Terms to Know

Check out our new tabs for 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

# 10 Envelope – A standard, business sized envelope.

Advance – A sum of money a publisher pays a writer prior to the publication of a book. It is usually paid in installments.
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 the advance and royalties.
ARC – Advance review copy.
Assignment – Editor asks a writer to produce a specific article for an agreed-upon fee.

Back list – A publisher’s list of its books that are not published during the current season, but are still in print.
Bio – A sentence or brief paragraph about the writer; can include education and work experience.
Boilerplate – A standardized contract.
Byline – Name of the author appearing with the published piece.

Category fiction – A term used to include all types of fiction.
Circulation – The number of subscribers to a magazine.
Clips – Samples, usually from newspapers or magazines, of a writers published work.
Commercial novels – Novels designed to appeal to a broad audience. These are often broken down into categories as western, mystery and romance.
Contributor’s copies – Copies of the issues of magazines sent to the author in which their work appears.
Copy editing – Editing a manuscript for grammar, punctuation, printing style and factual accuracy.
Cover letter – A brief letter that accompanies the manuscript being sent to an agent or editor.

Electronic submissions – A submission made by modem or on computer disk – Example E-mail.
Fair use – A provision of the copyright law that says short passages from copyrighted material may be used without infringing on the owner’s rights.
Feature – An article giving the reader information of human interest rather than news.
Filler – A short item used by an editor to “fill” out a newspaper column or magazine page.
Front list – A publishers list of books that are new to the current season.

Galleys – The first typeset version of a manuscript that has not yet been divided into pages.
Genre – Refers either to general classifications of writing, such as the novel or poem, or to the categories within those categories.
Ghost writer – A writer who puts into literary form an article, speech, story or book based on another person’s idea’s or knowledge.

Hi-lo – A type of fiction that offers a high level of interest for readers at a low reading level.
Honorarium – Token payment. A small amount of money, a byline or copies of the publication.
Hook – Aspect of the work that sets it apart from others and draws in the reader.

Imprint – Name applied to a publisher’s specific line of books.

Kill fee – Fee for a complete article that was assigned and then canceled.

Lead time – The time between the acquisition of a manuscript by an editor and its actual publication.

Marketing fee – Fee charged by some agents to cover marketing expenses. It may be used to cover postage, telephone calls, faxes, photocopies or any other expenses incurred in marketing the manuscript.
Mass market – Non-specialized books wide appeal directed toward a large audience.
Mid list – Those titles on a publishers list that are not expected to be big sellers, but are expected to have limited to modest sales.
Multiple contract – Book contract with an agreement for future book(s).
Multiple submissions – Sending more than one book or article idea to a publisher at the same time.

Net royalty – A royalty payment based on the amount of money a book publisher receives on the sales of a book after bookseller’s discounts, special sales discounts, and returns.

On spec – An editor expresses interest in a proposed article idea and agrees to consider the finished piece for publication “on speculation.” The editor is under no obligation to buy the finished manuscript.
One time rights – Rights allowing a manuscript to be published one time. The work can be sold again by the writer with out violating the contract.
Option clause – A contract clause giving the publisher the right to publish an author’s next book.

Payment on acceptance – The editor sends you a check for your article, story or poem as soon as he decides to publish it.
Payment on publication – The editor doesn’t send you a check for your material until it is published.
Pen name – The use of a name other than your legal name on articles, stories or books. Also called a pseudonym.
Platform – A writers speaking experience, interview skills, website and other abilities which help form a following of potential buyers for that author’s book.
Proofreading – Close reading and correction of a manuscript’s typographical errors.
Proposal – A summary of a proposed book submitted to a publisher, particularly used for non-fiction manuscripts. A proposal often contains an individualized cover letter, one page chapter outline, and one to three sample chapters.

Query – A letter that sells an idea to an editor or agent. Usually a brief one page used to gain attention.

Remainders – Copies of a book that are slow to sell and can be purchased from the publisher at a reduced price.
Reprint rights – The rights to republish a book after its initial printing.

SASE – Self-addressed, stamped envelope should be included in all correspondence.
Self-publishing – In this arrangement the author pays for manufacturing, production and marketing of his book and keeps the income derived from the book sales.
Serial – Published periodically, such as a newspaper or magazine.
Serial rights – The right for a newspaper or magazine to publish sections of a manuscript.
Simultaneous submissions – Sending the same article, story or poem to several publishers at the same time. Some publishers refuse to consider such submissions.
Slush pile – The stack of unsolicited or misdirected manuscripts received by an editor or book publisher.
Subsidiary rights – All rights other than book publishing rights included in a book publishing contract, such as paperback rights, book club rights and movie rights. Part of an agent’s job is to negotiate those rights and advise you on which to sell and which to keep.
Synopsis – A brief summary of a story, novel or play. As part of a book proposal, it is a comprehensive summary condensed in a page or a page and a half, single spaced.

Tear sheet – Page from a magazine or newspaper containing your printed story, article, poem or ad.
TOC – Table of Contents.
Trade book – Either a hardcover or soft cover book; subject matter frequently concerns a specific interest for the general audience; sold mainly in bookstores.
Trade paperback – A soft-bound volume, usually around 5 X 8, published and designed for the general public; available mainly in bookstores.

Unsolicited manuscript – A story, article, poem or book that an editor did not specifically ask to see.