Book Publishers Key Terms
Resources for common terminology in book publishing
For anyone within the book publishing industry, words are important in a number of ways. Of course, the primary product of the industry is just that, words. And the tools at the disposal of various agents, writers and publishers are more words. Some of the more obscure contractual terms can be confusing, so it's a great resource for authors and others who may be on the fringe of the industry to have online glossaries to help pin down any words that may seem cryptic.People looking to get more knowledge of book publishers terms are often authors or writers wondering how a contract works. Anyone can get hold of these lists of book publishers key terms from online educational sites that provide a window into how business gets done in the world of a book publishing company. Sites produce online glossaries:
1. For terms from a writer's perspective to help clarify what kinds of reprint rights and other valuables are being bought and sold.
2. Lists of terms illustrating how each person contributes to a book publishing company process.
3. Technical terms business book publishers or other book press companies might use that may sound foreign to others outside the industry.
Learn publication rights terms for dealing with a book publishing company
What's First Serial Rights? Or First North American Rights? What about reprints? Web use? These questions come up all the time in the book publisher industry. A lot of the answers are available online from a variety of providers.
Try: Find out about book publisher terms at J. Kelman's Writers Center. You can also find this type of glossary at colleges and schools, such as Washburn University and on association sites like the Copyright Clearance Center.
Find other helpful book publishing glossaries
For some of the terms that writers would generally use, or for clarifying the relationship between writers and agents, look for some specialized glossaries and information pages from the perspective of a writer.
Try: The PoeWar writer's glossary provides a lot of terms on clarifying job titles, different careers within the writing industry. The helpful page at LauraWrites outlines book publishers key terms from a writer's point of view.
Find more detailed lists of terms used to publish a book
Other commercial book publishers have posted their own lists to get the public educated about the lingo of doing business for printing books. These are great resources, as they represent some of the most challenging jargon a company might use in contracts to publish books and other communications.
Try: Booksurge provides a thorough glossary of common industry terms from the publisher's perspective. You can find a lot of the obscure terms a publisher uses in this alphabetized directory. Learn more from the African American Literature Book Club online.
- For anyone wanting to enter a contract or get the attention of book publishers, beyond just learning the terms, it's important to learn how to market a book. This specialized process is not always intuitive, and some in depth research may be necessary.
Copyright © 2011 Business.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
