Common Phrases in the Lit World
In today’s culture, we love to take shortcuts. Self-publishing is very popular and effective for some, but it’s easy to get caught in the literary world as a novice when you don’t know the lingo. Below are a few common words and phrases you may run into that you may want to know.
COMMON PHRASES IN THE LIT WORLD
BETA READER = SOMEONE WHO READS YOUR WORK BEFORE IT IS PUBLISHED FOR THE PURPOSE OF FEEDBACK, EARLY REVIEWS, ETC.
BLEED= WHEN AN IMAGE EXTENDS TO THE EDGE OF YOUR TRIM SIZE (PAST THE MARGINS)
BLURB = THE CONTENT ON THE BACK OF YOUR BOOK
DIGEST SIZE = A BOOK THAT HAS A 5.5 X 8.5 TRIM SIZE
FORMAT = THE SIZE OF YOUR MARGINS AND TRIM SIZE OF YOUR BOOK
GENRE = WHAT CATEGORY YOUR BOOK FITS INTO, IT CAN HAVE MORE THAN ONE
MARGINS = SPACE BETWEEN YOUR TEXT/CONTENT AND THE EDGES OF YOUR PAGE
QUERY = AN INQUIRY SENT TO AN AGENT OR PUBLISHER WHEN YOU WANT THEIR REPRESENTATION
POD = PRINT ON DEMAND
ROYALTY = THE PERCENTAGE OF THE PROFIT THAT AN AUTHOR GETS FOR THEIR WORK WHEN TRADITIONALLY PUBLISHED
TRADE SIZE = A BOOK THAT HAS A 6X9 TRIM SIZE
TRIM SIZE = THE WIDTH AND HEIGHT OF YOUR BOOK
SYNOPSIS = A BRIEF SUMMARY OF YOUR BOOK, LONGER THAN THE BLURB AND GIVES MORE DETAIL. USUALLY SUBMITTED WITH A QUERY.
WIP = WORK IN PROGRESS
YA= YOUNG ADULT INTEREST; TYPICALLY 12-18