A Style Guide for Your Book Interior: Part 2
In our previous post in this two-part series, we discussed what’s needed in your book’s front matter. For part two of “A Style Guide for Your Book Interior,” we’ll show you how to style and organize your manuscript and back matter of your book, so that you can finally format everything into a publish-ready book!
The Manuscript:
You’ve written your manuscript and had it edited and proofed. What more does it need? The interior layout of non-content text matters in your manuscript’s readability and organization.
Chapter Pages:
Traditionally, chapter pages begin on a new, right-hand page—we are seeing more and more books with chapters starting on the left, so both have become acceptable. It really boils down to preference. Your chapter pages do not include a running header (see the next step for running headers), and if the page on its left is blank (i.e., no text from the previous chapter continued onto the left page), then the page should be blank—page numbers and running headers are not included.
Running Headers:
What are they and where are they? Running headers occupy the top margins (the header) of the page and are where your name and book title can be found throughout the book. But both are not found on the same page. Usually, your author name occupies the top margins of the left-hand pages in your book, and your book title in the top margins of the right-hand pages. There should always be a decent amount of space between headers and footers to not overcrowd the page and allow your text some breathing room for easier readability.
Back Matter:
The End. Your manuscript is finished. That should be it, right? Yes and no. The back matter of a book contains optional elements that tell the reader a bit more about the manuscript, who was involved in your researching, writing, editing, and publishing processes, and about you. Here’s what you might include in your back matter:
Epilogue/Afterword:
If you have an epilogue or an afterward, having it follow right after the ending of your manuscript helps with the continuity of your manuscript and its readability. Pagination for these pages is Roman numerals, following the same style as the introduction, foreword, or prologue, which we covered in the first post in this series.
Acknowledgments:
Your acknowledgments are an optional element and their placement in your book depends on whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction. If your book is fiction, your acknowledgements usually come before your “About the Author” page. For non-fiction books, acknowledgments are often found in the front matter. Here you’ll acknowledge anyone who helped you realize your book. This could be family members who supported you throughout the process, people you interviewed, your editors who helped polish up your manuscript, and any other notable people who contributed in some way.
About the Author:
Completing your book, the “About the Author” page follows the main text of your book, or, if you included an acknowledgments section, your acknowledgements on the right-hand page. This page is reserved for your author bio and contains no page numbers.
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