You've finished the manuscript. That's the hard part, or so you thought. Now you're staring at terms like "half-title" and "verso" wondering if you've missed something critical, and whether your book will look like it came from a proper publishing house or from someone's spare bedroom.
Here's the truth: most guides to the parts of a book either bury you in academic detail or skate over the bits that actually matter once you're ready to publish in the UK, in print and as an ebook. They don't tell you what's mandatory, what's a nice-to-have, and what you can quietly drop.
This guide sorts that out. You'll get a clear breakdown of every section, from the half-title page to the "Also By" page, genre-specific checklists, and a proper look at where print and ebook requirements part ways. By the end, you'll know exactly which parts of a book you need for your project, and which ones are just taking up space.
The Three Core Sections of Any Book
Whatever you're writing, from a 400-page novel to a slim non-fiction booklet, the content of a book breaks down into three blocks.
Front matter is everything before the story or argument starts. It sets the legal and navigational groundwork and gives the reader their first impression.
Body is the main event. Your chapters, your argument, your story.
Back matter is what most people mean when they ask what the back of a book is called: the supporting material after the main text ends. Author bio, further reading, and space to sell your next title.
Most first-time authors overload the front matter and neglect the back. Flip that instinct. Keep the front lean, and use the back matter to do some selling.
This same three-part structure holds whether you're publishing a novel, a memoir, a business guide, or something shorter. The parts of a textbook lean much harder into the front and back matter, table of contents, glossary, index, because readers dip in and out rather than reading start to finish. A slim booklet strips most of it away and keeps only what's genuinely load-bearing: title page, copyright page, and the content itself. The framework doesn't change; what you choose to include from it does.
Front Matter: Every Element Explained
This is where most confusion about parts of a book starts, so let's go through each page in order.
Half-Title Page
A single page with just the main title, no subtitle, no author name. It's the very first printed page in a paperback or hardback.
Do you need it? For print, it's optional and adds a touch of polish. For ebooks, skip it. It wastes a screen and adds nothing to navigation.
Title Page
The full title, subtitle, author name, and often the publisher name. This is the official identity page of your book, and it's genuinely non-negotiable, for print and ebook alike.
Make sure it matches the metadata you submit to your printer or retailer. A mismatch between the title page and your listing details causes more rejections than authors expect.
Expert tip: keep the title page itself simple. This isn't the place for cover art, taglines, or review quotes, that's what the cover and the back-cover copy are for. The title page's only job is clean identification.
Copyright Page
Sits on the verso (the left-hand page) directly behind the title page. This one page in a book carries real legal weight: the copyright notice, edition information, ISBN, and any disclaimers.
At minimum, include:
The copyright symbol, year, and author or publisher name
An "all rights reserved" statement
Your ISBN, which UK authors buy directly through Nielsen, the country's official ISBN agency, rather than relying on a platform-assigned one
Edition information, such as "First Edition"
A disclaimer, especially for non-fiction
Credits for your cover designer or editor, which is a nice professional touch
Getting the copyright page wrong, wrong placement, missing ISBN, no edition statement, is one of the fastest ways to look like you didn't do your homework. Our copyright page examples guide walks through a properly laid-out page if you want to see one before you commit to your own.
Your publisher name on this page also matters more than most authors realise. If you're publishing under your own name rather than a company, it's worth understanding what a publishing imprint actually is and whether setting one up is worth the small amount of extra admin.
Dedication
A short, personal line honouring someone. Entirely optional, and best kept brief. "For Mum, who never stopped asking when the book would be finished" does the job in one sentence.
Epigraph
A relevant quotation setting the tone before the story or argument begins. Optional, and use it sparingly. One well-chosen quote beats three mediocre ones stacked at the front.
Table of Contents
Whether you need a table of contents depends heavily on genre and format:
Fiction (print): usually skip it, unless you've got named parts or chapters that add something.
Fiction (ebook): retailers expect one for navigation, even if it's a simple auto-generated list.
Non-fiction (both): essential. Readers want to jump straight to the section they need.
In ebooks, your table of contents must be clickable and match your actual heading structure. This matters for navigation and for accessibility, and it's one of the more common things authors get wrong when self-formatting from Word rather than dedicated layout software. Our guide to formatting a manuscript covers heading styles in more detail if you want to tackle this yourself first.
Foreword, Preface and Introduction
These three get muddled constantly, so here's the difference:
Foreword is written by someone else, usually an expert or notable name, endorsing the book.
Preface is written by you, explaining why you wrote the book.
Introduction is written by you, setting up what the book actually covers.
A foreword is optional and only worth including if the endorsement is genuinely meaningful. A preface suits memoir and how-to titles with a compelling backstory. An introduction is highly recommended for non-fiction, where it doubles as your pitch for why the book matters, and rare in fiction, where a prologue tends to do the equivalent job instead.
Order matters here too. Where all three appear, the sequence is foreword, then preface, then introduction, each starting on a fresh right-hand page and still paginated in Roman numerals, since the body proper, and its Arabic numbering, hasn't started yet.
Acknowledgements
Optional but common. If yours run long, consider moving them to the back matter instead, particularly for ebooks. Amazon's "Look Inside" feature only shows the first 10% of your book, and you want that sample stacked with content, not a list of names.
Front Matter Quick-Reference Table
Element | Fiction (Print) | Fiction (Ebook) | Non-fiction (Print) | Non-fiction (Ebook) |
Half-Title Page | Optional | Skip | Optional | Skip |
Title Page | Required | Required | Required | Required |
Copyright Page | Required | Required | Required | Required |
Dedication | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
Epigraph | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
Table of Contents | Usually skip | Required | Required | Required |
Foreword | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
Preface | Rare | Rare | Optional | Optional |
Introduction | Rare | Rare | Recommended | Recommended |
Acknowledgements | Optional | Optional (move to back) | Optional | Optional (move to back) |
The Body: Chapters and Heading Structure
The body is the reason anyone bought the book, but structure still matters here, especially once you're formatting for more than one platform.
Every chapter should open consistently: a new page in print, a clear heading in ebook. In print, chapters traditionally start on a right-hand page, though budget-conscious authors can start on the next available page instead to save on print costs.
For ebooks, avoid forcing page breaks in reflowable text. Use heading styles instead, so navigation and your table of contents generate correctly.
How you divide the body also depends on genre conventions readers half-expect without realising it. A crime novel and a literary memoir handle chapter length very differently, and if you're unsure where yours should land, our novel length guide breaks down typical word counts by genre, which affects how many chapters you'll realistically need and how the body sits against the rest of the book.
Heading Hierarchy and Accessibility
A logical structure, H1 for the book title, H2 for chapter titles, H3 for sub-sections, isn't just tidy formatting. It's how screen readers let visually impaired readers navigate your book, and it's a requirement most authors overlook entirely.
Never skip a level. Don't jump from an H2 straight to an H4. If you're formatting in Word, run the built-in accessibility checker before you export to EPUB.
Print vs Ebook Body Formatting
Aspect | Ebook (Reflowable) | |
Page numbering | Arabic numerals from the first body page | No fixed numbers; location or percentage instead |
Chapter starts | Often on a right-hand page, fixed layout | Continuous flow, marked by heading style |
Images | High resolution, fixed placement | Responsive sizing, with alt text |
Footnotes | Bottom of page or chapter end | Converted to linked endnotes |
Headings | Visual styling only | Semantic heading tags, needed for navigation |
Back Matter: The Supporting and Marketing Pages
Back matter is where a lot of self-published authors leave value on the table. Here's what actually belongs after your final chapter.
Afterword
A closing reflection from the author, more common in non-fiction or special editions. Entirely optional.
Appendix
Supplementary material, data, templates, surveys, that would derail the main text if included inline. Worth including only if you genuinely have substantial supporting content.
Glossary
An alphabetical list of terms used in the book. Essential for technical or niche non-fiction, rarely needed in fiction unless you've built a genuinely complex world with its own vocabulary.
Bibliography
A list of sources cited or consulted. Mandatory for academic or research-heavy non-fiction, and a strong trust signal even where it isn't strictly required.
Index
An alphabetical list of topics and names with page references. For reference-heavy non-fiction, a well-built index can genuinely help sell the book. It's a specialist skill, and for anything reference-heavy, it's worth hiring a professional indexer rather than attempting it yourself in Word. In reflowable ebooks, a traditional page-number index doesn't function properly, so it's usually dropped or converted into a simple list of searchable terms instead.
Author Bio
Always include one. Third person, under 150 words, with a call to action such as pointing readers to your website or newsletter. Update it with every new release.
It's also worth making sure this bio, and your author name generally, is consistent with your Amazon Author Central profile, since that's often the first place a curious reader lands after finishing your book.
"Also By" Page
If you've published more than one book, this is your single most direct piece of in-book marketing. In ebooks, make each title a clickable link. In print, include the full title and ISBN so readers can find it themselves.
A short blurb for each title, rather than just a list of names, turns this page into a proper mini-catalogue that actually sells.
Genre-Specific Checklists
The parts of a book you need shift depending on whether you're writing fiction or non-fiction. Use these as a starting point.
Fiction Checklist
Element | Status |
Title Page | Required |
Copyright Page | Required |
Dedication | Optional |
Epigraph | Optional |
Table of Contents | Skip in print, minimal auto-TOC for ebook |
Foreword / Preface | Rare |
Introduction | Rare, use a prologue instead |
Acknowledgements | Optional, consider the back for ebooks |
Afterword | Optional |
Glossary | Only for complex world-building |
Index | Skip |
Author Bio | Required |
"Also By" Page | Required if you have other titles |
Non-fiction Checklist
Element | Status |
Title Page | Required |
Copyright Page | Required |
Table of Contents | Required |
Foreword | Optional, only with a genuine endorser |
Preface | Optional |
Introduction | Required |
Appendix | If you have supporting material |
Glossary | If you use specialised terms |
Bibliography | If research-based |
Index | Strongly recommended if reference-heavy |
Author Bio | Required |
"Also By" Page | Required if you have other titles |
Print vs Ebook: Where the Rules Genuinely Differ
Most authors underestimate how much the format changes what's required. A page in a book behaves completely differently depending on whether that "page" is a fixed sheet of paper or a reflowable block of text that resizes on a phone screen. If you're weighing up KDP against a wider distribution route, it's worth reading up on the benefits and drawbacks of Amazon KDP before you commit your file to one platform's specific quirks.
Book Part | Ebook | |
Half-Title | Optional | Skip |
Copyright Page | Required, with page number | Required, no page number |
Table of Contents | Page numbers | Hyperlinked, no page numbers |
Page Numbering | Roman for front matter, Arabic for body | No numbers, location-based |
Images | High-res, CMYK | RGB, with alt text |
Index | Page numbers | Rarely functional; usually skipped |
If you're producing both formats from a single manuscript, it's worth having someone check the file twice rather than assuming one layout will translate cleanly to the other. Details like image resolution and page numbering that work in a paperback can quietly break an ebook file, and vice versa.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Missing or misplaced copyright page. Always verso, always directly behind the title page, always with a correct ISBN.
Non-clickable table of contents in ebooks. Use proper heading styles rather than manually typed page references, then export through a tool that preserves the links.
Incorrect page numbering. Roman numerals for front matter, Arabic starting from page one of the body, in print. No numbers at all in reflowable ebooks.
Overstuffed front matter. A half-title, two epigraphs, a foreword, a preface and an introduction, all before the reader reaches chapter one, is a lot to ask. Be ruthless. If a page doesn't serve the reader or a legal requirement, cut it or move it to the back.
Ignoring ebook accessibility. No alt text, skipped heading levels, fixed layouts that break on smaller screens. Run your EPUB through an accessibility checker before it goes live.
Typos in front and back matter. Authors proofread the manuscript carefully, then skip the title page and author bio entirely. A typo on your copyright page undoes a lot of the professionalism you've built elsewhere. If you're doing this pass yourself, our guide on what proofreading actually involves is worth reading before you assume a spellchecker has you covered, front and back matter are exactly the pages spellcheckers tend to skim past.
Choosing print specs without checking them first. Paperback trim size, paper weight, and cover finish all affect how your back matter and page count actually land on the shelf. Our guide to paperback sizes and dimensions is worth a look before you finalise a print-ready file, and if you're weighing up a hardback edition instead, our piece on hardback printing in the UK covers what that changes.
What Do You Actually Need? A Quick Decision Guide
Rather than including everything "just in case," work through this:
Fiction, ebook only, first book: title page, copyright page, body, author bio. That's genuinely enough.
Fiction, print and ebook, with a backlist: add a table of contents for the ebook and an "Also By" page.
Non-fiction, print and ebook, multiple titles: title page, copyright page, table of contents, introduction, body, appendix if relevant, glossary if relevant, index if reference-heavy, author bio, "Also By" page.
If you're still unsure which category your project falls into, particularly for something like a textbook or a short booklet where the usual fiction and non-fiction rules don't map neatly, it's worth getting a second opinion before you finalise your file.
This decision also connects to a bigger choice a lot of authors put off for too long: how you're actually getting the book to readers. The parts of a book you need for a self-published KDP file can differ from what a traditional imprint expects, so it's worth reading up on choosing your publishing path before you finalise your interior layout, rather than after.
Final Pre-Publication Checklist
Run through this before you upload anything:
Title page matches your metadata exactly
Copyright page on the verso, correct ISBN, year and disclaimer
Front matter in the right order
Roman numerals for front matter, Arabic for the body, in print
Ebook table of contents is clickable and matches your heading structure
All images carry alt text in the ebook file
Heading hierarchy is logical with no skipped levels
Back matter includes an author bio and, if relevant, an "Also By" page
No typos anywhere in front or back matter
Ebook tested on at least two devices before publishing
How UK Publishing House Can Help
Getting every one of these parts of a book right, in the correct order, formatted properly for both print and digital, is a lot to manage alongside actually writing the thing. This is exactly the gap UK Publishing House exists to close.
If you'd rather not build your file from scratch, our formatting service handles the technical side, headings, table of contents, page numbering, so it's correct for KDP, IngramSpark or your printer of choice. Our book design team can lay out your title page and copyright page so they look like they came from a traditional imprint. If your manuscript needs a professional read-through before any of this happens, our professional editing team catches the errors a self-edit misses.
Haven't started writing yet, or stuck partway through? Our ghost writing service covers non-fiction and memoir projects end to end, and our fiction ghostwriting team does the same for novels. Once the manuscript and interior are sorted, publishing support gets your book onto shelves and platforms correctly, and book printing handles the physical side for authors who want print copies in hand.
On the marketing side, an author website gives readers somewhere to land beyond your "Also By" page, our marketing team can help your launch reach further than your own network, and a book video trailer is an increasingly common way to bring your cover and premise to life for social media.
Conclusion
Every one of the parts of a book, from the half-title to the "Also By" page, exists for a reason. Some are legal necessities. Some are pure marketing. Plenty are entirely optional, and knowing which is which is what separates a book that reads as self-published from one that reads as professionally produced.
Start with the genre checklist that matches your project. Strip out anything that isn't earning its place. Then check your print and ebook files against the differences above before you hit publish.
Get these details right, and readers notice, even if they couldn't tell you exactly why. If this is your first time taking a manuscript all the way through to a finished, published book, our step-by-step guide on how to publish a book is a good next stop once your interior layout is settled.
