With the many possible options for numbering pages in books or booklets, we may wonder which method is best. Make a decision, but remember that consistency is more important than correctness. If you allow one chapter to begin on the right-hand page with a blank page next to it, while not doing the same for another chapter, you can be sure that some readers will notice.
If you do opt to include blank pages, be sure to decide whether they will be numbered. In addition, decide whether the first page of each chapter will be numbered. Of course, it will count in the numbering sequence, even if the number does not appear. Review the book enough times so that you will be sure that these touches are consistent. If necessary, hire a good proofreader to do the job for you. It does make a difference.
These issues can be such a distraction that some printers add a small notice, "This page intentionally left blank," on each blank page. You may not have noticed that notice before, but now you will.
Click here for the next article in this series, which deals with page numbering and graphics.
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