and ensure that any images intended to reach all the way to the edge of your page extend 0.125” (3.2 mm) beyond the trim line. For more information on bleed, see our Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins Help page.
Once you've updated your page size, checked your margins, and checked your bleed images, save your revised file as a PDF and re-upload your file.
Image resolution
For the best results, including high-resolution images. We recommend images have at least 300 dots per inch (DPI). Here are our top tips for adding high-resolution images to your book:
Insert images at their original size. Insert images into your file; don't cut and paste. After you insert your images, don't enlarge them because this will decrease the resolution. To insert an image:
- Go to the Insert tab.
- In the Illustrations section, click Pictures.
- Choose the file from your computer and click Insert.
- Check your device settings. Most cameras and scanners offer high-resolution settings. Make sure they're set too high resolution before using them.
- Turn off image compression. To reduce file size, Word is set to compress images. To change the setting:
- Go to the File tab and click Options.
- Under "Advanced," find the "Image Size and Quality" section.
- Check the Do not compress images in file box.
- Check the image resolution. If you don't know if your images are high resolution, check the image details and calculate the DPI:
- Right-click on the image file and select Properties.
- In the window that opens, click the Details tab.
- Look for the number of pixels under the "Image" header.
- Divide the number of pixels by the image size. For example, the pixel count of your image is 1200 x 1800, and the image is 4" x 6". That means your image has 300 DPI.
For details on adding images to books with bleed and without bleed, visit Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins.
Fonts
All fonts should be fully embedded in all interior and cover files submitted for publishing. If fonts are fully embedded within your original file, but Previewer shows unembedded font errors after upload, it’s possible that the specific fonts do not allow for commercial usage. If so, it prevents embedding and printing.
For the best results, save your completed manuscript file as a PDF with the fonts embedded before submitting it for publication.
- Go to the File tab and select Options.
- Under the "Save" tab, check the Embed fonts in the file box.
- Make sure the Embed only the characters used in the document and Do not embed common system fonts boxes are unchecked.
- Click OK. Embedding fonts gives our printing presses information about how to properly render the fonts used in your file so that your book prints as intended.
- Go back to the File tab and select Save as.
- Choose a location on your computer.
- In the "Save as type" dropdown menu, select PDF, and click Save.
- Resubmit your file.
Example: Book Blurb
An
in-depth look at the history of the company, including how it started, the difficulties
it overcame along the way, and the achievements it has made, will be included
in the book. In addition to this, the book will investigate the numerous
branches of the Noneillah brand and the distinctive ways in which each one
contributes to the entertainment and fashion industries. It will also
showcase the impact that these trailblazers have had on society and culture,
inspiring others to push boundaries and challenge norms. Through interviews,
photographs, and personal anecdotes, readers will gain a deeper understanding
of the creative process and the individuals who are shaping our world. His
legacy lives on through the brand's commitment to innovation and creativity.
Aspiring artists can draw inspiration from Cos's vision and dedication to his
craft and use it to fuel their artistic pursuits.
This
book will serve as a memorial to Cos, aka Sean "Cos" Mason, the young
man who established the Noneillah brand. The inventiveness and forward thinking
of Cos have been essential to the accomplishments of the Noneillah brand.
The story about the brand will make you delve into the challenges and
obstacles that Noneillah faced along the way and how he overcame them to
achieve success. It is a must-read for anyone interested in entrepreneurship,
music, and creative expression. Along with how Sean's mother is trying his
legacy alive through his brand and continuing its current mission. While
fighting to stay above through grieving her only child's purposely demise by NJ
Transit and Coach USA bus driver and the scandals mishandled of the founder/ music artist's death.
The
memoir also aims to inspire readers to pursue their passions and overcome
obstacles in their entrepreneurial journeys. Through the lens of Noneillah's
story, readers can learn valuable lessons about perseverance, innovation, and
the power of branding. Readers can expect to gain practical advice and
inspiration from this comprehensive guide.
How to create a clickable Table of Contents?
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