Book front matter is everything placed before the main text. It gives a reader the title and useful context, but a short personal book does not need every page found in a commercial novel or nonfiction book. Choose the pages that serve your reader, arrange them consistently, then make the contents, page numbers and final PDF agree.
Amazon KDP’s front-matter guide lists a usual order for its print interiors, including half-title, title, copyright, dedication, contents and introductory material. Treat that as one platform’s guidance—not a rule every printer or book must follow. For a private family history, portfolio, recipe book or memoir, a lean sequence is often easier to navigate.
A simple front-matter order for many one-off books
- Half-title (optional): the book title alone on a spare opening page.
- Title page: the final title, subtitle if any, and the author or creator name.
- Copyright / credits page: accurate rights and image credits, if relevant. Do not invent an ISBN, publisher or copyright statement you do not have.
- Dedication (optional): one short personal message.
- Contents (when useful): include it for a longer nonfiction book, cookbook, guide, portfolio or a book readers will refer back to. A short story collection may benefit; a very short narrative may not.
- Foreword (optional): a note by someone other than the author, usually explaining the author, context or significance.
- Preface (optional): the author’s note about why or how the book was made. Move instructions that readers need immediately into the introduction or first chapter instead.
- Introduction (optional): information the reader needs before the main chapters. Decide whether it is front matter or the first numbered body section, and format it consistently.
- Prologue (for narrative use): a story opening that belongs to the narrative. Some books treat it as part of the body instead of preliminaries; follow your chosen structure.
You do not need to include every item. A practical short book might be just a title page and a copyright/credits page before Chapter 1. A detailed handbook may need a contents page and introduction. Pick elements by purpose, not by how many pages a template provides.
Know what each page is for
| Page | Use it when | Quick check |
|---|---|---|
| Title page | Most bound books use one to identify the finished title and creator. | Does the title match the cover and the contents? |
| Copyright / credits | You need to state accurate ownership or acknowledge material. | Are names, permissions and details verified? Remove details that do not apply. |
| Dedication | A brief personal dedication adds context for this copy or edition. | Is the wording final and intentionally placed? |
| Contents | Readers need to locate chapters, recipes, sections or portfolio projects. | Do headings and page numbers match the final laid-out book? |
| Foreword / preface | A separate note materially helps the reader understand the work. | Is it clear who wrote it, and is it placed before the main text? |
| Introduction | The reader needs orientation before the main material. | Have you decided whether it belongs to the front matter or numbered body? |
Build the page map before final pagination
Write every page in order in a small table: page label, page content, visible folio (page number) yes/no, and any facing-page preference. Include blank pages that are deliberately part of the design. This page map helps you catch a dedication after the introduction, a contents entry for an old chapter title, or an omitted title page before you export.
For a front-matter contents page, generate or update it only after the chapter names are stable. Then compare every entry against the final PDF. Do not copy page numbers from an earlier draft: changing trim size, type size or spacing can move the entire book.
Set front-matter and chapter numbering in Word
Some print designs leave page numbers off preliminary pages; others use lowercase Roman numerals for front matter and restart Arabic numerals at Chapter 1. These are design conventions, not requirements for every private book. Ask the print provider for any file rules, then use one consistent system.
- Place the cursor immediately before the first body page.
- Choose Layout → Breaks → Next Page to create a section break between prelims and body.
- Open the body section header or footer and turn off Link to Previous.
- In the front-matter section, use Page Number → Format Page Numbers to select Roman numerals if that is the design you chose.
- In the body section, use Page Number → Format Page Numbers and set the style and starting number.
- Export a PDF and inspect the first visible number, Chapter 1, an ordinary middle page and the last page.
Microsoft’s Word instructions confirm that different formats in different sections use section breaks, and that headers and footers are linked separately. If the numbers copy across when you change a section, check for the section break and the Link to Previous setting in the correct header or footer.
Front-matter proof checklist
- The title-page title, subtitle and name match the cover exactly.
- The rights/credits page contains only accurate details; no placeholder text remains.
- Every optional page has a clear reader purpose.
- The contents list matches final heading wording and page numbers.
- Foreword author, preface, introduction and prologue are labeled correctly.
- Preliminary and body page-number styles are deliberate and consistent.
- Intentional blank pages remain in their intended positions in the exported PDF.
- The first chapter begins on the planned page and the full PDF has been checked in reading order.
If your front matter and main text are ready, send the complete interior through YourBookBound’s free file-check page. The standard $99 USD package includes one hardcover, manual file checking, layout and cover support, digital proof revisions and standard tracked global delivery. Include your final page map or any numbering preference with the files so it can be checked against the intended book.