5 Pro-Tips About Back Matter

 

5 Pro-tips on Back Matter

by Kim Tomsic

What is Back Matter:

Readers love back matter (so do editors)! Back matter is the information you find after the final page of the story (after "the end"). It’s something that teachers often use as a teacher's guide, and readers use when they are craving more information. Back matter is most often found in nonfiction; however, you can find it in fiction and concept books, too.

Why Have Back Matter:

You’ll likely find backmatter in nonfiction picture books or picture books that are based on a true story, because it’s impossible to pack all aspects of a true story into one picture book. Wise authors know that it serves picture book readers best to focus on a key aspect of the story experience rather than cover everything. The back matter is a space for the additional gems and nuggets that didn’t have a proper spot in the storytelling.

Five pro-tips that might help you when consider including back matter:  

1.        Back matter helps reviewers appreciate your story on a deeper level. For example, if your story takes place on the continent of Africa, you might include back matter to identify the country and/or uniqueness of the region as well as its biome.

2.       Back matter is not part of your word count when you submit.

3.       EasyBib is a wonderful website where you can create a properly formatted running bibliography while writing a nonfiction book.

4.       Back matter provides another reason for schools and libraries to want your book. Teachers and librarians use back matter material for additional activities and/or book displays.

5.       Some Examples of back matter that you might choose to include: 

o   Glossaries  Room for Everyone by Naaz Khan and Merce Lopez 

o   Author note/artist note - see Watercress by Andrea Wang and Jason Chin

o   "More About ___(subject matter) see Up in the Garden and Down inthe Dirt by Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal   (check out the entire series - it's wonderful!)

o   Afterword" Magic Ramen by Andrea Wang and Kana Urbanowicz 

o   Timelines - see The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London's Poop Pollution Problem by Colleen Paeff and Nancy Carpenter. Based on my school visits and questions from children, kids LOVE timelines! 

o   Recipes - see Cooler Than Lemonade by Harshita Jerath & Chloe Burgett

o   Bibliography -  A Mind of Her Own: The Story of Mystery Writer Agatha Christie by Robyn McGrath and Liz Wong 

o   List of personal interviews and site visits -The People's Painter:

How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art by Cynthia Levinson and Evan Turk 

o   Further reading suggestions Josephine by Patricia Hruby Powell and Christian Robinson 

o   Pronunciation guide Magic Ramen by Andrea Wang and Kana Urbanowicz).