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. 

Soft proof
A soft proof is a non-hard copy, sample of a job which is displayed on a calibrated and high-definition screen.
Spiral binding
Wire or plastic is spiralled through holes punched along the binding side.
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
 
Subject
The thing that a sentence is about. It can be represented by a noun, a noun phrase, a pronoun, or something that is nominalised by the use of punctuation. An example is The floating restaurant in The floating restaurant has re-opened.   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