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. 

Imprint
A division of a publishing house with a distinct brand name, usually specialising in publishing titles for specific subject areas or genres. It can also refer to the publisher\'s name, which appears on the title page of a book.
Indexing
Creating an ordered or alphabetical list of subjects/topics or names, giving the page number(s) of where it is referred to in the main text of the book.
Inspection copy
A copy of a publication sent or given with time allowed for a decision to purchase or return it. In academic publishing, lecturers can request inspection copies to decide whether to make a book/textbook recommended reading or adopt it as a core textbook for their course.
ISBN
The International Standard Book Number is a 10 or 13 digit number which is assigned to books so that they can be uniquely identified internationally.
ISSN
International Standard Serial Number. An international system used on periodicals, magazines and journals. It is eight digits that refer to the country of publication and the title of the publication.