Are table of contents sill okay in a novel?

I use the table of contents in e-books to jump to a particular chapter sometimes. I do a lot of bookmarking and highlighting of particular passages when I read e-books (for later reference, or examples of a great way of putting something), but sometimes I "lose" them when I'm doing word searches or something.

It really depends - like Roxxmom mentioned, tables of contents in e-books can make for easier navigation. And if you have titled chapters, a ToC at the start can help set the mood and whet the reader's appetite. So they can still serve a purpose, even if they aren't strictly necessary.

Honestly, I wouldn't even sweat it. You're still writing the thing and you aren't going to compile a TOC when you send the manuscript to an agent or to your eventual hypothetical publisher. If your publisher wants to include a TOC, that's something that'll happen later.

I title my chapters but it's almost like I'm creating an outline while I draft. I'm not hugely attached to them though, so if the decision is made to scrap them, eh.

Table of contents in novels vanished because almost no one used them, at least on the first read. They're pretty much useless in novels now because it's so easy to search an e-book that a table of contents is no longer the easiest way to find something.

I wouldn't call a table of contents sophomoric, but I would find it useless, and it would make me think the writer didn't read many novels.

I dislike chapter 1, 2, 3, and so on when I read, and when I write. It seems a total waste of space to me. So I'm going to use it, regardless whether anyone gets out of joint because of it.

Marianne Kirby said:

Honestly, I wouldn't even sweat it. You're still writing the thing and you aren't going to compile a TOC when you send the manuscript to an agent or to your eventual hypothetical publisher. If your publisher wants to include a TOC, that's something that'll happen later.

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Seconding this. Title your chapters however you want to title them. If it helps you to add a table of contents to your manuscript, then do it, but know that it is neither required nor expected.

If you are trade published, your publisher will have a say on chapter titles and the table of contents. If you self-publish, you can pretty much do whatever you want, though again, tables of contents are not standard for novels in print form. They are standard in ebooks.

IIRC, Amazon requires ebooks to have a "TOC" bookmark in them (or they used to, anyway). I have always put tables of contents in my Kindle-published books.

Self-pub note. I use Sigil to convert my Word MSs to epub ebook format for Apple and B&N. It automatically creates a table of contents.

(I then use Calibre to translate that to Amazon's ebook format. The TOC is automatically included.)

Readers can then use the TOC or ignore it.

I'd agree - not required in a print book, not for a novel anyway. In something like a collection of short stories, maybe it would be useful. But otherwise, leave it out.

For ebooks it's definitely useful, letting readers get around quickly. When I've been reading the A Song of Ice and Fire books I've been using the TOC to look at remaining chapters as I get near the end, to see if there are any more chapters for a character (the chapter names are just the name of the POV character for that chapter) or if their part of the story is going to be left hanging until the next book!

Even if you don't plan to put in a TOC, it can be useful when you're writing to use the "Header" styles to format your chapter headings, so you can use the Document Map - which lets you get around quick when you're working on it. And is a handy place to check you don't have two chapters with the same number or have missed a number out.

LJackson said:

I dislike chapter 1, 2, 3, and so on when I read, and when I write. It seems a total waste of space to me. So I'm going to use it, regardless whether anyone gets out of joint because of it.

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What seems a total waste of space? Probably just me, but I have no idea what you're trying to say.

Nope, not just you - the post doesn't make sense. LJackson appreantly doesn't like chapter headings and the whatever page of blank space with that, and is defiantly going to use a ToC.

Except, if you don't have chapter headings, then what exactly is the ToC referencing. XD

Jamesaritchie said:

What seems a total waste of space? Probably just me, but I have no idea what you're trying to say.

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That should teach me not to post with three hours of sleep, and sitting in the hospital waiting room. Anyway, what I meant was those table of contents with chapter 1...page x, chapter 2... page y, and so on and so forth.

Is there a reason to leave them out?

Jeff

I like tables of contents in paper books too. Makes it easier to go back later and find a particular passage or section of a book I've already read and want to examine again or share with someone else.

I can't think of a reason to leave one out, unless the publisher is trying to save a couple of sheets of paper. Having said this, I don't have tables of contents in my novel manuscripts. I figure that's for the publisher to put in, if I ever get one. The pagination wouldn't be set until it goes to press anyway.

ToCs are useful, but not necessary. With paper books, they'd go to a page. With ebooks, to a link in the file. Whether they're useful and desirable for your particular book is up to you (and possibly the layout standards of some future publisher).

I find it neither sophomoric nor insulting.

Since Amazon wants one in Kindle books, they get one. CreateSpace has a TOC in their template, or at least they did when I did the dead-tree edition of The Sad Girl, so I left it in. I'll probably not do it in later books.

JasonS said:

Is there a current convention or agreement?

What are your thoughts?

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I have read any number of books intended for adults that had chapter titles and a ToC. I don't see a problem with it.

It seems a non-issue for paper books. If it's there, fine. Some of us might use it, some not. No need for anyone to get all huffy about it. In an e-book, I want one 'cause I'm always getting lost and I do not find it easy to search.

WriteMinded said:

It seems a non-issue for paper books. If it's there, fine. Some of us might use it, some not. No need for anyone to get all huffy about it. In an e-book, I want one 'cause I'm always getting lost and I do not find it easy to search.

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Good point. They don't always want to scroll gracefully to the spot you want, either.