Publishing has a lot of jargon we take for granted because we’re around it ALL the time. Over the weekend I was asked a few questions, so here are some definitions if you’re seeing things floating around twitter or the blogosphere and feel out of the loop…
Please note: This list isn’t all inclusive, so if there’s something you’re a little unsure of – or if there’s something you’d like to include – please ask or add it in the comments.
Agatha Awards = awards for mystery and crime writers who write via the same method as Agatha Christie (i.e. closed setting, no sex or violence, amateur detective).
ARC = Advanced Reader Copy. (These are used for book reviews.)
ALA = American Library Association (they have a GREAT annual conference)
Auction = when more than one publisher offer on the same project and bid against each other.
BEA = Book Expo of America (it’s like Disney World for new books, check the link out.)
Beta Reader = a person who reads your manuscript with a critical eye, with the aim of improving grammar, spelling, etc.
Critique = in-depth feedback on areas where you can improve your manuscript.
Critique Partner = someone who you exchange manuscripts with to offer helpful feedback.
Edgar = Award given for the best in the mystery genre.
Elevator Pitch = is a short summary used to quickly and simply describe your book.
Full = when an agent requests your entire manuscript
Frankfurt = Frankfurt Book Fair aka the largest book and media fair in the world.
Hook = One sentence pitch on what your book is about. (The more gripping, the better.)
Hugo = Award given for the best Science Fiction or Fantasy novel from the previous year
MS = Abbreviation for manuscript
MWA = Mystery Writers of America
Nebula = award given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year.
Partial = when an agent requests part of your manuscript. (Normally they will specify how many pages to send them. I.e. 50 pages.)
Pre-empt = a preemptive offer from a publisher. (Usually a large sum to avoid going to auction.)
Query Letter = a 3-5 paragraph business letter that introduces your book, a short author bio, and reason for contacting a particular literary agent. Normal length is 250-350 words. (check out QueryShark for excellent examples.)
RWA = Romance Writers of America
SCBWI = Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
SFWA = Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Sublist = submission list. (Your agent sends you a list of publishing houses/imprints that are currently considering your manuscript.)
Synopsis = extended summary of your book. (Including the ending.) (The best examples of summaries are on wikipedia for any given movie.) Usually range in length from 1-5 pages, single spaced. The tighter the better.)
WIP = Work In Progress
Great sites for writers to check out:
Absolute Write: A wonderful forum/community for writers at any stage in the game. Ask any writing/publishing question/share your work & find critique partners, and do research before querying agents here. (Not to mention meeting and hanging around with other amazing/knowledgeable writers.)
Chuck Sambuchino’s Guide to Literary Agents Blog: A fantastic resource for new agent alerts, and tips for EVERYTHING.
Hey, there’s a dead guy in the living room blog: I’m going to link you to my agent’s (Barbara Poelle) blogging days here. I may be biased, but I think reading through her blog archives is AMAZING.
Miss Snark: The mysterious secret agent who will live on in blogger history. She may not be blogging anymore, but there’s a WEALTH of information worth checking out.
Nathan Bransford: This former mega-agent’s (now author) blog is the guide to publishing BIBLE. Countless hours were spent there when I first started researching everything I could about publishing. It’s like the Holy Grail of the book world. Seriously.
Preditors and Editors: If there’s one site you add to your MUST list before querying, it’s this one. It’s a great resource for finding agents/agencies that are not scammers.
Pub Rants: Agent Kristin Nelson dishes on everything industry related. There are also some great examples of query letters that worked posted on the sidebar.
Publishers MarketPlace: I highly recommend that you get a subscription. Daily deals are posted as well as breaking industry news. I peruse my Pub Lunch every single day.
QueryShark: A phenomenal blog dedicated to the art of crafting a great query letter, run by super agent Janet Reid.
Query Tracker: Keep track of your query letters, search for agents who represent your genre, and hang around other writers in the query trenches. Another amazing site that has a forum where you can have your query letter critiqued by your peers.
Writer Beware: Is basically a watchdog blog for writers to avoid scammers and bad eggs. Highly recommended.
Great post. Wish I had this ‘cheat sheet’ when I’d started on this journey! I also wish Barbara still blogged at ‘dead guy.’ I pretty much pee my pants every time I read one of her old posts. Which is fine, I blame the wet spot on the toddler. ANYWAY.
I saw Barbara’s tweet about your sublist and wish I had been drinking something so I TOO could spill my drink! So excited for you!
Alex! I just saw your BIG news – CONGRATS!!!! Welcome to the team, I’m excited to be agent sisters!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You made an excellent choice with agents 🙂
Yay! I knew all but two of those terms! So, I got like an 80 on the quiz, right? Can I haz a twinkie now? ❤(◕‿◕)❤
LOOOOOOOLZ of course you can haz a twinkie now! OMG I JUST THOUGHT OF SOMETHING… we need to make a twinkie cocktail!!! We can celebrate things like, hmmm… YOUR BEAUTIFUL BOOK COVER WITH OUR SIGNATURE DRINK!!!! xoxoxoxo
I loves you, Twinkie. (Just now seeing this while doing a google search on my book cover… hee).
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