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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Ghostwriting
When a book is written up by an uncredited writer, from interviews with the credited author or the credited author\'s draft and notes. The uncredited writer will write as if the credited author is the narrator. This is often done for life stories or autobiographies.
Imperative
The mood of verbs used in commands and requests. In English verbs the form of the imperative is identical to the infinitive.
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
Sample assessment
In self-publishing, this is often free and can refer to when the author receives a sample of the editor’s work (eg. examples of their comments on two to three pages of the author's manuscript), so that the author can decide whether to purchase that editorial service. It can also refer to when editors assess a sample of the author's work to see what service suits the author's writing best.
Self-publishing providers
Companies which provide editorial, design, marketing, distribution and e-book services for authors.