Front matter and back matter are the pages that come before and after your story: the title page, the copyright page, the dedication, the contents, the author bio. Readers rarely think about them, but publishing platforms and bookstores do, and a book without them looks unfinished. They also have a conventional order that is easy to get wrong. This guide explains what each page is for, which you really need, the order they go in, how ebooks differ from print, and how to switch each one on in Quillen. For wording examples of the more personal pages, see our guide to the About the Author, Also by, dedication and epigraph pages.
The short answer
Almost every book needs a title page and a copyright page at the front. After that, add only what helps the reader: a dedication if you have someone to thank, a contents page for nonfiction or a long book, an epigraph if you have a quotation that genuinely sets the tone, and a map if the book needs one. At the back, an About the Author page is standard, and an "Also by" list is useful when you have other books. In Quillen, every one of these is a checkbox in the Print, eBook & Kindle export, with a live preview.
Front matter, in order
The conventional order, from the first page of the file to the first page of the story, is:
| Page | What it does | Needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Title page | Title, subtitle and author. The reader's first page | Yes |
| Copyright page | Who owns the book, rights notice, edition, ISBN, disclaimer | Yes |
| Other books (Also by) | Lists your other titles; sometimes placed at the back instead | Optional |
| Dedication | A short line to a person or group | Optional |
| Contents | Chapter list; clickable in an ebook | Nonfiction and long fiction, usually |
| Epigraph | A short quotation that sets the tone | Optional |
| Map | A map or illustration the reader needs before the story | Optional |
Not every book follows this order exactly, and some publishers place "Also by" before the title page. It is more important to be consistent and to keep the front matter short, so that readers reach the story fast. In an ebook, the sample that a store offers is the first part of the file, so a long front matter wastes your best marketing space.
Back matter
Back matter comes after the last chapter. The most useful pieces are:
- About the Author. A short bio that tells readers who you are. This is also the natural place for a link to your website or mailing list in an ebook.
- Other books. If you did not put your list at the front, put it here. A short list at the end catches a reader at the moment they have finished and want more.
- A map or illustration, for books where the reader will want to look back at it.
- Acknowledgments, an author's note or a sample chapter, where relevant.
Ebook versus print
The same pages work in both, with a few differences. In print, front matter pages are normally unnumbered, the story starts on a right-hand page, and each element begins on its own page. In an ebook, there are no fixed pages: each element simply follows the last, and the table of contents is clickable. Because stores offer a free sample of the start of the book, many ebook authors keep the front matter minimal and move "Also by" to the back.
What to leave out
Resist adding pages because other books have them. A foreword written by someone famous belongs only if you have one. A "Praise for" page works only once you have quotations worth showing. Pages with nothing real on them make the book feel padded. And for a manuscript submission to an agent, none of this applies: that format has only a title page and the story; see how to format a manuscript for agents.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Too much front matter | The reader (and the free sample) waits for the story | Keep it to the pages that matter |
| No copyright page | Looks unprofessional, and the rights notice is missing | Always include one |
| A contents page in a short novel | Takes space, adds little | Use it for nonfiction or long books |
| Inconsistent order across your books | Looks haphazard | Use the same order in each |
| No call to action in the back matter of an ebook | Misses the reader at peak interest | Add Also by and a link to your list |
| Including front matter in an agent submission | Breaks the format | Use the Agents export instead |
Do it in Quillen
Quillen's Print, eBook & Kindle export lists the front matter, the body and the back matter in a column on the left, with a checkbox beside each page. Anything unticked is left out of the export.
- Open the export. Click Export in the header, then Print, eBook & Kindle.
- Work down the Front matter list. It contains Title Page, Copyright, Other Books, Dedication, Contents, Epigraph and Map. Click a name to select it, and tick its checkbox to include it. Each page appears in the preview. A red "empty" tag beside a page means it is ticked but has no content yet.
- Fill in each page in the Page properties panel on the right. The Title Page is built from the title, subtitle and author in Edit Details, with an optional Publisher. The Copyright starts from a standard text you can edit. Other Books has a heading and one title per line. Epigraph has a quote and a source. Contents lists your chapters.
- Add back matter. At the bottom of the list, About the Author takes a short bio and Map (back of book) places a map at the end.
- Check the preview. Switch between E-reader, Phone, Book and Standard to see the pages as readers will.
- Choose Word, PDF or EPUB and click Export. Settings are saved with the book, so next time they are as you left them.
The Contents page lists your chapters. In an EPUB, each entry links to its chapter; in Word and PDF the entries have no page numbers.
Checklist
- Title page and copyright page included.
- Each optional page included because it helps a reader.
- Front matter in the conventional order, and short.
- About the Author and Also by at the back of an ebook.
- No page ticked but left empty.
- Checked in the E-reader and Book previews.
Common questions
What front matter does a book need?
Almost every book needs a title page and a copyright page. A dedication, epigraph, contents and map are optional, and each should be there because it helps the reader.
What goes in the back matter?
An About the Author page is standard. An 'Also by' list, acknowledgments, an author's note or a map are common additions.
Should 'Also by' go at the front or the back?
Either. Many ebook authors put it at the back to keep the free sample focused on the story. Whichever you choose, be consistent across your books.
How do I add these pages in Quillen?
In the Print, eBook & Kindle export, tick the page in the left list and fill in its panel on the right. The preview updates as you type, and settings are saved with the book.
Do I include front matter when submitting to an agent?
No. A manuscript submission has only a title page and the story. Use Quillen's Agents & publishers export.