Independent Book Publishers Association - The Language of Publishing: An A-to-Z Glossary of Book Publishing Terms

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Independent Book Publishers Association
1020 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Suite 204
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Tel:310.546 .1818 Fax:310.546.3939

The
LANGUAGE
of
PUBLISHING

AN ATOZ GLOSSARY
OF BOOK PUBLISHING TERMS

Manhattan Beach, California

The content in this book is adapted from The Language of Publishing, a series of articles written by Linda Carlson that was originally published in IBPAs Independent magazine. The original articles, along with hundreds of other useful articles, are available in the Independent archives at www.ibpa-online.org.

Every effort has been made to ensure that all the information in this book is accurate at the time of publication; however, IBPA neither endorses nor guarantees the content of external links referenced in this book.

If you have questions or comments about this book, or need information about licensing, custom editions, special sales, or academic/corporate purchases, please contact the Independent Book Publishers Association.

Published by the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)
1020 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Suite 204
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
www.IBPA-online.org
310-546-1818

Copyright 2015 by the Independent Book Publishers Association.

All rights reserved. Neither this book nor any parts within it may be sold or reproduced in any form without permission.

Written by Linda Carlson
Cover Design by Dunn+Associates; Interior Design by TLC Graphics
Editing by Audrey Lintner; Proofreading by Lawrence W. Baker and Peter Vogt
Printing by Ingram Lightning Source

Stock art: pg. 11, Vectorious; pg. 48, Dover

First Edition
ISBN (ePUB): 978-1-938646-02-7
ISBN (mobi): 978-1-938646-03-4

Printed in the United States of America

For the past 30 years, the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) has been helping indie presses and self-published authors understand the ins and outs of publishing so they can compete in a meaningful way. With the publication of The Language of Publishing:

An A-to-Z Glossary of Book Publishing Terms , were pleased to add another powerful tool to the indie publishers toolkit .

There is nothing more fundamental to success in an industry than a practical understanding of its terms and jargon. The words defined here are the ones you need to know because they are the ones you use. If you are a newcomer to publishing, you may be mystified by its vocabulary and fearful of what might happen if you confuse gutters with margins or signatures with units. If you are established in your business, you may still be struggling to understand pixels vs. picas, line screens vs. dpi, or RGB vs. CMYK. And all of us sometimes have to deal with an author, an employee, or a customer who needs a translation of traditional publishing terms.

This is why IBPA developed The Language of Publishing . This book provides the foundation one needs to speak intelligently with designers, book manufacturers, wholesalers, POD specialists, and many others.

With all the changes taking place in publishing today, it is nice to know there is a resource to turn to for authoritative information and advice. IBPA is proud to serve as this resource for our 3,000 members. We welcome you to our community.

Angela Bole
Executive Director
Independent Book Publishers Association
Manhattan Beach, CA

When The Language of Publishing ran as a series of articles in IBPAs Independent magazine, the magazines staff received a great deal of positive feedback from both those new to publishing and industry veterans.

We created this helpful resource with the assistance of many. IBPA members suggested terms that had confused them or their new employees, and several members shared the resources they had compiled. I am particularly grateful to Joel Friedlander for the terms defined in his post The Language of the Book at www.thebookdesigner.com, and I extend many thanks to Pete Masterson, who provided both encouragement and a copy of his detailed Book Design and Production. Industry specialists, especially book manufacturers, suggested terms often misunderstood by customers, and helped me write definitions that make sense to all of us, whether we predate ISBNs or are new to publishing. Many of these were colleagues of Judith Appelbaum, the Independents longstanding editor who is always a source of valuable contacts.

It was with the assistance and enthusiasm of so many people that it was possible to create this resource that answers dozens of questions about design, production, distribution, royalties, discounts, and other factors that can make the difference between struggling and succeeding in publishing. Many thanks to you all.

Linda Carlson
Staff Reporter
IBPAs Independent magazine
Seattle, WA

We have worked hard to ensure this glossary is user-friendly. To this end, we have included multiple cross references for your benefit. All cross references have been noted in BOLD, ITALICIZED CAPS . If you have the eBook edition, all cross references are also hyperlinked.