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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Auction
An auction, usually arranged by a literary agent, takes place when multiple publishing houses are interested in acquiring a manuscript and bid against one another to secure the domestic or territorial rights.
CMYK
CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) is the colour space for printed materials.
Design
When features of the book including the cover, interior artwork, images, the page layout and typesetting are decided.
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
Literary agent
Represent writers and their works. They match books to suitable publishers and negotiate publishing contracts and rights deals. They also co-ordinate the business side of publishing on behalf of authors.