Glossary
We’ve curated a glossary of terms regarding all things writing and publishing related. From commonly-used terms to abbreviations, our glossary will guide writers and people starting out in publishing, to cut through the jargon and gain a better understanding.
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Advance
Money paid by a publisher to an author before the book is published. The author usually does not receive any further royalties until the amount of the advance payment has been reached by sales of the book.
Advance Information sheet
A sales and marketing document which contains information about the content and format of the book, as well as key selling points, intended audience, promotions and reviews that is circulated to sales reps, potential retailers and customers.
Adverb
Word that modifies a verb, an adjective, another adverb or a clause, for example, happily. Adverbs usually characterise relationships between words and give such information as when, where, why and how.
A more extensive list of grammatical terms is included in The Right Word: A Writer’s Toolkit of Grammar, Vocabulary and Literary Terms (Bloomsbury 2021)
© Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2021
Affix
Element that is bound to a word and changes its meaning, or produces an inflection or derivative of the word. It may be a prefix, such as non- or a suffix, such as -ism.
A more extensive list of grammatical terms is included in The Right Word: A Writer’s Toolkit of Grammar, Vocabulary and Literary Terms (Bloomsbury 2021)
© Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2021
Alliteration
The repeated use of the same vowel or consonant, especially at the beginning of a series of words, to create a distinct rhythm.
A more extensive list of literary terms, with quotations from fiction and non-fiction sources showing the terms in use, is included in The Right Word: A Writer’s Toolkit of Grammar, Vocabulary and Literary Terms (Bloomsbury 2021)
© Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2021