Blackwell Publishing

Authors - Preparing the Text

Preparing the front matter

The front matter (or prelims) includes, for example, the table of contents, preface, acknowledgements and list of contributors. It may not be appropriate to include all of these in your manuscript. However, it is important to include the front matter when you send us your manuscript, so that the copy editor can check these against the rest of the text and illustrations. If you have any queries about what to include in the front matter of your book, please ask your editor. 

This section covers:

  • What to include at the front of your manuscript
  • Guidelines for contributors     

What to include:

  • Title page : this should show the title of the book, with the following details of the author(s) or editor(s):
    • Name
    • Qualifications (optional if your book has been commissioned by the Academic & Science division)
    • Position
    • Address (usually professional address)     
  • Contents page : please ensure that the part titles and chapter titles and the order in which they appear are consistent with the manuscript. If headings are to be included in the contents page, only list levels one and two headings. For contributed volumes, please ensure author names/initials appear as they wish and are consistent throughout the manuscript
  • Preface : this is written by the author(s) or editor(s) and should briefly describe the purpose of the book, the target audience, the contents and order of the subject matter; if your book is a new edition, it should say in what ways it has been updated from the previous one. The preface could also include the names of the people who have refereed your book
  • List of contributors (multi-authored books only) : please supply a complete list of contributors in alphabetical order. The list should include either a) a brief biography of all contributors (up to 5 lines each, including subject specialities and previously published works), or b) their title, full name, qualifications (if appropriate), position, full postal address, telephone and fax number and e-mail address
  • General introduction and section introductions : if you're editing a reader, please provide a general introduction plus brief introductions to each contribution and/ or introductions to each part. You may wish to provide a general introduction in place of a preface, and part introductions, if you're editing a companion or handbook
  • Foreword : this is a short complimentary introduction to the book written by someone other than the author(s) or editor(s). The person chosen is usually someone eminent in the field, who will do credit to the book by his or her association
  • List of abbreviations : if you think such a list would be useful, please ensure that abbreviations are consistent with those used in the manuscript
  • List of figures, tables, plates : if you think these lists would be useful, please ensure the details match the data you have provided in the captions
  • Acknowledgements : this is an opportunity to thank those people who contributed to or assisted in bringing the book about. The acknowledgements are sometimes appended to the preface. Acknowledgements are also used in Readers, for example, for detailing the source information of each article used. See Clearing text permissions  and/or Creating an acknowledgements list 
  • Dedication : if you wish to include a dedication, this should be short and to the point
  • Epigraph : a quotation can be used at the start of the book or each chapter, relating to or suggesting the theme. Please ensure that you have obtained written permission  for these
  • Chronology : can be a helpful tool to show the arrangement of events and dates in the order of their occurrence     

Contributors to multi-authored works

Please supply a title page, containing the following details:

  • The book's editor(s) and title
  • Title of the chapter
  • Your details (and those of your co-authors): title, full name, qualifications (if appropriate), full postal address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address
  • The name of the main contact, if not the first-named author of the chapter     
[Top Arrow]