By Danielle M. Angeline

(From the November 2006 issue of the Update.)

The following terms, though far from a completed list, were compiled for the education of those writers who are new to the industry. They were gathered from the following websites:

http://aalbc.com/writers/publishing_glossary.htm

http://www.peacecorpswriters.org/pages/depts/resources/resour_writers

Acquisition Editors - A person at a publishing company in charge of reviewing and rating incoming manuscripts for possible publication and then supervises the publication process.

Advance: A sum paid to the author in anticipation of royalty earnings.

Agent: A person who sells your work to a publishing house for a fee of 10% - 15% of the writer’s entire income from the work.

Blurb: Abbreviated, positive review of the book appearing on the back cover.

Book Proposal: Package submitted to an agent, editor, or publisher for consideration; usually includes a cover letter, synopsis, outline, sample chapters, and a SASE.

Content Edit: An edit of a book that checks the flow of the text, its organization, continuity, and content.

Copy Edit: An edit that checks for grammar, spelling, punctuation and other “typos.”

Copyright: Legal protection given to intellectual rights such written and published works in a variety of forms such as books, audio, and software.

Cover Art: The design of the book jacket.

Cover Letter: A brief letter accompanying a manuscript containing a paragraph about you and a paragraph about the manuscript.

Distributor: A company that buys books from a publisher or other distributors and resells them to retail accounts.

Epilogue: Additional text at the end of the book, that provides readers with additional information on the subject.

Final draft: The last version of a polished manuscript ready for submission to an agent, editor, or publisher.

Font: The typeset used in page design.

Foreign Rights: Rights granted or sold that allows books to be printed and sold in other countries.

Front Matter: The series of pages that appear before the body of text.

Galley: The pre-publication copies sent to the author for final proofreading or to reviewers for pre-publication reviews.

Genre: A specific category of literature, marked by a distinctive style form or content.

Graphics: The non-type parts of a book such as drawings, illustrations, photographs, charts, and clip art used to enhance the content of a book.

Hard Copy: A print out of the manuscript.

Imprint: The name of the publishing company on the title page.

ISBN: International Standard Book Number- An identification number code uniquely assigned to every book.

List Price: The retail sales price printed on your book.

Manuscript: The book in typewritten or word processing form; double-spaced, with numbered pages.

Marketing Plan: A book’s selling plan that includes a budget, synopsis of book, target audience, distribution, promotion, timeline and how you will create demand.

Mass Market: A small format paperback edition usually sold in airports, grocery stores, and drug stores.

Media Kit: See Press Kit.

Partial: A portion (up to the first 3 chapters) of your manuscript sent to an editor or agent (usually by request).

Press Kit: Provides reporters, reviewers, bookstore managers, and others information on the book. It includes a press release, author biography, book cover, testimonials, etc.

Proofreader: Checks the manuscript to make certain that the copy is correct and verified before final printing.

Publication Date: The date set, usually after actual printing of the book, announcing when the book will be available to its audience.

Publicity: A marketing technique using free advertising outlets such as press releases.

Publisher: The person or company responsible for the entire process of producing books. Includes overseeing the writing, editing, design, production, printing and marketing of the book.

Query: A letter or email to an editor or agent proposing what you written, sparking interest so they request a partial.

Review: A critical evaluation of a book.

Review Copy: A free copy given away to be reviewed.

Royalties: Percentage of the sales price earned by the author on sold copies, charged against the advance until it is earned out.

SASE: Self Addressed Stamped Envelope; included when submitting a query or proposal to an editor or agent.

Simultaneous submission: Material sent to several agents, editors or publishers at the same time.

Slush pile: Editor’s term for their collection of unsolicited manuscripts.

Synopsis: Brief summary of a story or novel; approximately one page per 10,000 words.

Unsolicited manuscript: Material sent to an editor, agent, or publisher without request.