The Main Elements of a Book

The following are all the elements of a nonfiction book in the order they traditionally appear in a published book. Not every book will include every element, of course, but some books will include them all. Fiction titles my have a prologue in place of the introduction and an epilogue in place of the conclusion, but several of the other elements are also common in fiction.

Endorsement page(s) (“Praise for . . .”)	Quotes provided by well-known experts/celebrities who have read the manuscript or galleys (page proofs).
Half title page	Title of book (subtitle is not included).
Card page	Lists other works by the author; this section is often set on the back of the half title.
Title page	Title and subtitle with author’s name and publisher’s name and city and state.
Copyright page	Disclaimer, if any, copyright date and copyright holder, Library of Congress CIP data, publisher info, and various other elements.
Dedication	Dedications are traditionally just a few words or sentences.
Epigraph	A relevant quote that serves to introduce the subject matter of the book.
Contents	Includes titles and subtitles of all chapters or sections. First-level subheads in chapters are included only in rare cases with editor’s approval.
Foreword	This section is generally written by a well-known expert in the subject area, other than the author.
Acknowledgments	This section is generally a few paragraphs in length, in which the author thanks those who contributed to the book or supported him or her during the writing, and so on. (Acknowledgments can also be placed at the end of the book before the About the Author section.)
Preface	This section is generally written by the author and explains why he or she has undertaken the project and what qualifies him or her to write on the topic.
Introduction	This section usually introduces the topic or main concepts and discusses what the reader will find in the book and how reading the book will benefit the reader.
Parts/Chapters	Not all chapters need to be separated into parts. However, when a book has many chapters or when chapters are grouped by specific topics, it’s best to divide them into parts. Parts should have a part title, just as a chapter has a chapter title.
Conclusion	This last section of the main body of the book generally serves to give the reader closure and to counterbalance the introduction. It sums up in a page or so what the author hoped the reader learned from the book.
Glossary	A glossary is not always necessary. In books that are very technical or contain many terms that are likely unfamiliar to the reader, a glossary can be very useful.
Appendix or Appendices	Ancillary material is included in an appendix when necessary. This material is usually of a more technical nature or contains a list of resources. Appendices are generally labeled A, B, C, etc.
Notes	If endnotes were used, full citations are included in this section.
Bibliography or References	This section contains a complete listing of sources used in researching and writing the book. They generally appear in alphabetical order by the authors’ last names.
Contributors	This section contains the contributors’ biographical data, if any.
Permissions	This section contains a list of permissions. Permissions may begin on the copyright page and carry over to the back matter if necessary.
Index	An index is prepared once the page proofs have been finalized. Not all books require an index.
About the Author	Although the author’s bio generally appears on the back cover of a paperback or the inside flap of a hardcover book, a longer bio can be included inside the book (with or without the author’s photo).