The straight answer
Publishing has its own language, and nobody hands you the dictionary. These are the terms first-time authors run into most, in plain English: the money words, the ways to get published, the editing stages and the words you’ll hear once your book goes on sale. Bookmark it. You’ll be back.
You’re smart. You’ve read the contracts in your own industry without breaking a sweat. Then a publisher says “your advance will be paid in thirds against delivery and acceptance” and suddenly you’re nodding like you understood. I’ve watched brilliant people do that nod for 30 yrs. This page is so you never have to do it again.
What do the money words mean?
Advance: Your royalties, paid before your book has earned them. A traditional publisher pays it up front, usually in instalments (for example, on signing, on delivering the manuscript and on publication). If the book sells fewer copies than expected, you keep the advance. You just don’t receive royalty cheques until it earns out.
Earn out: The moment your royalties add up to more than your advance. From then on, new royalties get paid to you.
Royalty: Your share of the money from each copy sold. The percentage depends on the format (print, ebook, audio) and your contract.
Royalty statement: The report your publisher sends showing what sold and what you’re owed. Many publishers send them twice a year.
List price: The cover price set by the publisher. Some royalties are calculated on list price, others on the money the publisher actually receives (often called net receipts). Read which one your contract uses.
What are the ways to get published?
Traditional publishing: A publisher buys the rights to your book, pays the costs of producing it and pays you an advance and royalties. They also make many of the final calls, including the cover.
Hybrid publishing: You pay toward the cost of publishing, and the publisher provides professional editing, design and distribution. In exchange, you usually keep more control and a bigger share of the money. Quality varies, so check what they actually deliver.
Self-publishing: You’re the publisher. You pay for and manage everything, and you keep the rights and the royalties.
Vanity press: A company that charges authors to publish and will take almost anyone. Little selection, little distribution, lots of invoices. Run.
Literary agent: The person who pitches your book to traditional publishers and negotiates your deal. Agents are paid a commission from your earnings, so you don’t pay them up front.
Query letter: A 1-page pitch you send to agents to get them interested in your book.
Book proposal: The sales document for a nonfiction book: what it’s about, who it’s for, why you’re the one to write it, a chapter outline and sample chapters. Most nonfiction is sold to publishers on a proposal before the book is finished. My guide to writing a book proposal walks through it.
Imprint: A brand name a publisher uses for a particular line of books. A big publisher can have dozens of imprints.
Rights: The specific ways your book can be published and sold: print, ebook, audio, translation, film. You can license some and keep others.
What do the editing words mean?
Manuscript: The full text of your book before it’s designed and printed.
Developmental edit: The big-picture edit. Structure, flow, what’s missing, what should go. This is where your favourite chapter gets questioned.
Line edit: Sentence by sentence. Rhythm, clarity, tone.
Copyedit: Grammar, spelling, consistency and facts.
Proofread: The last check for typos, done on the designed pages. Do it before the print run, trust me.
What do the making-the-book words mean?
ISBN: International Standard Book Number, the unique ID for your book. Each format (paperback, hardcover, ebook, audio) needs its own.
Galley: An early, typeset version of the book used for final checks.
ARC (advance reader copy): An early copy sent to reviewers, media and early readers before the book comes out.
Print run: The number of copies printed in 1 batch.
Print on demand (POD): Each copy is printed when someone orders it, so there’s no warehouse full of books.
What do the selling words mean?
Distribution: How your book gets into the systems bookstores, libraries and online retailers order from. A distributor handles this.
Buyer: The person at a bookstore chain or retailer who decides which books they’ll stock, and how many.
Sell sheet: A 1-page flyer for buyers with the cover, a short description, the author bio, the price and the ISBN.
Publication date (pub date): The official day your book goes on sale.
Pre-orders: Orders placed before the pub date. They’re delivered on publication day, which is why authors push them hard.
Frontlist and backlist: Frontlist is a publisher’s new releases. Backlist is everything older that’s still in print.
Blurb: Either the short description on the back cover or a quote praising your book from someone readers know. Context tells you which.
Bestseller list: A ranking of sales over a set period. Each list counts differently. I unpack the most famous one in How Books Really Make the NYT List.
Who are all these people helping with the book?
Book coach: Helps you write your own book. You write every word. They bring structure, deadlines and honest notes. Here’s how my book coaching works.
Co-writer: Works on the book with you. In my co-writing, you write the messy first draft and I shape it with you.
Ghostwriter: Writes the book for you, in your voice, with your name on the cover. Here’s how my ghostwriting works.
Your Next Fave Read
- Traditional, Hybrid or Self-Publishing? A Ghostwriter’s Take
- The Median Author Earns $10,000 a Year. Write the Book Anyway.
- How to Protect Your Book: A Complete Guide to IP, Copyright & Author Rights
Ready to get your wisdom into the world, however you write it? Book a free validation call and I’ll help you pick the right approach for your book and your goals: coaching, co-writing or ghostwriting. Book your free validation call
