A brief summary of an article (theoretically in plain English), a standard part of most academic writing.
Active voice
When the verb focuses on what the subject of the sentence is doing.
Adaptation
Same story in a different format, typically a screen adaptation of a novel.
Advance
If you are lucky enough to be in demand by a publisher, you might be paid an advance to write your book – prior to actually writing it.
AI
Short for artificial intelligence, AI is an automated tool writers can use as a shortcut to help gather information, structure their information and even pump out a first (very bland) draft of what they want to say. It can also help summarize a large complex topic that writers need to understand, before delving deeper into their research.
All rights
The publisher holds all rights to publish in any form, but does not own the copyright.
Allegory
A method of telling a story using characters or objects to deliver a message metaphorically.
Antagonist.
Often the villain, the antagonist is the character that tries to stop the protagonist (the hero or main character) from succeeding, like Darth Vader or the Big Bad Wolf.
Alliteration
A series of words in a sentence all beginning with the same sound.
Examples: Cassie casually caressed the carefree cat; the Wicked Witch of the West went on her way to work; she sells seashells down by the seashore; Tim thought that Tammy was tired today.
Anthology.
A collection of stories compiled together, usually with a loose theme or commonality.
Assonance
Using words that have the same or very similar vowel sounds near one another (as in "summer fun" and "rise high in the bright sky"); vowels are repeated but consonants are not; popular in poetry and prose.
Attribution
Giving credit for a quote, illustration or other element to its source.
Audience
The intended reader, usually described by demographics.
Autobiography
The writer’s life story told in the first person.
Author
The person whose byline is on the work, not necessarily the same as the writer (such as when a ghostwriter has done the writing).
The most authoritative source of information on a given topic.
Category
General topic areas, broader than a genre, used to organize books in the market.
Chapter book
Any book organized into chapters, but usually referring to those targeting an audience under 12 years of age.
Characters
Sentient beings who do the action and dialogue, usually people, sometimes animals and occasionally inanimate objects.
Characterization
The method used by a writer to make a character in a story seem like a real person. Common ways for writers to illustrate characters is through their speech, dress, actions, and mannerisms.
Chick lit
Fiction written specifically for a female audience.
Citation
Reference to the source of information.
Climax
The culminating point of highest tension, or, the greatest intensity; the most exciting and important part of a story, usually occurring at or near the end. The climax is the turning point in the action.
Example: The climax of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet occurs when Romeo, seeing Juliet's body and thinking she is dead, kills himself; then, when Juliet wakes up and sees that Romeo is dead, she kills herself.
Clips
Published samples of a writer`s work.
Copy editing
Editing text for basic elements such as spelling, grammar and consistency.
Copy writing
Writing fairly straightforward text, usually for business or administrative purposes.
Copyright
The assignment of ownership of a work, generally covering the finished work and/or its execution, but not the idea behind it.
The precise/actual meaning of a word outside of the feelings it evokes; the dictionary meaning of a word or phrase. In fiction writing, writers will play off a word's denotative meaning against its connotations or implied associational implications.
Example: A four-leaf clover, rabbit's foot, and wishbone are all considered things that can bring good luck, but they themselves are not luck. Likewise, unicorns, the color white, and white doves can all have the connotation of purity, but they are not part of the actual definition of the word purity. The dictionary meaning of purity is "free from contamination" or "free from immorality, especially of a sexual nature."
Denouement
The final results of a story, once all conflicts and mysteries have been resolved.
Dialogue
Words spoken by the characters in a story.
Diction
The choice of words, especially with regard to correctness, clearness, or effectiveness, in a literary work. Writers will use words to reveal character, imply certain attitudes, convey action, demonstrate themes, and indicate values.
Draft
The complete unedited version of a text.
Dramatic Irony
Typically manifests as some type of miscommunication that occurs when the reader becomes aware of something important of which the characters in the story are not aware.
Dustjacket
Paper covering, usually in full color, covering a hardcover book.
A narration intended to enforce a useful truth. Fables frequently involve animals that speak and act like human beings.
Example: The fable of The Eagle and The Crow: A crow saw an eagle grab a lamb and take it to his nest. The crow tried the same thing but was too weak, and his feet got caught in the lamb's fur. The shepherd took the crow and put him in a cage. The moral of the story? Thoughtless imitation is dangerous.
Fair use
The use of a small portion of a work (generally less than 10 percent) for educational or illustrative purposes, with attribution, and not infringing on copyright.
Falling Action
The action in a story that occurs after the climax, thus moving it toward its resolution.
Fiction
A story about people and events that are not real; literature that tells a story that has been imagined by the writer.
Figurative Language
Language that does not mean exactly what it states but instead requires the reader to make his or her own association from the comparison.
The right to publish first, but does not preclude others from publishing at a later date. There can be qualifying first rights, such as “first electronic rights” or “first print rights” or “first North American rights”.
Font
The typeface used in a published work.
Footnote
An explanation of a point, placed at the bottom of a page.
Format
The layout aspects of a manuscript, including spacing, margins, indentations and font.
Front matter
Pages at the beginning of the book that support the manuscript, such as title page, table of contents, etc.
A softcover book, usually with a cardstock cover slightly thicker than the paper within.
Parody
An imitation of a serious work or narrative, usually written in a sarcastic or humorous fashion.
Passive voice
When the verb focuses on what is being done to the object of the sentence.
Pen name
A pseudonym that an author adopts so as not to reveal one’s real name.
Personification
Human traits assigned to an animal or inanimate object.
Pica
A measure in typesetting equal to 1/6 of an inch.
Picture book
A book with a picture on every spread, typically for young audiences.
Pitch
The approach of an author to an agent or editor. For a book, this is typically a query letter with a synopsis.
Pitch bible
A proposal, usually for a TV series, that includes the synopsis and a business case for the series.
Plagiarism
The unauthorized use of another person’s words.
Plain language
Writing for clarity, generally using simple sentence structure and common words.
Plot
The storyline. A structured sequence of events in a story, linked by cause and effect, showing how and why things happen, not just what happens,
Point
A measure in typesetting equal to 1/72 of an inch, e.g. the standard manuscript is written in a 12pt font; usually Times New Roman.
Point of view
The perspective from which a story is told. The POV determins who is narrating and how much information they can reveal, shaping and guiding the reader's experience and understanding of characters and events. primarily categorized as First Person ("I"), Second Person ("You"), and Third Person (He/She/They), with the third person further divided into Limited (one character's thoughts) and Omniscient (all characters' thoughts).
POD
See ‘print on demand’.
POV
See ‘point of view’.
Premise
The idea on which the story is based.
Print On Demand
A process of remotely printing books as they are ordered.
Print run.
The number of books or magazines printed at one time.
Proofreading
. Checking for technical errors in the text. When we proofread, we look for spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar and related items, not for style or structure.
Proposal
Summary of a book and the business case for publishing it, usually written before a manuscript is drafted.
Protagonist
The main character of the story, with whom the reader identifies, like Harry Potter or Frodo Baggins.
Pseudonym
A pen name that an author adopts so as not to reveal one’s real name.
A measure of how easy or hard a text is to read, usually based on two or three calculations.
Rejection slip
A letter sent by a publisher to an author to reject the submitted manuscript.
Reprints
Material published after having already been published elsewhere.
Rights
Ownership of a work and how it may be used.
Royalties
A percentage of revenues paid by the publisher to the author.
Run-on sentence.
A sentence that is far too long and should be broken into two or more sentences, often because the writer is not skilled enough to shorten the text or to divide it, but also sometimes just because the writer likes the sound of one’s own typing, but in other cases (such as this one) just to prove a point, or because the song the writer is listening to while writing hasn’t ended yet (my favorite reason).
Stands for “self-addressed stamped envelope”, which publishers and agents often demand that you include when you submit them a manuscript (assuming you want the manuscript returned).
Satire
A literary device to make fun of or mock something (for examples, see ‘run-on sentence’ above).
Screenplay
Full detail of a film, from dialogue through camera angles.
Script
See ‘screenplay’ above, but also the full details of a play or a video.
Self-publishing
A method of publishing whereby the author commissions books directly from a printer, publishing a work himself.
Serial.
Any publication that publishes at regular intervals. Also a killer in true crime.
Short story.
Fiction typically under 5,000 words and published in a publication along with other material, rather than as a stand-alone.
Side-by-side book
A book written in two languages, with one language version on each even page and the other language version on each odd page..
Simultaneous submissions
Sending a manuscript to multiple publishers or agents at the same time, sometimes considered acceptable and sometimes not.
Slant
The angle or perspective a writer uses to approach a story.
Small press
A publishing company other than one of the major ones, often specializing in one or a few genres.
Softcover
See ‘paperback’.
Soliloquy
A monologue, usually to reveal inner thoughts of a character, or in film used by the antagonist to give audiences the chance to prepare for the hero’s attack.
Spine
The end of a book that is visible when it is placed between two other books on a shelf.
Style.
The ensemble of characteristics that define a writer or a work, including word choice, sentence structure and literary devices.
Style sheet
A list of grammar or word use specifications for a publication.
Submission guidelines
The rules to follow when submitting a manuscript to a publisher.
Subplot
A secondary plot that contrasts with the main plot or is enfolded within the main plot.
Synopsis
A summary of a book or a screenplay’s plot, usually two to three pages long.