Publishing jargon often feels like a secret code meant to keep newcomers out of the club. For UK writers especially, terms like ISBN or imprint can sound as confusing as ancient runes – and that’s exactly the point for some in the industry. Don’t worry: this guide has publishing jargon explained in plain English (with a dash of humour and sarcasm). We’ll walk you through the key terms without the elitist gobbledygook, proving it’s really just book-business basics – not rocket science. Think of this as the cheat-sheet that finally cuts through the nonsense. (Spoiler: there really is a workbook that does exactly this – more on that at the end.)

Publishing Jargon Explained: Why It’s a Barrier for New Authors

Every industry has its lingo, but book publishing takes it to extremes. New writers often find themselves nodding along at meetings where everyone else knows the secret handshake. In publishing, simple concepts are cloaked in fancy terms – and that can act like a velvet rope to keep out “outsiders.”

In fact, a recent analysis found that 94% of authors who paid to publish ended up losing money, with the average loss around £1,861 . That’s no accident. Between the endless stream of confusing terms and the mountains of unnecessary “advice,” many writers end up broke before their book even hits Amazon .

It’s time to remove the blindfold.

Plain English Publishing Glossary

Below is your no-nonsense translation guide to the most common (and most pointless) bits of publishing jargon.

ISBN (International Standard Book Number)

A 13-digit number that identifies your book to booksellers and libraries . If your book was a tin of beans, the ISBN would be the barcode. Nothing mystical here.

Imprint

A fancy name for a brand under a publisher . Think Penguin Classics or Puffin Books – just marketing labels pretending to be fiefdoms.

Advance

An upfront payment against future royalties . Traditional publishers offer advances. Self-publishers get... well, a receipt for buying their own lunch.

Royalty

The tiny slice of money you earn per book sale . Often calculated with the precision of a medieval tax system.

Literary Agent

A gatekeeper who introduces you to publishers and negotiates deals . Often described as "essential" – mostly because publishers refuse to open emails from unagented authors.

Metadata

The keywords, categories and information that help readers find your book . You will need this more than you think – and most people guess at it badly.

Print-on-Demand (POD)

A system where books are printed only when someone orders one . Saves you from owning a garage full of unsold novels.

The Extra-Layer of Jargon: Book Sections, Readers, Formats and Elitism

Now for the really obscure stuff you stumble into once you actually try publishing. Let’s decode the second layer of nonsense.

Obscure Terms for Sections of a Book

• Colophon: Sounds like a type of dinosaur. It is actually a tiny publisher’s logo, often placed at the back of a book. (Why not call it 'logo'? Because pretentiousness.)

• Front Matter: Everything before the story starts – title page, copyright page, dedication, preface, etc.

• Back Matter: The stuff after “The End” – acknowledgements, author bio, appendices. Yes, they made a whole jargon system just for bits before and after the story.

• Foreword: A short piece written by someone else introducing your book. Different to a Preface (written by the author). If you get confused, you are not alone.

Strange Terms for Different Types of Readers and Customers

• Trade Market: The general book-buying public. If you walk into Waterstones, congratulations, you are a “trade customer.”

• Academic Market: Universities, libraries, and educational institutions. They buy textbooks and snooty research books nobody outside of Cambridge wants to read.

• Special Sales Market: People who bulk-buy books for giveaways, promotions, or corporate gifts. Also known as: the sales that make your accountant happy.

Bizarre Terms About Book Format and Sizing

• B-format Paperback: A standard UK paperback size (around 198mm x 129mm). Why not just call it “paperback size”? No, that would be too easy.

• Royal Size: A larger paperback size (around 234mm x 156mm). Used when you want your book to look fancy – or when you cannot quite fill enough pages.

• Hardback/Dust Jacket: Hardback books with removable shiny covers that rip the first time you read them in bed.

How Traditional Publishing Looks Down on Self-Publishing

Ah, here it is: the hidden class system of publishing. Trad publishers have a set of unspoken terms (and sometimes spoken ones) they apply to self-published or independently published writers:

• "Author-Published": A polite way of saying “You paid for it yourself, darling.” Often said with a slight sneer.

• "Hybrid Author": Someone who has published both traditionally and independently. Trad houses treat these people like someone who married below their class.

• "Subsidy Publisher": Old-fashioned insult for anyone who didn’t win the agent lottery and decided to go solo.

And let us not forget the whispered horror from the literary elite: "Oh, she self-published." Followed by a slight shudder, as if self-publishing were a contagious rash rather than a rational business decision.

The truth? Today, self-published authors routinely outsell and outearn many traditionally published authors . The old gatekeepers are worried – and they should be. Because when writers realise publishing is simple, the old club falls apart.

Take Control: Demystify Publishing (and Save Thousands)

Enough jargon – let’s talk solutions. If you are fed up with paying through the nose to clueless gatekeepers, here’s the best news: there is a no-nonsense guide that demystifies the whole process for UK writers. It is called First Word Problems, and it explains publishing clearly – without treating you like an outsider.

You will learn “how to handle your own ISBNs, pricing, and print-on-demand” – basically every technical step – and “avoid every common trap in the indie publishing world” . All for less than a decent takeaway.

Do yourself a favour: buy First Word Problems today. Save thousands. Publish proudly. And finally, kick the snobs off their imaginary throne.