Lesson 10: Create your table of contents

Let’s create your table of contents...

Now that you have your book idea and your book structure, it’s time to create your table of contents.

To begin, start by creating a working title for your book (This doesn’t have to be the end product).

Also, if your book has Acts or Parts, then list them as well with titles of as simply 1,2, 3...

Lastly, begin adding your working chapter titles (again, they don’t have to be final, but it does need to feel fun for you!) Remember, this book is taking the reader on a journey. If it is a self-help, then your are guiding the reader through lessons, teachings, into awareness. if it a memoir, you are guiding them through stories and themes. How will these chapters or chapter titles (if they have them) guide the reader through this book.

A memoir example: Untamed by Glennon Doyle has a three act structure with fun and intriguing titles for her book. Here is an sample of the table of contents for inspiration.

Another example from the self-help genre is The Empath’s Survival Guide by Judith Orloff. As you may note, she does not use acts, but has chapters that touch on her topics for the reader.

Now it’s your turn. Gather all your notes so far, your book idea blurb, your inspiring authors and books, your structure and more… Create your working title, table of contents, along with your Acts or Parts if that is part of your book. Happy writing!

Create your table of contents Checklist:

  1. Take look at the table of contents from some of your favorite books and see what you love and hate about them.

  2. Create a working title for your book

  3. Take a look at all your notes and create your table contents based on the journey you want to take the reader on. You can title these if that makes sense or numbers are fine. Some goes for if the book has Acts or Parts.


    Yay! Once you have finished this section, it is time of annotate your table of contents.