Today, we are starting with the end of the book–the Appendix.

So what is the appendix and why do you need one in your blog to book adventure?

Yes, yes, I know it’s a part of the human body that spontaneously combusts and causes life-threatening infection or even death. But in the writing world, an “Appendix is defined as the section at the end of a book that gives additional information on the topic explored in the contents of the text.”

Do you need an appendix? Not necessarily. However, if you need to explain something in addition to the text of the book, this is where you would put it. This is also where you would list other books related to the subject your blog to book project is about, references and citations.

Since your blog to book project is non-fiction, having an appendix that lists this information adds credibility to your story. For instance, if I’m writing about how I do not have internet access at my home in central Mexico, I might include a summary and link to a study done by the Mexican government that states that in the area I live in only 1 in 8 people have internet access. The citation says “See, people, I”m not making it up!” and my story is, therefore, more believable.

So biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, and research-based books all would do well to have an appendix backing up the statements in the book. You could also include full copies of letters you excerpt in your blog to book project since including the full letter in the text might be uneccessary. Or maybe something scientific needs further explaining, so you include a graph or diagram in the appendix. If it adds to the credibility or understandability of your story, then it should be in the appendix.

You can actually have more than one appendix section. One section might contain a bibliography of works cited. Another might cite the sources for all the quotes you used in images throughout your book. A third part might list background information about people that appear in your story. In this case, each separate appendix might be titled Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C.

Your assignment for today is to take a look at the information you want to include in your blog to book project and decide what will be in the appendix. Then make it so.