What kinds of pages and information are typically included in a book?

There are several basics all books should have, plus optional pages you may want to include.

• Every book should have a title page which lists the title of your book, subtitle (if applicable) and author name/pen name.
• Every book must have a copyright page.
• The first optional page is a dedication page, something many authors choose to include in their books. The dedication page is usually a simple sentence on an otherwise blank page that may say something like, “To my parents who always believed in me.” To be clear, the dedication page is different from the acknowledgements page, another page that usually thanks a longer list of people who helped make your book happen. You should decide if you want to include one, both or none of these pages.
• The second optional page is a table of contents. A table of contents lists the chapter names and/or page numbers on which the chapter can be found. This page is more often found in non-fiction books than fiction books. Be careful if you do include a table of contents in a fiction book that you do not give away the plotline of the book with the chapter names.
• The final optional page is an “about the author” page. This page is most typically included after the main body of the text in your manuscript on one of the last pages of the book. This is where you can include a photograph of yourself if you so choose.