The idea of having a book published is often equal parts exhilarating and confusing. All the lingo and industry terms being thrown around can seem a bit overwhelming, but rest assured that it doesn’t have to be. Below are some of the more common words and phrases you’re likely to encounter when dealing with a publisher or agent. Go forth with confidence (and hopefully a stellar book deal)!

Acquisition
This is when a publisher officially buys the right to publish a book (or series of books) from an author. Publishers regularly hold acquisitions meetings to discuss particular books and whether they will go ahead with the offer to acquire them. The meetings are typically held in conjunction not only with editors but also those working in sales, production, and marketing to come up with a whole book plan before choosing whether to make an offer.

ARC
Before your book is ready to go to the printer, the publisher will send out an earlier draft to drum up excitement for the upcoming final product. This may sound scary since an ARC is not fully edited, but it’s necessary to get the word out about your book in advance. So who, exactly, will see the ARC? Usually book reviewers and other members of the media in order to critique it, as well as booksellers who are considering ordering copies for their stores.

Blurb
Also known as cover copy, this is the short block of text on the back of the book that tells potential readers what the story is about. While it is designed to give hints of the plot and characters, the blurb is specifically designed to draw readers’ interest and lead them to purchase and read the book. This is also where you’ll sometimes see quotes from other authors, readers, or reviewers that praise the book.

Crossover fiction
Novels that are considered able to successfully cross over into multiple age demographics are labeled as crossover fiction. This means that a young adult book, for example, could also appeal to (and could thus also be marketed toward) adult readers. Sometimes it runs the opposite way, as well, when a novel that originally targets adults could also appeal to a younger teen audience.

Earn out
Chances are you’ve heard about the tantalizing perk that all authors covet: an advance. This is when a chunk of money is paid up front to an author with the promise of a new manuscript. When the author signs a contract that includes such an advance, the author must then earn back or earn out the advance that they were given before the writer will receive any portion of their royalties (see below) from book sales.

ISBN
An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is a unique thirteen-digit number given to each book in order to help identify it. These numbers are searchable in libraries, bookstores, or directly through the publisher and will differ for each of the book’s formats. For example, a paperback version of a novel will have a different ISBN than its ebook counterpart, which will have a different ISBN than its hardcover version.

Imprint
Publishing companies usually consist of several smaller companies called houses that operate independently of each other and have their own individual teams, including editorial, marketing, sales, and more. These houses will also typically have a few different imprints that specialize in particular genres (think romance, sci-fi, etc.). Depending on the publishing house’s size, it could have a handful of imprints or dozens.

Literary agent
This is the person hired to manage an author’s works and career, from putting them in touch with reputable editors to pitching their book to publishers to negotiating contracts on the writer’s behalf. They essentially act as the liaison between the creative process of the author and the logistical operations of getting the work into print and out onto bookshelves.

Obtaining a literary agent is particularly important because most publishing houses will not take unsolicited manuscripts. In other words, they will only consider book drafts that have been submitted via an agent—otherwise, the sheer volume of manuscripts would prove too much. As payment, literary agents usually arrange to receive a certain percentage of the writer’s advance and/or royalties.

Prelims
Prelims refer to the first pages of a book before the actual story begins. You know how sometimes you have to flip through quite a few pages—some of which include the copyright page, the title page, a list of other works by the author, a dedication—before you get to the meat of the book itself? All those pages taken together are the prelims. Sometimes these pages are also called the front matter.

Royalties
Royalties are the amount of money you will receive as an author from the publisher. It is usually calculated as a percentage of the price for which your book is sold. While the exact payment plan (both the percentage and the frequency with which it’s paid) will be spelled out in the writer’s contract, authors are typically paid their royalties every six months or so.

Slush pile
This is the name given to the (often giant) stack of unsolicited manuscripts sent to literary agents, editors, and publishers to review that they haven’t yet gotten around to reading. When researching potential agents to represent you, just remember to make sure that they not only have the proper expertise in shopping around your particular genre of book but also that they are even excepting new manuscripts in the first place.

 
Andrea Moran lives outside of Nashville with her husband and two kids. She’s a professional copywriter and editor who loves all things books. Find her on LinkedIn.