What is a Table of Contents?

Last updated on April 3, 2021

A table of contents is a list, usually found on a page before the start of a written work, of its chapter, section titles or brief descriptions with their commencing page numbers. Is a table of contents necessary for your self-published book? Well, this all depends on the genre and preference, but it is not an absolute “must” for a paperback. Keep in mind that more pages added to a book will only increase the price.

Also, I would suggest researching the genre of your book to determine if this option is suitable for your project. I’d like to note however that all e-books must have a table of contents as the e-pub file will have hyperlinks to direct the reader to a certain chapter of the book.

For instance, for my paperback I decided not to include a table of contents for various reasons but most notably the price increase of my book. With that being said, I do intent to include a table of contents in my next project just as a personal preference.

If you’d like to read more information on whether a table of contents is right for your book then I would recommend researching before making a final decision.