Book Synthesis: Table of Contents Page & Dedications

For March, we are going to dissect the next few pages that fall after the Copyright page (see our February post) but come before the actual first page of the story, so basically these are the last few pages of your front matter.

Table of Contents

First of all, self-published authors should know that a Table of Contents is not required for fiction.  It is okay to have to have and I have even seen it used in traditional published book, but just know that it is not necessary.  For nonfiction books though, I would say a table of contents is a must.

The Table of Contents is the next page after your Copyright page (which should be on the left side)  and should be on the right side and continue on the back (the left side) if it is very long.    No other information should be on the Table of Contents page except for the chapter headers (the number), the chapter title (if applicable), and the correct page number that each corresponding chapter begins on. That’s it!  Nothing else!

Setting the Table

You should treat your Table of Contents almost like an outline when it comes to organization meaning the information is kept brief and should be organized in an understandable manner. Did you know that if you are using MS Word to write that you can also use it to help create your Table of Contents?  I’m not going to go into the lengthy steps involved, but if you are interested in learning how, just click here.

There are two main types of Table of Contents: one for a lengthy book containing at least more than a dozen chapters, and one for a shorter book that contains no more than a dozen chapters.  I think even a dozen is pushing it, and would probably only use a shorter format if my book contained under ten chapters.

A longer table of contents should list the chapter headers and names down the left side, and the page numbers justified down the right side.  To make this a bit easier on the eyes to follow, you often see a row of dots connecting the two.  Here’s an example:

Chapter 1………………………………………………2

Chapter 2……………………………………………..7

Chapter 3…………………………………………….11

To give your book and its table of contents a bit more personality, I much prefer to name the chapters and use the titles in the table instead of the numbers.  Fellow author and reviewer LK Gardner-Griffie used this version in her most recent book, Nowhere Feels Like Home. Click on the title and go to the Search Inside feature if you’d like to take a look at her table of contents.

But for those of you who might prefer a chapter header, title, and page number, here’s an example of how to organize your table of contents:

Chapter 1
The City…………………………………………..2
Chapter 2
Drugs and Dreams……………………………7
Chapter 3
Diamonds……………………………………….11

The line containing the chapter title and page number can even be indented just a bit, giving the table the feel of an outline if you want.

For the shorter table I mentioned for books with under 12 chapters, you can still use all three key points I’ve pointed out that can be put on the table.  But instead of the row of dots, just center all of your information.  Here’s an example using all three points:

Chapter 1
The City
2

Chapter 2
Drugs and Dreams
7

Chapter 3
Diamonds
11

Notice again that this shorter version will work just fine without the chapter headers.

Here’s a quick review of things to consider for your table of contents:

• A table of contents falls on the right side in your front matter, usually opposite your copyright page.
• A table of contents is optional in fiction books, but nonfiction books should always have a table.
• A table of contents should contain only three elements: chapter headers, chapter titles, and page numbers. Nothing else.
• Chapter headers are also optional.
• If your book has more than 12 chapters, use the longer table of contents where information is justified down the left and right side of the page, separated by dots in the middle.
• If your book has less than 12 chapters, use the shorter version where information is centered.
• Make sure your page numbers correspond correctly to the pages in the book.

Dedicated to the One I Love

One of my favorite parts of a book is its dedication page, though 98% of the time I’m disappointed just to find a simple To Mom or To My Parents or To My Husband there instead of something more profound and out of the ordinary.  A dedication page is nice and personal, but again, it is also optional if you don’t want to dedicate the book to anyone.  Often, you will find an Acknowledgments Page in place of the Dedication Page. The Acknowledgments Page is your Oscar speech where you think your agent, your editor, your proofreader, God, your friends, your spouse, your canary, and whoever else helped you with the creative process along the way. If you feel the need to have both a dedication page and an acknowledgments page, then your dedication page should fall in the front matter on a separate page on the right side, usually the next page after your table of contents.  Your acknowledgments page goes in the back matter, and is usually the page after the end page of your story, but comes just before your About the Author page (more about this page later).

Dedications can be centered or can fall closer to the top of the page.  I often space my down about three lines from the top.  Dedications can be in bold face or even italicized.  For self-published authors, putting the dedication page all by itself is often a waste of a page, meaning that you want to try to cut your page count as much as possible to keep the overall list price of your book down.  Going back to LK’s book, she combines both her dedication and acknowledgments into one and italicizes them at the top of her copyright page to create separation.  Click here to view this page in the Search Inside feature at Amazon. Again, this is perfectly acceptable and I have seen this done in some traditional published books as well.  As long as there is a distinct separation from your copyright, it’s perfectly okay.

I myself prefer to have the dedication all to itself on it’s on page.  I also prefer a sentence or two with a bit of mystery for the blind reader (someone who doesn’t know me personally), and I often find a way to tie it into the book.  For my most recent book, Stealing Wishes, I dedicated it to my partner John and then wrote, “It’s been a long time since that first cup, but I still look forward to coffee with you every morning.”  The book itself takes place mostly in a coffee shop and the lead character is a barista. On our first date seven years ago, John and I had coffee and have probably shared a pot of coffee every morning since.

Reviewing the dedication page:

• Dedications usually fall on their own page on the right side just after the table of contents.
• Dedications can be placed at the top of the copyright page as long as there is distinct separation.
• Dedications can be short (To Mom) or more personal, but should not be a laundry list of thank yous.
• Dedications can be bold faced or italicized, or plain font.
• Dedications can be centered in the middle of the page or at the top of the page.

In closing, remember that a table of contents page and a dedication page are both completely optional.  I’ve seen plenty of self-published books without either, and that’s okay.  It’s definitely two pages that if you don’t feel the need to include them, will help cut down your page count.  I myself always include a dedication page, but did not include a table of contents in my last book.

Next month, for Book Synthesis we’re pushing ahead to the first page of your story!  Join us at the end of April for a special guest who will discuss your first page and proper formatting.