Writing
Book Anatomy 101
To turn the pages of the animated book below, click the top or bottom corners of the left or right page.
Books come in various shapes and sizes, but there’s one thing that binds them together: a well-planned physical structure and layout. If you’re not sure what elements you should include in your work, it helps to know the standard parts of a book and the order in which they typically appear.
Books are generally divided into three sections: the front matter, the body of the book, and the back matter. The second section is pretty self-explanatory—this is your book’s main text—but the rest may require some familiarization.
Flip through our guide above (or read the transcript here) for a detailed explanation and breakdown of the front and back matter of a book. Keep in mind though that not all elements are required; this will just help you make sure that your content is in the right section and appears in the proper sequence.
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