Tips for creating back matter for your book

Vicki373

What are some of the things that you think should be included in back matter? This can include things like acknowledgements, dedications, and epilogues. What do you think are the most important things to include in back matter?

I think that back matter is important because it allows the author to thank people who have helped them along the way, and it also allows them to provide additional information that may be relevant to the book.

brennan_thomas

Back matter (sometimes referred to as “appendices”) is usually included at the end of a book, and can include additional material such as:

Acknowledgments - this section is typically used to thank people, such as friends and family, who supported and assisted you during the writing process.
Author bio - if you’re self-publishing, it’s a good idea to include a brief author bio at the end of the book to give readers an idea of your background and what makes you qualified to write the book. Include any relevant accomplishments, awards, and other relevant experience.
Resources and recommended reading - you may want to suggest additional reading material related to ideas or topics you discussed in the body of your book. This could include books, blogs, or websites.
Contact information - if readers have any questions or feedback about your book, it’s useful to include a way for them to reach you. Provide an email address or a website URL.
Glossary - if your book contains a lot of technical terminology, you may want to include a glossary at the end of back matter to help readers understand the concepts.
Call to action - this could be in the form of a request for the reader to leave a review or sign up for a newsletter.
Index - if your book has a fairly large scope and covers lots of different topics, you may want to include an index so readers can more quickly locate specific sections.

The back matter should also include any copyright information and/or a disclaimer, and should include any acknowledgments related to the publishing process.

tinyfish1

The back matter of a book includes the extra information that rarely changes from edition to edition. It’s usually the final part of a book and has essential content. Here are a few points that should be included in your back matter:

-Table of Contents: This should include the main headings and subheadings of your book.

-Acknowledgements: A section in which you may thank organizations or people who have been instrumental in helping you complete your book.

-Bibliography / References: A list of the sources used when researching material for your book.

-Glossary: In this section you can include any terminology which is unfamiliar to the reader or any words which you have specifically defined for your book.

-Index: An index helps the reader find specific words and topics within the book, as it lists and alphabetizes the topics covered.

-Appendices: This allows you to include information that is outside the scope of your argument but supports your points.

-About the Author: The ‘About the Author’ section is where you can provide information about yourself including any biographical details and credentials.

-Contact page: This page should provide information to the readers on how to contact you for further questions or comments.

-Copyright notice: A statement to ensure that all intellectual property rights remain yours.

-Other books or services: You may include a section with information on any other books or services you may offer.

It is important to think carefully as to what type of additional content your book requires and ensure that any back matter included is relevant, complete and up-to-date. Additionally, readability should be kept in mind, as the back matter should still be easy to understand despite being part of the ‘end’ sections of the book.

I hope this answers your question!