What goes in an appendix
An appendix collects material that supports the main text but would interrupt the reading experience if placed within it. In non-fiction, this means maps, timelines, statistical tables, primary source transcriptions, extended interview transcripts, detailed methodology, and data sets that support conclusions in the main text. In fiction, particularly fantasy and historical fiction, appendices contain maps, character lists, genealogies, glossaries of invented terms, pronunciation guides, and secondary world documents. The organizing principle is the same in both cases: the material is real and relevant, but its level of detail or its documentary nature belongs outside the narrative flow.
Maps — why they matter and what makes them good
A map in a fantasy or historical fiction novel is not decoration. It is a navigational tool that allows readers to track character movement, understand distances and political geography, and build a spatial model of the world that the prose alone cannot provide. What makes a map good: accurate relative distances that match the journey times described in the text, named locations for every place the story visits, clear indication of political borders if they are relevant, and visual style that matches the book's genre and period. What makes a map bad: inaccuracies that contradict the text, placenames spelled differently in the map vs. the prose, and a visual style so decorative that it is difficult to read.
Glossaries and pronunciation guides — when fiction needs them
A glossary is appropriate when the book uses invented terms, dialect words, or technical vocabulary that a general reader cannot infer from context and that would require disruptive explanation within the prose. Fantasy novels with invented magic systems, weapons, social titles, or languages are the obvious case. Historical fiction that uses period-accurate terminology without modernizing it is another. A pronunciation guide is appropriate when the invented names or terms in the book follow phonetic rules that English readers would not intuit. Both tools should be genuinely necessary: if a reader can understand the text without the glossary, the glossary is optional extra value rather than required infrastructure.
Timelines and genealogies — when complexity justifies them
A timeline is appropriate when the book covers events across decades or centuries, when the chronology of events is essential to understanding the story or argument, or when the narrative moves non-linearly and readers need an anchor. A genealogy is appropriate when family relationships drive the plot and the number of characters is large enough that readers can lose track of who is descended from whom. Both tools set reader expectations: including a timeline signals that chronological complexity is a feature of the reading experience, not a bug. Tolkien's genealogical appendices in The Return of the King established that level of detail as a genre convention.
Non-fiction appendices — data, sources, and supplementary argument
Academic and narrative non-fiction books use appendices to house material that supports the main argument without belonging in the main text. Common appendix types: a complete data set that the text summarizes (readers who want to verify or extend the analysis have access to the raw numbers); a collection of primary source documents that the text quotes from (readers can see the full context); an extended case study that illustrates a point but would break the book's pacing if included as a chapter; and a detailed methodology section that explains how research was conducted. In peer-reviewed contexts, appendices are cited as frequently as main chapters. In trade non-fiction, they build credibility without demanding attention.
Formatting your appendix for digital and print
In print, appendices appear after the main text, after any endnotes or bibliography, and before the index (if there is one). Each appendix should begin on a new page and be labeled clearly: Appendix A, Appendix B, or titled appendices (Appendix: Glossary of Terms). Maps require high resolution: minimum 300 DPI at the printed size. In ebook editions, maps are frequently problematic because they are designed for print dimensions and display poorly on small screens. The solution is either to produce a separate screen-optimized version of the map, or to make the map a full-bleed image that readers can pinch-zoom. Tables and data appendices require careful EPUB formatting to avoid column wrapping.
