Footnotes, endnotes or online notes?

[BettyO]

Quote:I prefer footnotes; I'm a compulsive reference-checker and hate flipping back and forth to find the corresponding end notes. But I think publishers prefer end notes; they must be easier to format.

I've seen a few other books that offer notes online instead of in the book. I'm not fond of that practice at all, as it necessitates having both the book and some device on which to read the notes, but it's better than no notes at all.

Welcome, Scott!

A very Facinating subject....

I, too prefer footnotes - but endnotes will do, too. Yes, I can tell you from experience that publishers like and prefer endnotes for that exact reason. Publishers find endnotes are easier to format. One of the first things I turn to in a book before I purchase, are the notes. To me, notes are the skeleton/spine of the book and put "meat on the bones" of it, as it were. It's like getting two books in one! I can't tell you how many times I've found other facinating things to research in notes. I love books with really good notes! A lot of times, that is what will "sell" the book to me.....

I'm also disappointed in books with no index. I think historical books should have these. I remember in college, one textbook my history professor wanted us to use seemed good - until the actual book came in. It had no index and the professor therefore told us not to purchase it and went for another.

Never heard of "online" notes. I hate that and think that it leaves a LOT to be desired. If we had done such a thing in college, we'd have been shot down.....

Mike's Brutus has wonderful notes; as did Theodore Roscoe in his Web of Conspiracy - old and dated surely, but a classic all the same! Bill Richter's Sic Semper is a treasure trove of wonderful notes! I consider Bishop's Day Lincoln was Shot more or less a novel because he uses conversations, etc. without any documentation. There are few notes in his papers as well (stored at St Bonaventure University, NY; they are online)

http://web.sbu.edu/Friedsam/archives/jim.../index.htm

However, I've read some novels which have fascinating notes.