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Prepare, Publish, Promote
Prepare Your Book
Format Your Manuscript
Paperback Submission Overview
Paperback Interior Design
Paperback Interior Design
This page details paperback interior design elements. Many of the elements described below are optional. If you're unsure which to include, find books with content similar to yours to get an idea of what readers expect.
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Front matter
Front matter includes all content that appears prior to chapter one or the main body text. Front matter elements usually appear in this order:
Body matter
Body matter includes all content between the front and back matter. Body matter typically contains all part pages and chapters. Learn more about these common body matter elements:
Chapter title page
- Chapter one starts on a right-facing page
- All subsequent chapters start on the next available page
- Doesn't contain page headers
- Page number formatting follow the selected design styles
- Capitalization and casing of the title, subtitle, and chapter numbers follow the selected design styles, not how it appears in the manuscript
- Starting paragraph doesn't have a first-line indent

Headers
Left-page headers always show the author name; right-page headers always show the book title.

Body text
- Fully justified to create a smoother reading experience
- Sequential paragraphs are always be indented with no spaces between paragraphs
- Spacing between paragraphs/sections should be uniform
Page numbers
These appear as Arabic numerals (for example, 1, 2, 3).
Back matter
Back matter includes all content that appears after the last chapter or end of the body matter. Back matter sections typically include references and the author bio. The first section of back matter starts on a right-facing page. Learn more about these common back matter elements:
Bibliography and reference pages
These fall on a right-facing page.

Author bio page
This falls on a right-facing page.

Index
- Always falls on a right-facing page
- Only contains page numbers or page headers if it extends beyond one page, and this is to create consistent page numbering throughout the entire back matter section
- Flush-and-hang style
- In printed works, all indexes are set in flush-and-hang (or hanging) indentation style
- The first line of each entry—the main heading—is set flush left, and any following lines are indented
