{"id":359,"date":"2026-10-29T16:22:49","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T16:22:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebookwriting.co\/journal\/?p=359"},"modified":"2026-10-29T16:22:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T16:22:49","slug":"book-front-matter-order","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebookwriting.co\/journal\/book-front-matter-order\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Front Matter Order: What Pages Come First in a Book?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The standard book front matter order is: half title page, title page, copyright page, dedication, epigraph, table of contents, foreword, preface, acknowledgments, and introduction. This sequence follows <\/span>The Chicago Manual of Style<\/span><\/i>, the guide most US publishers use. Only the title page and copyright page are required; every other page is optional.<\/span><\/p>\n

Front matter is everything that appears before Chapter One. Get the order wrong and your book looks self-made in the worst way, to readers, reviewers, and bookstore buyers alike. Below, we break down each page in sequence, which ones you can skip, and how the rules change for Kindle eBooks.<\/span><\/p>\n

New to front matter? Start with our <\/span>complete guide to book front matter<\/span><\/a>, then come back here for the exact page order.<\/span><\/p>\n

Book Front Matter Order<\/b><\/h2>\n

Here is the book front matter order, page by page, as most US trade books print it:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Praise page (optional)<\/b> \u2014 Endorsements and review quotes. Common in commercial nonfiction; it sits before everything else.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Half title page<\/b> \u2014 The book’s title only, no subtitle or author name. This is page i.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Also By page (optional)<\/b> \u2014 A list of the author’s other books, printed on the back of the half title.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Title page<\/b> \u2014 Full title, subtitle, author name, and publisher or imprint. Learn how to pair these in <\/span>book title vs subtitle<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Copyright page<\/b> \u2014 The \u00a9 notice, year, rights statement, ISBN, edition, and credits. It always prints on the back of the title page.<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Dedication (optional)<\/b> \u2014 A short line honoring someone. See <\/span>book dedication examples<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Epigraph (optional)<\/b> \u2014 A brief quote that sets the book’s tone. Public-domain quotes avoid permission issues.<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Table of contents<\/b> \u2014 Chapter titles and page numbers. Essential for nonfiction and every eBook.<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. List of illustrations or tables (optional)<\/b> \u2014 Used in academic, technical, and heavily illustrated books.<\/span><\/li>\n
  10. Foreword (optional)<\/b> \u2014 Written by someone other than the author, signed with their name.<\/span><\/li>\n
  11. Preface (optional)<\/b> \u2014 The author explains why and how the book was written.<\/span><\/li>\n
  12. Acknowledgments (optional)<\/b> \u2014 Thanks to people who helped. Many authors move this to the back matter.<\/span><\/li>\n
  13. Introduction (optional)<\/b> \u2014 Sets up the main content. It can close the front matter or open the main text as page 1.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Not sure how the foreword, preface, and introduction differ? Our guide to <\/span>preface vs foreword vs introduction<\/span><\/a> explains who writes each one and what goes inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Which Front Matter Pages Are Required?<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Only two front matter pages are truly required: the title page and the copyright page. A table of contents is close to required for nonfiction and all eBooks. Everything else depends on your genre and goals.<\/span><\/p>\n