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
Ingram
A book and e-book distributor, and a print-on-demand service provider.
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.
Print-on-demand (POD)
The facility to print and bind books at short notice without the need for a large print run, using digital technology. When an order comes through, a digital file of the book can be printed automatically and individually.