Back Matter of a Book: What Goes in the Back (2026) 📚

The back matter of a book is every page that comes after your final chapter, arranged in a logical order: epilogue, afterword, appendix, glossary, notes, bibliography, index, acknowledgments, about the author, also-by page, a reader call-to-action, and (for indie authors) a review request.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• The complete, correct order of back matter (with a quick-reference table)
• What each element is and whether it’s required or optional
• How back matter differs for fiction vs. nonfiction
• How indie authors use the closing pages to sell more books and build a mailing list

Here’s everything that goes at the back of a book, in the order publishers and savvy self-publishers actually use.

What Is the Back Matter of a Book?

The back matter of a book is the set of closing pages that appear after the main text ends. It includes supplementary material like an appendix, glossary, notes, and index, plus author-facing pages like the about-the-author bio and an invitation to read more.

Back matter does two jobs at once. The scholarly elements — notes, bibliography, index — support and document your content. The marketing elements — about the author, also-by, email signup, review ask — turn a reader who just finished your book into a fan, a subscriber, or a reviewer.

Traditional publishers follow a sequence drawn from The Chicago Manual of Style. Indie authors layer modern conversion pages on top of it. You won’t use every element, but the ones you include should appear in the expected order.

The Complete Back Matter Order (Quick Reference)

Here is the full back matter of a book in correct order, blending Chicago Manual of Style conventions with the marketing pages that self-published authors add. Nothing here is strictly required — back matter is optional by nature — but each element has a conventional position.

Most books use only a handful of these. A novel might have just an about-the-author page, an also-by list, and a review request. A scholarly nonfiction book might have notes, a bibliography, and an index but skip the marketing pages.

1. Epilogue

An epilogue is a short final section of a novel that takes place after the main story has concluded, often jumping forward in time. It’s a fiction-only element that gives readers a glimpse of how characters’ lives turned out.

Use an epilogue when your ending leaves a meaningful gap you want to close — a wedding years later, a child grown up, a villain’s final fate. It’s optional, and a strong final chapter can do the same work.

The epilogue is the first thing readers meet after your last chapter, so it still counts as part of the story rather than the supplementary material that follows.

2. Afterword

An afterword is a closing statement, written by the author, that reflects on the book after the main text ends. It might explain how the book came to be, what’s changed since writing, or what the author hopes readers take away.

In nonfiction, an afterword often updates a later edition. In fiction, authors use it to share the real history behind a story or to thank readers directly.

Don’t confuse an afterword with an epilogue. An afterword speaks about the book in the author’s own voice; an epilogue is still part of the fictional story.

3. Appendix

An appendix contains supplementary material that supports the main text but would interrupt it if included inline — think raw data, worksheets, sample documents, timelines, or technical detail. It’s primarily a nonfiction element.

If you have more than one, label them Appendix A, Appendix B, and so on, in the order they’re referenced in your text. Each appendix begins on a new page.

Keep appendix content genuinely supplementary. If a reader needs it to follow your argument, it belongs in a chapter, not the back. For more on how all the pieces fit, see our overview of the parts of a book.

4. Glossary

A glossary is an alphabetical list of specialized or unfamiliar terms used in the book, each with a short definition. It’s most common in nonfiction, technical books, and fantasy or sci-fi novels with invented vocabulary.

Include a glossary when your book uses jargon, foreign words, or made-up terms a reader might forget between chapters. It saves them from flipping back to find a definition.

A glossary sits after any appendixes and before the notes. Keep definitions brief — one or two sentences each.

5. Notes and Endnotes

Notes (or endnotes) collect the citations and source references for claims made in the main text, gathered at the back rather than at the bottom of each page. They’re a nonfiction staple for any book that cites sources.

Endnotes keep your pages clean by moving citation clutter to the back. They’re organized by chapter, with numbered references matching the superscript markers in your text.

The Chicago Manual of Style places notes before the bibliography. If you cite sources, you’ll almost always need both.

6. Bibliography

A bibliography is the complete, alphabetized list of every source referenced in your book, formatted in a consistent citation style. It follows the notes and is essential for research-based nonfiction.

Where notes point to specific claims, the bibliography gives readers the full picture of your sources so they can verify or read further. Use a single, consistent style — Chicago, APA, or MLA — throughout.

A bibliography signals credibility. For nonfiction that makes factual claims, it’s one of the strongest trust signals in your back matter.

7. Index

An index is an alphabetical list of names, topics, and terms in the book, each with the page numbers where they appear. It’s a nonfiction-only tool that helps readers find specific information fast.

Indexes are standard for reference books, textbooks, and serious nonfiction, but they only work in print, where fixed page numbers exist. Ebooks use linked search instead, so many authors skip the index in digital editions.

A professional index is usually built by a human indexer or specialized software near the end of production, once your page numbers are final.

8. Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments are where the author thanks the people who helped create the book — editors, agents, beta readers, family, and mentors. They can appear in the front matter or, increasingly, in the back.

Many novelists place acknowledgments in the back so they don’t delay the reader from reaching the story. Placed here, they read almost like a warm epilogue to the whole project.

For wording and real examples, see our guide on how to write a book acknowledgments page. Keep it sincere and specific rather than a long list of names.

9. About the Author

The about-the-author page is a short biography of the author, usually with a photo, placed near the end of the book. It tells readers who wrote the book and why they’re worth following.

This is where back matter shifts from supporting the book to building the author’s career. A good bio connects you to readers, establishes your authority, and makes them want more.

Write it in third person, keep it to a tight paragraph or two, and include where readers can find you. We’ve collected dozens of strong about-the-author examples and a full breakdown in our guide to the about the author page.

10. Also By This Author

An “also by this author” page lists the author’s other published books, often grouped by series, with links or buy information. It’s one of the highest-converting pages in any book’s back matter.

A reader who just finished and loved your book is in the perfect frame of mind to buy your next one. This page makes that effortless. For series fiction, it’s the single most important marketing page you can include.

Order the list logically — by series, then by reading order — and in ebooks, hyperlink each title straight to its store page so a tap leads to a sale.

11. Call to Action and Reader Magnet

A call to action in back matter invites the reader to take a next step — most powerfully, joining your email list in exchange for a free “reader magnet” like a bonus chapter, novella, or checklist. This is how indie authors turn one-time readers into a lasting audience.

Your back matter reaches readers at their moment of peak enthusiasm. Capturing an email address there means you can tell them about every future book directly, instead of hoping the algorithm shows them.

Offer something genuinely valuable for the signup. Then nurture that list. Our guides to building an email list as an author and the author email list strategy show you exactly how to set this up.

12. Review Request

A review request is a brief, friendly note in your back matter asking the reader to leave an honest review wherever they bought the book. It’s an indie-author essential, because reviews drive both algorithmic visibility and reader trust.

Reviews are the lifeblood of self-publishing. More reviews lift your ranking on Amazon and other retailers, which leads to more sales, which leads to more reviews. The cycle starts with a simple ask.

Keep it warm and low-pressure: a sentence or two thanking the reader and explaining that reviews help other readers discover the book. Place it after your also-by page, near or alongside your email call to action.

Back Matter for Fiction vs. Nonfiction

Back matter differs sharply by genre. Nonfiction leans on scholarly elements; fiction leans on marketing pages. Knowing which applies to you keeps your closing pages lean and purposeful.

For nonfiction, the back matter is mostly reference material: appendix, glossary, notes, bibliography, and index. These document your sources and help readers navigate. An about-the-author page and an email call to action round it out.

Some nonfiction and literary fiction authors also add a set of reading-group questions here to encourage book-club adoption. If that fits your book, our book club discussion questions template gives you a ready-made structure to drop into your back matter.

For fiction, the back matter is almost entirely author marketing: an optional epilogue or afterword, then about the author, also-by, a reader magnet signup, and a review request. Novels rarely have an index, glossary, or bibliography.

If you’re shaping a manuscript, this guide pairs naturally with our companion piece on the front matter of a book, which covers everything that goes before your first chapter.

Why Back Matter Is Your Best Marketing Real Estate

The single biggest mistake authors make is treating back matter as an afterthought. In reality, it’s the most valuable advertising space you own — and you got it for free.

Think about the moment a reader reaches your back matter. They’ve just finished your book. If they loved it, they’re emotionally invested and actively wondering, “What do I read next?” No other marketing channel reaches a reader at that exact peak of goodwill.

That’s why your closing pages should always end with these four conversion plays, in this order:

• About the author — make them care who you are.
• Also by this author — show them what to read next, with one-tap links.
• Reader magnet + email signup — capture the relationship so you own it.
• Review request — turn their goodwill into social proof that sells the next reader.

Self-published authors who get this right build careers, not one-off books. Those who leave the back matter blank let their best sales opportunity walk out the door. Our broader book marketing guide and self-publishing roadmap build on exactly this idea.

Building Your Back Matter Without the Headache

Our Pick — Chapter

Chapter handles the structural heavy lifting of your manuscript — front matter, chapters, and back matter — generating a correctly ordered, publish-ready book so you don’t have to assemble the closing pages by hand.

Best for: Authors who want a finished, properly sequenced manuscript without wrestling with formatting software Pricing: $97 one time, 2 books included (fiction or nonfiction), 30-day money-back guarantee Why we built it: Back matter is exactly the kind of detail first-time authors forget until launch day, so we built the structure in from the start.

More than 2,147 authors have used Chapter to write and structure books, with 5,000+ books created on the platform. It’s been featured in USA Today and the New York Times. If the closing pages of your book are the thing standing between your draft and a confident launch, that’s the gap Chapter was built to close.

That said, a manual approach works fine if you’re comfortable with layout tools. Browse our roundup of self-publishing tools and book formatting software for hands-on options.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Leaving the back matter empty — you’re throwing away your highest-converting marketing page.
• Confusing an epilogue with an afterword — an epilogue is part of the story; an afterword is the author speaking.
• Putting an index in an ebook — fixed page numbers don’t exist in reflowable files; use linked navigation instead.
• Forgetting the also-by links — in ebooks, every other-book mention should hyperlink straight to its store page.
• Skipping the review request — a simple, friendly ask measurably increases the number of reviews you get.

What Comes Before the Back Matter?

Before the back matter comes the front matter and the main text. The front matter is everything before chapter one — title page, copyright page, table of contents, dedication, and any epigraph — while the main text is your actual book.

The two work as bookends. If you’ve planned your closing pages, plan your opening ones too. Our companion guide to the front matter of a book covers the full opening sequence in the same level of detail.

How Long Should Back Matter Be?

Back matter should be as short as your book needs. For most fiction, that’s just a few pages — about the author, an also-by list, an email signup, and a review request. For research-heavy nonfiction, it can run dozens of pages once you add notes, a bibliography, and an index.

There’s no minimum and no prize for length. Include the reference elements your content genuinely requires, and never skip the author-marketing pages, because those are the ones that earn their keep.

Does Fiction Need an Index or Bibliography?

No — fiction almost never needs an index or a bibliography. Those elements exist to document and locate factual information, which novels don’t contain. A novel’s back matter should focus on the epilogue or afterword plus the marketing pages: about the author, also-by, and a review request.

The exception is heavily researched historical fiction, where some authors add a short author’s note or a “further reading” list as a courtesy to curious readers.

FAQ

What is the correct order of back matter in a book?

The correct order of back matter is: epilogue, afterword, appendix, glossary, notes, bibliography, index, acknowledgments, about the author, also-by page, email call to action, and review request. This blends Chicago Manual of Style conventions with indie marketing pages. Most books use only a few of these elements.

Is back matter required in a book?

No back matter is strictly required — it’s optional by nature. A short novel can end with just an about-the-author page and a review request, while scholarly nonfiction may need notes, a bibliography, and an index. Include only the elements your book’s genre and content genuinely call for.

What’s the difference between an epilogue and an afterword?

An epilogue is a final scene that’s still part of the fictional story, usually set after the main events, while an afterword is the author stepping outside the story to reflect on the book itself. An epilogue is storytelling; an afterword is commentary. Both are optional.

What back matter should an indie author always include?

Every indie author should include four marketing-focused back matter pages: an about-the-author bio, an also-by-this-author list, an email signup with a reader magnet, and a review request. These pages reach readers at peak enthusiasm and turn a finished book into subscribers, reviews, and future sales.

Does an ebook need an index?

No — an ebook does not need an index. Indexes rely on fixed print page numbers, which don’t exist in reflowable ebook files. Ereaders provide built-in search and linked navigation instead, so authors typically include an index only in the print edition and omit it from the ebook.