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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Serialisation
All or excerpts of a book can be published in a newspaper or magazine before publication (first serialisation rights) or after publication (second serialisation rights).
Simile
Where one thing is said to be like another to invite comparison and emphasise a similarity.
A more extensive list of literary terms, with quotations from fiction and non-fiction sources showing the terms in use, is included in The Right Word: A Writer’s Toolkit of Grammar, Vocabulary and Literary Terms (Bloomsbury 2021)
© Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2021
Slush pile
Unsolicited manuscripts that are sent to publishers or agents but may not be read.
Spoonerism
When the first consonant sounds of two or more words are swapped to create a new phrase for humorous effect.
A more extensive list of literary terms, with quotations from fiction and non-fiction sources showing the terms in use, is included in The Right Word: A Writer’s Toolkit of Grammar, Vocabulary and Literary Terms (Bloomsbury 2021)
© Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2021
Sub-modifier
Adverb that indicates the intensity, degree or extent of an adjective or another adverb, for example, surprisingly in She drove surprisingly fast.
A more extensive list of grammatical terms is included in The Right Word: A Writer’s Toolkit of Grammar, Vocabulary and Literary Terms (Bloomsbury 2021)
© Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2021