Publishing Jargon Every Aspiring Author Should Know
- Chona
- Oct 6
- 2 min read
Because we believe you’ll be a best-selling author, here are the common terms you’ll need to know to familiarize yourself with the world of book publishing.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels
ARCs
Advance reading copies (ARCs), as their name suggests, are unpolished copies of the book distributed to specified and chosen audiences such as reviewers, booksellers, and other authors before the official publication. ARCs are part of the author’s and their publishers’ marketing efforts to gain book endorsements, the ones you see on the cover of the book.
Verso and Recto
Verso and recto refer to which side of an open book each page lands on. Verso means the left-hand side, while recto means the right-hand side. In a standard book design, odd-numbered pages (i.e., 1, 3, 5) usually land on the recto (right side), while the even-numbered pages (i.e., 2, 4, 6) land on the verso (left side).
Blind Folio and Bleeds
A blind folio is a page, usually the copyright page, title page, and other front matter sections, that does not have a printed page number. A bleed, on the other hand, is an illustration in the book page that goes beyond the border and reaches the page’s edge.
Running Heads and Running Feet
Running heads and feet contain the book’s information (e.g., book title, chapter title, and the author’s name) at the top (head) or the bottom (foot) of the pages of the main text.
International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
The ISBN is a unique code and the book’s product identifier needed for easy referencing in listing, ordering, and stock management.
Front and Back Matter
The front matter refers to the information (e.g., copyright page, title page, acknowledgment, preface, etc.) before the main text. The back matter includes the bibliography, references, glossary, and appendices, among others.
Royalties
Royalties are payments from book sales that authors receive from their publishers. In self-publishing, however, authors don’t have to rely on royalties because they’re the ones who decide about the pricing as well as manage the general book operations, including marketing.
Literary Agent
A literary agent is a professional representative who negotiates on behalf of the author with the publisher. Agents receive commissions (usually 10–20%) from the book sales, and they are paid by the publishers, not the authors.
Now that you know these terms, have your book undergo professional editing to make it stand out to your prospective publisher and target audience. Send your draft to The Manuscript Editor and receive a complimentary 800-word sample edit today.
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