Front Matter and Back Matter for Ebooks: What to Include

Many authors ask, "What exactly should go at the beginning and end of my ebook?"

The best answer: include what helps readers and supports your publishing goals. Skip what does not.

What Is Front Matter?

Front matter is everything before Chapter 1.

Common options:

• Title page
• Copyright page
• Dedication
• Epigraph
• Table of contents
• Foreword or preface (if relevant)

What Is Back Matter?

Back matter is everything after the final chapter.

Common options:

• Acknowledgments
• About the author
• Also by this author
• Newsletter signup CTA
• Website and social links
• Call to leave a review

Suggested Minimal Setup for Most Indie Authors

Front matter (minimal)

• Title page
• Copyright page
• Table of contents

Back matter (minimal)

• About the author
• Also by / next book CTA
• Newsletter or website link

This setup is clean, professional, and easy for readers to navigate.

Platform-Specific Note (Important)

If you publish on multiple stores, back matter links often need to be customized by platform. For example, Amazon can flag ebooks that link readers to competing stores.

That is why many authors use separate retailer-ready EPUB versions for Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, and Google Play.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Overloading front matter before Chapter 1
• Using outdated links in back matter
• Forgetting to update "also by" lists
• Including links that can trigger retailer issues
• Copy-pasting the same back matter to all platforms without checks

A Better Way to Decide

Ask these three questions:

• What does my reader need before Chapter 1?
• What action do I want after the last page?
• Will this section help or distract from the reading experience?

If you want flexibility, that is normal. I use a consistent approach in sample books, but each client project can be customized with no fixed template requirement.

For package details and turnaround, see pricing. For process questions, use the FAQ.