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Publishing Glossary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Z
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Back flap—the back inner fold of a dust jacket. Often has a continuation of copy from the front flap, as well as a photo and a brief biography of the author.
Back matter—the pages in a book after the main text.
Backlist—previously published books that are still in print and available from a publisher, as contrasted to frontlist (newly published) books.
Backorder—a book order waiting to be filled when a new supply of books becomes available.
Backup—printing the second or reverse side of a sheet or page already printed on one side. Or making a computer disk to store elsewhere for safekeeping.
Bad break—an illogical or unpleasant-looking beginning or end of a page or line of type. Also, an incorrectly broken word at the end of a line.
Bar code—the Bookland EAN scanning symbol that goes on the back book cover.
Bastard title—a page on which the title stands alone with no other information. Precedes the complete title page. Also known as “half title.”
BEA—Book ExpoAmerica. The largest publishing trade show in the U.S.
Belt press—an expensive and sophisticated printing press (e.g., Cameron) that prints and binds a book in one pass.
Bestseller—a nationally popular book. Lists compiled weekly by the New York Times, as well as by Publishers Weekly, Time, and others.
Bibliography—the part of a book’s back matter listing other books or articles the author either cited or consulted in preparing the book or wishes to bring to the reader’s notice.
Binding—the way the leaves or signatures of a book are held together.
Blank—an unprinted page that is part of a signature.
Bleed—printing in which the ink color goes all the way to one or more edges of the paper.
Blue, nonreproducing pencil—a colored pencil or pen whose marks will not photograph and will “wash out” and disappear when printing. Ideal for marking camera-ready copy.
Blue penciling—a term used to refer to correcting or indicating rewrites of copy.
Blueline—a proof the printer provides to catch any errors before a book is actually printed. Consists of white letters on a blue background (or blue letters on a white background). Also called “blues,” or sometimes a “brownline,” in which case the background is brown.
Blurb—a promotional phrase, announcement, or advertisement.
Boards—the stiff board used to reinforce the covers of a hardcover book.
Boldface—heavy bold type that gives emphasis. A kind of “display type,” a larger or bolder type for heads, subheads, etc., as compared with type used in the text as a whole.
Book fair—an event where publishers rent tables to display and sell their wares.
Book handle—a short, strong statement about a book’s benefit.
Book manufacturer—a printer that specializes in the printing and binding of books.
Book packager—an individual or company contracting with publishers to handle book functions at least through camera-ready copy, and frequently beyond. Also called a “book producer.”
Bookland EAN scanning symbol—See Barcode.
Booklet—a small, softcover publication that usually has 16, 24, or 32 pages.
Bookmark—to flag a Web site for quick future reference. Also a rectangular slip of paper for keeping your place in a book; often used as a promotional piece.
Boxed—a technique for drawing attention to a certain paragraph or feature by enclosing it within a ruled box.
Bulk—the thickness of paper in number of pages per inch (PPI); also the thickness of the pages of the book, not counting the cover. Used as a verb, to make a book appear longer (thicker) than the amount of text would otherwise require by using thicker paper.
Bulletin board—a computer term referring to an electronic communication program allowing the sending and storing of information between computers.
Bullets—small black dots used to set off items in a list and make them easier to read.
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Z
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Many thanks to the glossary's authors Tom and Marilyn Ross. Copyright 2006.
Marilyn and Tom Ross co-founded SPAN and are the authors of the classic bestseller, The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing, from which this article is adapted. Click here to learn more, or call 800-331-8355 And for additional information visit www.CommunicationCreativity.com/g |
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