Glossary

We’ve curated a glossary of terms regarding all things writing and publishing related. From commonly-used terms to abbreviations, our glossary will guide writers and people starting out in publishing, to cut through the jargon and gain a better understanding. 

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Crossover fiction
This is normally a YA (Young Adult) book which has potential for an adult readership, or vice versa. Recent examples include The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, Turtles All The Way Down by John Green, and How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff.
Emotional beat
An emotional beat is when the action of a story creates an emotional reaction in your character. The emotional beat is there to show us what will motivate our character's next action. The emotional beats of a story help to outline the arc of a character. For example, in the film Babyteeth, the inciting incident is the very first meeting between Milla and Moses. Milla falls in love very quickly with Moses. When we find Moses robbing her house in the middle of the night, her parents are angry. However, the emotional beat for her parents is seeing Milla happy and giddy with her first love. As Milla has just been diagnosed with cancer, we know that her parent's emotional beat - prioritising their daughter's happiness over their own concerns about Moses - will influence the rest of the film.
Page proofs
A set of proofs of the pages in a book used to check the accuracy of typesetting and page layout, and also as an advance promotional tool. These are commonly provided in electronic form, rather than in physical form.
Proof reader
Someone employed to carry out proofreading.