Style Guide: Section breaks - Hederis/docs GitHub Wiki
NOTE: We are currently in an invite-only alpha testing phase. If you'd like to participate, please contact [email protected].
A section break is used to mark the start of a new book section. Book sections refer to the chapter-like chunks that make up a book. There are many types of book sections, e.g., chapters, prefaces, title pages, copyright pages, and so on. Each section is a stand-alone unit within the book, and the sections of a book would make up the book's table of contents. (Pro tip: the table of contents also qualifies as a book section!)
Here is the full list of available section breaks and when to use them:
Chapter
By far the most common type of section, chapters contain the main content of your book.
Halftitle Page
The halftitle page is typically a pared-down version of the titlepage that occurs at the very beginning of the book, and occasionally is also repeated just before the first chapter of the book.
Title page
The titlepage contains the primary information about your book: for example, the title, author name, names of any contributors, publisher, and very basic information about the publisher (like where they are located).
Copyright Page
The copyright page contains detailed information about the book, as well as legal notices like who the copyright holder is. Some examples of information that typically appears on the copyright page are: publisher's full address, contact information, book ISBN(s), a record of the printing history.
Dedication
A standalone dedication that applies to the whole book.
Epigraph
An introductory quote or passage from another work, meant to introduce the book as a whole (as opposed to an individual chapter). An epigraph section should also typically contain an epigraph wrapper (see below).
Foreword
Introductory comments about the book, often (but not always) by someone other than the book's main author.
Preface
Any generic introductory section for the book that is not part of the actual story/main content.
TOC
The book's table of contents.
Introduction
An introduction to the main narrative of the book, that is also meant to be part of that narrative (as opposed to a preface, which is a more observational introduction to the book as a whole).
Part
A grouping of book sections that represent a discrete chunk of the book's narrative.
Interlude
A break between book sections, meant to add a comment, feeling, or tone to the chapters that preceded or follow.
Conclusion
A conclusion to the main narrative of the book, that is also meant to be part of that narrative (as opposed to an appendix, which is a more observational addendum to the book as a whole).
Appendix
Supplemental information that should accompany the book but is not part of the main narrative.
Colophon
Additional information about the book, typically consisting of details about design elements and the printing process.
Acknowledgments
The author's (or publisher's) thanks to people, place, or things that contributed to the writing of the book.
Afterword
The afterword provides parting comments about the book, often (but not always) by someone other than the book's main author.
Glossary
A list of key terms that occurred throughout the book, along with their definitions.
Bibliography
A list of the other works references throughout the book.
About the Author
Biographical information about the author of the book.
Index
A list of key topics and concepts discussed throughout the book, and the locations in the book that those topics were discussed.
Endnotes
Notes meant to supplement the main narrative or add additional context, but that are not part of the narrative itself. (Different from footnotes, which typically occur at the bottom of the page where they are referenced.)