1. Belly band
2. Flap
3. Endpaper
4. Book cover
5. Top edge
6. Fore edge
7. Tail edge
8. Right page, recto
9. Left page, verso
10. Gutter

The common structural parts of a book include:

* Front cover: hardbound or softcover (paperback); the spine is the binding that joins the front and rear covers where the pages hinge.
* Front endpaper
* Flyleaf: The blank leaf or leaves following the front free endpaper.
* Front matter
o Frontispiece
o Title page
o Copyright page: typically verso of title page: shows copyright owner/date, credits, edition/printing, cataloguing details
o Table of contents
o List of figures
o List of tables
o Dedication
o Acknowledgments
o Foreword
o Preface
o Introduction
* Body: the text or contents, the pages often collected or folded into signatures; the pages are usually numbered sequentially, and often divided into chapters.
* Back matter
o Appendix
o Glossary
o Index
o Notes
o Bibliography
o Colophon
* Flyleaf: The blank leaf or leaves (if any) preceding the back free endpaper.
* Rear endpaper
* Rear cover

A thin marker, commonly made of paper or card, used to keep one’s place in a book is a bookmark. Bookmarks were used throughout the medieval period,[4] consisting usually of a small parchment strip attached to the edge of folio (or a piece of cord attached to headband). Bookmarks in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were narrow silk ribbons bound into the book and become widespread in the 1850s. They were usually made from silk, embroidered fabrics or leather. Not until the 1880s, did paper and other materials become more common.

I am not sure about you but I have always been a fan of good novels. Ever since in school, novels used to seem so intriguing and easy to write that I used to dream about penning a novel of my own, one day! However, after so many years I have realized that writing a novel is not as easy as it seems. A novel is no more than a story, yes you read it right; a story, but it is led and followed by a series of characterizations, dialogues and of course, the plot. This make-believe process involves a lot of imagination and a good story. If you are planning a novel, you can follow your reading habits and ask yourself, “What is it that I want to read in a novel?” Make your characters relate to your everyday life. Be as descriptive as you can since you need to make your words speak louder than the actions!

What is it that makes you pick up your favorite novel every now and then? Maybe it is the story or a character that you love to read about. Characterization is the most essential part of a novel because characters can make your novel come to life. The main character or the hero in a novel is often known as the protagonist. You can shape up this character by following simple steps such as describing his behavior, his likes, dislikes, his age, his name etc. Another character that is commonly known as the villain or the antagonist also plays an important role in shaping up your novel. If your plot involves crime or violence you need to pay extra attention to the antagonist. However, your characters should not seem inhumane or wooden because you need the reader to connect himself with them. For instance, the hero should not be a flawless perfectionist or the villain should not be a ruthless, inhumane tyrant.