Production
What belongs in the front and back matter of an ebook?
Build useful ebook front and back matter: orient readers, create reliable navigation, and give interested readers a clear next step.
Use front matter to help a reader begin the book, and back matter to help an interested reader continue with you. The useful version is short, specific, and tested in the final ebook file—not a pile of pages copied from a paperback.
Decide what each page needs to do
Start with the reader’s first two questions: “What is this book?” and “Where do I go next?” Front matter answers the first question before the main text. Back matter answers the second after the reader has finished. That distinction prevents an ebook from feeling like a sales brochure before chapter one, or like an abandoned file after the last page.
Make a one-line job for every non-chapter page before you format it. A title page identifies the work. A copyright page records rights and edition details. A linked contents page helps a reader move around. An author note can set expectations for a workbook or reference guide. At the end, an author bio, series list, or newsletter invitation can offer a next step. If a page has no reader job, leave it out.
Build the list separately for each edition. A print book may need items that depend on page numbers or physical layout. A reflowable ebook should prioritize readable text and navigation on different screen sizes. Keep one master document for the words, but maintain an edition checklist so a print-only detail does not accidentally travel into the ebook.
- Write a one-line reader job for every front- and back-matter page
- Keep edition-specific pages in separate checklists
- Remove decorative pages that do not identify, orient, or help the reader
Assemble the front matter in a reader-friendly order
For many ebooks, a simple order is enough: title page, copyright page, a short dedication or epigraph if it adds something, then a linked contents page. Put any note that genuinely needs to be read before the book—such as a content note or instructions for using a workbook—after the contents page and before chapter one. Do not make readers page through a long biography or a catalogue before they can start reading.
Use the exact title, subtitle, and author name that appear in your retailer metadata and cover. On the copyright page, include the copyright holder, year, edition or revision identifier, and a contact or rights address only if you want readers to use it. For quoted material, permissions, image credits, or a disclaimer, get appropriate professional advice for your situation rather than copying boilerplate from another book.
Treat the contents page as navigation, not decoration. Amazon says Kindle ebooks with chapters or sections need a working logical table of contents; it also strongly recommends an HTML contents page near the beginning. If you use a tool that generates a contents page from headings, regenerate it after every change to chapter names or order, then test the links in the exported ebook.
Make back matter earn its place
Back matter is the natural home for a reader who wants more. Choose one primary invitation: the next book in a series, a newsletter with a clearly described benefit, a companion download, or a review request in your own voice. Add a concise author bio and, if useful, a link to your website. Give the reader a reason to act now, not a long list of unrelated destinations.
A series page works best when it makes sequence obvious. List the title the reader has just finished, then the next title, and label any prequel, novella, or optional companion honestly. For nonfiction, a short “resources” page can point to updates, worksheets, or cited material, but only link to pages you intend to maintain.
Keep retailer-specific links under control. If one edition is distributed widely, linking only to one retailer can create a dead end for other readers. A neutral page on your own site can send readers to the currently available stores. If you do include a retailer link, open it from a real device after upload and make sure its label tells the reader what will happen.
- Choose one main next step rather than competing calls to action
- Make series order explicit
- Use durable links you are willing to maintain and test
Preserve the reader’s reading controls
An ebook reader can change type size, font, margins, and line spacing. Let the body text cooperate with those controls. Use consistent heading styles to mark real structural levels; do not imitate headings with a larger font or a row of symbols. That structure makes navigation and conversion more reliable, and it is easier to revise later.
Amazon’s formatting guidance advises against forcing the default body text into a particular font, size, alignment, or line height, because those choices can override a reader’s preferred settings. Save special styling for genuine headings or short display elements. A title page can look distinct; the main reading text should remain comfortable when the reader changes settings.
Avoid using page numbers in an ebook contents page. Locations and screen sizes vary, so a number copied from the paperback can mislead. Use linked chapter titles instead. If the book contains a few pages that must retain a fixed design, review them at more than one text-size setting and consider whether the content would be clearer as ordinary reflowable text.
Sources
Platform details were checked on 2026-10-27. Review the current terms before making a distribution decision.