21
PAGE NUMBERS
Proper, well laid-out page numbering (also called “pagination”) is
another simple step which will make your book look great. There are a
few rules of thumb to keep in mind when numbering your pages.
First, pages in the front matter of the book (title page, copyright page,
&c. – things we’ll be discussing shortly) are generally not numbered.
They can (and often do) count toward the total page count, however.
You may have noticed that, in most books, the first chapter often does
not actually begin on page 1. This is why. If your book has six pages
of content in its front matter, chapter 1 will begin on page 7 (and will
be the first paginated page, or page with a number actually printed on
it).
Second, like the text of the header, the page number should not
dominate the page. Therefore, the same basic rules apply. Stick with a
simple font (again, ideally the same font used in the body of the page)
and reduce its size one or two points.
Page numbers can be placed anywhere you like on the page, but are
traditionally located at the bottom. Placing them at the center of the
page is simplest, but they can also be moved to the outside corner of
each page. Remember, though, that in this case they will need to be
alternately formatted left-right for odd and even numbered pages.