What are you Writing?

Check out our new tabs to get  in-depth information on different genres.

Fiction - Literary work produced by the imagination that is not necessarily based on fact.
Non -Fiction - Account of fact-based events
Creative Non-Fiction - Nonfictional writing that uses an innovative approach to the subject and creative language.
Children - writing for children 0 - young adult. I suggest visiting the SCBWI website for more detail

Writing Terms

ARC - Advance Review Copy
Bio - A sentence or brief paragraph about the writer, can include education and work experience.
Category Fiction - a term used to include all types of fiction.
Fair use - A provision of the copyright law that says short passages from copyrighted material maybe used without infringing on the owner's rights.
Galleys - The first typeset version of a manuscript that has not yet been divided into pages.
Hi-Lo - A type of fiction that offers a high level of interest for readers at a low reading level.
Imprint - Name applied to a publisher's specific line of books.


Backlist - A publishers list of books that were not published during the current season, but are still in print.
Clips - Samples, usually from newspapers or magazines, of a writers published work.
Feature - An article giving the reader information of human interest rather than the news.
Genre - Refers either to a general classification of writing, such as a novel or a poem, or to the categories within those classifications.
Imprint - Name applied to a publisher's specific line of books.

Agent - A liaison between a writer and editor or publisher. An agent shops a manuscript around, receiving a commission when the manuscript is accepted. Agents usually take a 10-15% fee from advance and royalties.
Boilerplate - A standard contract.
Circulation - The number of subscribers to a magazine.
Front list - A publishers list of books that new to the current season.
Imprint - Name applied to a publisher's specific line of books.

Advance - A sum of money a publisher pays a writer prior to the publication of a book. It is usually paid in installments, such as half on signing the contract and half on delivery of a complete and satisfactory manuscript.
Chap book - A small booklet - usually paperback- of poetry, ballads or tales.
Cover letter - A brief letter that accompanies the manuscript being sent to an agent or editor.
Electronic submissions - A submission made by e-mail or on disk.
Filler - A short item used by an author to "fill" out a newspaper column or magazine page. It could be a joke, anecdote,etc.

Byline - Name of the author appearing with the published piece.
Hook - Aspect of the work that sets it apart from others and draws in the reader.
Novella - A short novel or a long short story; approximately 7,000 to 15,000 words
Query - A letter that sells an idea to an editor or agent. Usually it's brief, no more than one page, and uses attention-getting prose.
Slush Pile - The stack of unsolicited or misdirected manuscripts received by an editor or book publisher.
Tear sheet - Page from a magazine or newspaper containing your printed story, article, poem or ad.
Unsolicited manuscript - a story, article, poem or book that an editor did not specifically ask to see.