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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Edition
A quantity of books printed without changes to the content. A 'new edition' is a reprint of an existing title that incorporates substantial textual alterations. Originally one edition meant a single print run, though today an edition may consist of several separate printings, or impressions.
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
Out of print or o.p.
Relating to a book of which the publisher has no copies left an which is not going to be reprinted. Print-on-demand technology, however, means that a book can be kept 'in print' indefinitely.
Page proofs
A set of proofs of the pages in a book used to check the accuracy of typesetting and page layout, and also as an advance promotional tool. These are commonly provided in electronic form, rather than in physical form.
Proof reader
Someone employed to carry out proofreading.