Name Voice Purpose Half title Publisher Usually a single line in capital letters, precedes the title page, and only contains the title (as opposed to the author, publisher etc. found on the full title page) with a blank verso. Frontispiece Author or publisher A decorative illustration on the verso facing the title page. It may be related to the book 's subject, or be a portrait of the author. Title page Publisher Repeats the title and author as printed on the cover or spine. Colophon Printer Technical information such as edition dates, copyrights, typefaces and the name and address of the printer. In modern books usually on the verso of the title page, but in some books placed at the end (see Back matter). Also known as the Edition notice or Copyright page. Dedication Author A dedication page is a page in a book that precedes the text, in which the author names the person or people for whom he / she has written the book. Epigraph Author A phrase, quotation, or poem. The epigraph may serve as a preface, as a summary, as a counter-example, or to link the work to a wider literary canon, either to invite comparison, or to enlist a conventional context. Table of contents Publisher This is a list of chapter headings, and nested subheadings, together with their respective page numbers. This includes all front - matter items listed below, together with chapters in the body matter and back matter. The number of levels of subheadings shown should be limited, so as to keep the contents list short, ideally one page, or possibly a double - page spread. Technical books may include a list of figures and a list of tables. Foreword Some person other than the author Often, a foreword will tell of some interaction between the writer of the foreword and the story or the writer of the story. A foreword to later editions of a work often explains in what respects that edition differs from previous ones. Preface Author A preface generally covers the story of how the book came into being, or how the idea for the book was developed. This is often followed by thanks and acknowledgments to people who were helpful to the author during the time of writing. Acknowledgments Author Often part of the preface, rather than a separate section in its own right, it acknowledges those who contributed to the creation of the book. Introduction Author A beginning section which states the purpose and goals of the following writing. Prologue Narrator (or a character in the book) A prologue is an opening to a story that establishes the setting and gives background details, often some earlier story that ties into the main one, and other miscellaneous information. As such, it is generally considered part of the body in modern book organization (cf. Chicago Manual of Style).
list of chapters in a book is called
Table of contents