Assisted self-publishing:

An author wishing to maintain manuscript and copyright control may hire a commercial assisted-self-publishing house to provide assistance throughout any or all of the publishing process.

 

Binder/Binding Shop:

Commercial book binding company.

 

Bleed:

Pages with images that appear to "run off" the page are said "to bleed." The process requires printing on larger paper and trimming to size.

 

Books in Print:

The title of the master book list of current in print ISBN assigned books; located at Library Reference Desks, bookstore offices, and on-line.

 

Camera-ready copy:

Layout or artwork ready for reproduction.

 

Comb Binding:

A method of binding using a plastic "comb" through rectangular holes in the paper allowing the book to open flat. Comb bindings may be screen printed with book title, author's name, etc. for ease of location on the book shelf.

 

Continuous tone art:

Artwork consisting of tone gradations from dark to light. To print on an offset printer, continuous tone images must first be "half-toned."

 

Copy Editor:

An editor who prepares final copy for the Printer.

 

Copyright:

Exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, and sell literary, artistic or musical work. Note: Present law states the author or artist owns the copyright to his or her work upon its creation unless the "work was made for hire" (owned by the employer) or until payment of an advance by a publishing house (unless stated otherwise in the contract).

 

Desk-top Publishing:

Layout and design generally done in-house and printed electronically on laser or inkjet printers.

Editor: Any of several persons who assist in the preparation of literary manuscripts (or media) for publication or presentation.

 

Four-color process printing:

A method of printing continuous tone color images on offset lithographic printers (ink).

 

Half-tone:

Process of breaking a continuous tone image into dots for printing. (Using a magnifying glass, the dots can be seen, but give the illusion of continuous tone or color to the naked eye.)

 

Hard Cover Binding:

Also known in the trade as "Case Binding." Consists of hard cardboard covered in either paper or cloth, sometimes requiring a paper dust cover "jacket" to protect the cover during handling. Hard cover book interiors are first sewn together before being glued to the cover.

 

Imprint:

As used in the book industry, a name within a Publishing House designating a division usually specializing in a particular type of book.

 

ISBN:

International Standard Book Number assigned by a publisher that allows the book to be identified in the world wide market for the purpose of cataloging, ordering, etc.

 

Layout and Design:

Artistic process placing images and/or words into camera ready copy.

 

Leather binding:

Book binding most familiar as "Bible" binding using high quality goat or deer skin leather.

 

Line Art:

Black and white artwork such as pen-and-ink or pencil drawings, etchings or engravings.

 

Masthead:

The printed matter including name, ownership, subscription rate, etc. most often displayed on the first page of a newspaper or newsletter.

 

Offset (Lithographic) Printing:

A method of quality printing using penetrating inks.

 

Paper hues and textures:

Colors (dyes) and fiber imprints (actual content or pressed patterns) in the paper rather than printed on its exterior.

 

Paper weights/quality:

Bulk manufactured roll or sheet papers are "weighed" in their variety of sizes and assigned a pound (#) number. Paper quality and weight are determined by content: cotton rag, chemical or wood pulp, or recycled paper, newsprint being the least archival. Paper weights remain quite confusing in the United States due to the fact standard comparisons between text, cover, newsprint, and bond papers have not been yet adopted.

 

Perfect Binding:

A method of binding using glue to hold the interior sheets of the book together and to a wrap-around heavier paper cover. The quality of the paper, adhesive, and process determine the quality of the binding: Quality Paper Back vs. Mass Market (newsprint paper, less glue). Book titles and author's names generally appear on the spine.

 

Press run/Print run:

Number of copies to be printed, usually in increments of 500, 1000, 5000, etc.

 

Print Shop: Commercial printer.

 

Publishing House:

Any of the large commercial publishers that purchase manuscripts through agents or from authors, or pay an advance. Publishing Houses make all editorial decisions regarding content and style, pay all production and distribution costs, and own the copyright. When the book sells, the Publishing House may deduct advances paid from royalties due the author at the rate of 5-10% of wholesale or retail prices depending upon the contract.

 

Quality Paperback Book:

Also known as a "Trade Paperback"; a book conforming to industry standards for paper quality and binding.

 

Quick Copy:

Any of a number of fast copy products where the ink lays on top of the paper instead of penetrating into the paper.

 

Screen Print:

Process of applying ink to plastic comb spines (and T-shirts).

 

Self publishing:

A book designed, printed, distributed and paid for from beginning to end by its author.

 

Spine:

Back of the book visible when book is on a shelf.

 

Spiral Binding:

A method of binding using either plastic or metal spirals through circular holes in the paper allowing the book to open flat.

 

Stapled Binding:

Books folded and stapled without spines, usually 36 pages or less.

 

Subsidy Publisher:

By definition, any publishing house that publishes books for a fee. Like the large publishing houses, a subsidy press maintains editorial control, publishes and distributes the book under its name, but authors usually retain copyright ownership. Authors pay all publishing costs. Depending upon the contract, subsidy publishers may pay royalties or give the author 50-100 books as remuneration.

 

Trade name:

Name registered with United States Department of Commerce, Patent and Trademark Office.

 

Typesetting:

Term originally referred to the setting of lead type for printing presses or phototypesetting. With advancing technology nearly all "typesetting" is now done on the computer.

 

Vanity Press:

A waning term from the 1950's. As the name implies a "Vanity Press" is a publisher that produces books with the author paying all costs and maintaining all ownership. Vanity Presses most commonly do not allow author input other than paper color and binding style.

Sources: Canmore Press 4/12/1999; Chicago Manual of Style 1993; Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary 1991.

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