A picture paints a thousand words. Isn't it fun when a work of fiction includes cool appendices with extras? It's like checking out the Special Features on a movie DVD. Have you considered adding extras to your novel?
Whether they see print is up to the publisher of course, since they add extra pages and cost. In the case of maps or illustrations, they may also have to commission an artist, unless the author is particularly adept at drawing. Though hand-drawn maps have a charm of their own – check out Tolkien's maps in The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings.
Typical appendices include:
What others have you seen? Please comment below and let me know.
Such items are commonplace in fantasy and sci-fi novels, where readers enjoy feasting on maps of the imaginary world. In a great quest novel, I always have a bookmark on the map page(s) and flick back and forth as the characters move from place to place. But then I have always loved maps. Glossaries can help explain alien terminology or science, or translate common slang in an urban fantasy novel. Pronunciation guides can be useful too. How many times have you happily pronounced a character or place name from a book, only to be totally surprised when you hear the author say it with an entirely different inflection? A friend of mine thought that J.K. Rowling's Hermione character was pronounced HERM-EE-OWN, until she saw the movies. You could argue that it doesn't really matter, but it's interesting to appreciate the author's intent.
Maps aren't just for worlds. They can be on the micro level too. That assault on the evil sorcerer's fortress can have a new perspective if the author provides floor plans. Literary purism suggests that the narrative should convey the scene adequately for every reader, but what's the harm in a map reminding us that the wizard's tower was on the opposite side of the castle from the temple spire?
Maps and glossaries don't only apply to fantasy and sci-fi. What about a map of the island for that contemporary thriller set in a Russian arctic research facility? Historical fiction could benefit from a Timeline, glossary or family trees. And what did that mid-west town look like in Victorian times? How about a street map with important buildings labelled?
Are these extras helpful and informative, or distraction and spoilers? Let me know what you think.