Terminology of the
Book
(adapted from www.maxdelta.com)
A | B
| C |
D | E
| F |
G | H
| I |
L |
M | P
| S |
T | U
| V |
W | Y
A
ARC (Advanced Reading Copy)
with or without decorated wrappers:
Before a book is published, mock-ups are
produced for industry and promotional use.
ARC's usually, but not always, have undecorated,
stiff paper wrappers with plain black
lettering on their covers; are uncorrected;
can lack illustrations, page numbering,
or indices and other matter that will appear
in their regular trade edition. The standard
publishing course is proof, advance reading
copy, and publication.
Association Copy:
Refers to a book which was owned by or came
from the library of a person of some public
notoriety or who has had a professional
relationship with the author. Usually an
author’s gift inscription to that
person is sufficient evidence of ownership.
B
Backstrip:
A strip of cloth or paper that is glued
all-around (or into) a section of a book
to reinforce the paper when it is sewn. Also
known as a Guard which prevents the thread
from ripping through the section. The term
backstrip is often wrongly applied when
referring to a book's spine
title area.
Bastard Title: See Half-title.
Biblio: Relating or having
to do with books; from the Greek.
Biblioklept: A person
who compulsively steals books.
Bibliomaniac: A person
who obsessively collects books.
Bibliophile: A person
who has great affection for books.
[TOP]
Binding options: The process
by which the text-block
(or sections) are secured to the outer case
or exterior covering of a book. Binding
also refers to the style of covers, or the
outer casing of a book, as in hard-bound,
paper-bound, soft-bound.
Perfect Bound
Softcover and the most popular binding method.
The edges are roughed and a hot glue strip
is applied. Then the cover is added. Perfect
bound books lie flat.
Case Binding
Hardback cover - For case bound books, printed
signatures are folded and sewn. The binding
side is never shaved like in perfect
binding. That is why you cannot
get the same inside margins for perfect
bound books and case bound books. Hard cover
cases are made by applying glue to binders
boards and wrapping colored cloth around
them. The cases are usually stamped on the
front and the spine with colored foil stamping
(usually the title & author). Endsheets
(folded sheets of heaver stock than the
text) are glued to the front and back of
the sewn pages and then trimmed on 3 sides
(top, front and bottom). Just like in perfect
bound books, this 3 sided trim
gives the pages a smooth and clean edge.
The front and back endsheets are now glued
to the inside of the cases to attach the
cases to the trimmed and sewn pages. You
now have a complete case bound book.
Mechanical Binding
Primarily used for short run Docu-Teching,
or P.O.D (Print-On
Demand). It is basically spiral
binding or rivet binding. It is acceptable
for the office place but not the commercial
book market.
Saddle Stitched
Staple-bound is appropriate for manuals,
booklets and pamphlets under 100 pages.
Binding types:
Quarter binding:
leather spine
extending a few inches on to the paper or
cloth covered boards.
Half-binding with fore-edge
trim: leather spine
and fore edge with cloth or paper covered
sides.
Half-binding with corners:
leather spine
and corners with cloth or paper covered
sides.
Binding copy: A book which
requires a new case,
and is worth a re-binding.
Blind-stamping:
A depressed mark or decoration on the binding.
Book Clubs often distinguish their own editions
from regular trade editions with a small
blind-stamped square, circle, or other image
positioned at the bottom right corner of
the backboard.
Blurb:
The positive review commentary that appears
on a book's dust
jacket.
Boards:
The durable front and back of modern hardcover
books which are usually made of sturdy cardboard
which is then covered in either cloth, paper,
or both. Books made prior to the 1860's
were made from real wood which was covered
in tooled leather or painted silk.
Book Block: (see textblock)
Pre-bound, sewn contents of a book.
[TOP]
Book Club Edition [BCE]:
An edition of a book that is exclusively
printed for one of the book club distributors
i.e. The Book of the Month Club [BOMC] or
The Literary Guild [LG]. BCE’s are
very often, but not always, cheaply produced
and smaller in size than regular trade editions,
and are very rarely ever first
editions. They are generally
not considered collectible, however there
are rare exceptions. BCE’s most often
can be identified in a number of ways. Older
book club editions often state "Book
Club Edition" or BOMC on the inside
front flap of the dust
jacket. Sometimes a book club
edition is indicated with a blind
stamp (square, circle, or maple-leaf)
positioned at the bottom right corner of
the backboard. Book Club dust
jacket often lack a price,
and, on modern Book Club editions, the barcode
which normally appears on a trade editions
jacket back, will be absent or will indicate
the BCE publisher’s 5-digit code which
is often highlighted in white.
Book Label: A small label
identifying the ownership of a book but
which is smaller than a bookplate.
Bookplate:
A decorated, pasted in “Ex-Libris”
decal which denotes book ownership. There
are also bookplates acknowledging the generosity
of book donors, and for book prize-winners
(such as for perfect attendance at Sunday
School). Beautifully engraved older bookplates
are collected. Bookplates, particularly
the new peel-and-stick type, are difficult
to remove without damaging a book. If a
bookplate is present, it should never removed.
Bound: Any publication
which has a case,
regardless of type. A soft
cover book is bound in stiff
paper, whereas a modern hardcover is bound
in cloth or paper covered cardboard.
Bowed: Damage to hardcover
boards which causes an outward or inward
curve. Rapid changes in temperature
and humidity levels can cause the pastedowns
(pages glued to the inside boards) to expand
and/or contract. When the pastedowns
rapidly dry-out they also shrink, creating
a downward pressure on the boards which
may in turn, cause an inward warp. If the
pastedowns
rapidly swell in a humid environment and
then stay that way for awhile, they may
cause the boards
to eventually curve outward.
Breaker:
Someone who removes the illustrations or
tipped-in plates
from books in order to sell them separately.
The book these plates
are taken from is often damaged
and would otherwise require expensive rebinding.
The plates may be in fine condition and
thus worth more if sold alone. Many, however,
find this practice quite objectionable.
Broadside: A large sheet
of paper which is printed on one face only.
Buckram: A closely woven,
cotton or linen cloth used in bookbinding
which may also be starched to give it added
damage resistance. It is often used for
library bindings.
Bumped: Used to describe
the condition of a book where the boards
may be indented or banged along their edges.
A bumped corner refers to a board
corner which is bent, worn or rounded. A
spine
end can also be bumped, or indented from
rough treatment.
[TOP]
C
Case:
The entire outer cover of a hardcover book
including the boards
and spine.
Chipped: Properly used
to describe the condition of a binding or
dust jacket
where pieces of cloth or sections of paper
have been torn off.
Closed Tear: Used to describe
the condition of a binding or dust
jacket where the cloth or paper
jacket has been torn, but is not missing
any pieces, as opposed to being chipped.
Closed tears on jackets
should only be repaired with special, acid-free
tape.
Cocked:
Used to describe the condition of a binding
where the spine
is slanted. The top and bottom boards are
no longer parallel to each other. The binding
appears twisted, even if at only one end.
This can also indicate a more serious cracked
binding flaw, but not always. Also known
as spine
lean. This type of damage occurs when books
are casually stored; weighted down, stacked
on top of one another, and crammed in too
tightly on a bookshelf. The Guard (see backstrip)
becomes stretched out of shape and can only
be repaired by re-sewing the text
block — which is not
very practical in most circumstances.
Colophon:
An imprint which identifies the name and
location of the publisher (and/or printer)
usually placed at the foot of the title
page and shown as a logo. The
colophon of the printer is usually placed
at the end of the text in older books or
on the copyright
page in modern books.
Copyright Page:
The reverse (back side) of the title
page is called the copyright
page which, in modern books, contains pertinent
bibliographic information regarding the
work. The copyright page is always located
on the back side of the title
page so
that it cannot be separated from the title
page. Often
the impression or edition of the work appears
on the copyright page. The location of the
publication should also be indicated here.
If a date or edition is present on the title
page check
it against the copyright page for corroborating
information. The latest date appearing on
the copyright page must correspond to at
least within one year of the copyright date
of the work in order for the book to be
considered a first, and it must not contain
information of subsequent printings such
as "Third Impression". (see also
TITLE PAGE)
Cracked Binding: A condition
where the spine
has split. This can happen if the binding
glue dries out losing any flexibility. When
opened, the book will fall open at the cracked
section. A cracked hinge is where a split
develops at the hinge section; between the
front or back board
and free end-paper.
Crimped: Used to describe
the condition of a book where a cover or
page is grooved, indented, or "pinched";
a condition caused by exposure to excessive
humidity. Crimped pages are often also stiff
and inflexible.
[TOP]
D
Dust Jacket:
The protective and often highly decorative
wrappers of a hardcover book. Dust jackets
are considered an integral part of any modern
book— that is, any book published
post 1920. Prior to the 1920s, hardcover
books often had only disposable plain brown
dustcovers which were designed to protect
the highly decorated bindings when books
were shipped from the publisher to the retailer.
Today, as book bindings are often plain
and unattractive, the dust jacket provides
decoration and distinction as well as protection
for the book. The dust jacket may also contain
information about the book such as: a brief
outline of the plot, awards it may have
won, a brief bio and perhaps a photograph
of the author, immodest reviews commonly
known as "blurbs,"
advertisements for previous or upcoming
books by the same author, and sometimes
edition date or printing numbers of a book.
E
e-Book: A published book
that has been transcribed into digital form.
These books can be purchased and downloaded
immediately from anywhere in the world,
at prices that are normally below hardcopy
prices.
Edges: The top, side,
and bottom page edges of the book. The edge
opposite the spine
is commonly called the fore edge. The
top edge can be plain or decorated
with either a gold leaf finish (gilt) or
have a dull paint finish. Finished edges
help keep dust out of the pages.
Errata Slip:
A slip of paper inserted into a book to
correct errors that were not spotted before
the book was printed. The Latin word errata
refers to two or more errors, while
erratum indicates only one error.
Ex Libris:
Refers to a bookplate indicating private
ownership—from the Latin "From
the library of … ". The term
is often incorrectly used to describe a
public or school library discard.
Ex-Library: A term used
to describe a book that was "discarded"
or "withdrawn” from a public
or school library. These books are usually
identified by library markings which can
include date stamps, card pockets, cataloging
numbers, and more. Aside from the unsightly
markings, these books are often badly damaged
and soiled from having been in circulation
for a long time.
[TOP]
F
Facsimile: An exact reproduction
of a book. Although facsimiles are essentially
fakes, they do play an important role for
many readers by providing affordable access
to rare or otherwise unattainable books.
Fading: Book
boards and dust jackets will
fade if exposed directly to sunlight or
fluorescent light. This condition is called
fading.
First and Second Printing (or Impression)
before Publication: This describes
a book which is not a first edition (see
first edition). The publisher has obtained
more sales orders for a book than the first
print run will accommodate—before
the book has been published. A second printing
was required to fill these extra orders.
First Edition:
It is widely accepted among collectors and
booksellers that a first edition is the
very first appearance or printing of a work
in book or pamphlet form. However, this
is not entirely accurate, since there may
be many impressions or printings of one
single edition, i.e. First edition, 3rd
impression. To collectors, however only
the first printing really matters.
First Separate Edition:
A first printing of a work which was extracted
from a previously published collection and
then re-published as a single work.
First Thus: Often a revised
edition where something new has been added
such as an introduction, foreword or new
illustrations. It may have a different publisher,
or appear in a different format. It is not
however, a first edition.
First Trade Edition: This
is the first commercially available edition
of a book designed for wide distribution
to the general public. In many cases a private
or limited edition will appear, often signed
by the author, and available before the
trade edition is released.
Foxed, Foxing: Describes
an unsightly condition where brown or rust
colored speckling occurs on paper. This
is a result of highly acidic paper reacting
to unstable environmental conditions. The
problem of foxing mainly develops in books
made between 1820 and 1950, when papermaking
became widely, and cheaply mass-produced.
Today many publishers use acid-free paper
to prevent this condition from developing.
Look for the designated acid-free mark (otherwise
known as the lazy-eight symbol for eternity)
on the copyright page of new books.
French Flaps: Some trade
paperbacks have extendable flaps or wings
on their paper covers.
Frontispiece
(Frontis): An illustration opposite
the title page and which is usually a high-quality
steel-engraving or wood block print portrait
of the author, but may also be of a "scene"
from the book. It's common to find a tipped-in
frontis in older books - that is, an illustration
which has been glued into the book after
it was bound.
Front Matter: See Preliminary
Matter
[TOP]
G
Gilt Edges: The edges of
the book (where indicated) are trimmed and
decorated with a gold leaf finish. Finished
edges are attractive and functional as they
help to keep dust out of the pages. Abbreviations:
ge indicates gilt edges; aeg indicates all
edges gilt; gt indicates gilt topedge; teg
indicates top edge gilt.
Guard: (see
Backstrip)
Gutter: A gap between
two columns of text. The trench in the center
of a two-page spread, created by the binding
of the book. (see also Gutter
Margin)
Gutter Margin:
The margin closest to the binding.
H
Half-Title Page:
This page is usually the first printed page
in a book which displays the title of the
book, usually in smaller typeface than the
true title page, and nothing else. Many
modern books use the reverse side of the
half-title to list the author's previous
works. It is also useful to note that if
the title of the book appears in the list
of the author's previous works, it is unlikely
to be a first printing. The next turnable
leaf is either the frontis or the title
page.
Why do printers use a half-title page anyway?
Prior to the development of the "modern"
bookshop and mass publishing methods, printers
sold books directly to the public. Rows
of unbound books would be displayed upon
tables, both inside and outside the shops.
Patrons would peruse these text-blocks,
select one for purchase and then choose
the type of binding they wanted.
The half-title page was created as a kind
of protective cover placed over the title
page to keep it clean from the hands of
browsing patrons, from inclement weather, and
at the same time, be able to easily identify
the contents.
Hinges or Joints: This
is the section where the cover
boards flex to open. The
hinges can easily crack or split if a book
is not handled carefully.
Hypermodern: A recently
published book that is collected, even though
the author may be relatively unknown or
as yet, proven. People who collect hypermoderns
are essentially speculating on the future
value of an author's work.
I
Inscribed/Gift
Inscribed: Refers to any personalized,
hand-written gift note within a book such
as, "Best Wishes, Joe!".
When the inscription is by the author,
it is referred to as "gift inscribed
by author". The inscription can
be to anyone, such as a fan of the author.
When the inscription is by the author to
a person of notoriety, this is called a
presentation copy.
See also, association
copy.
L
Lamination: A coating applied
to the cover during the printing process
to provide a more durable surface and specialized
textures.
Leaf:
One whole "turnable" sheet of
paper. A page however, is comprised
of only one side of a leaf: both sides of
a page are called recto and verso. Recto
is the right-side (or top) of the page and
verso is the left-side (or back) of the
page. When a book is open the recto is on
the right, the verso is on the left. The
title page
is customarily on the recto, the copyright
page on the verso.
Loose: The text
block (sewn paper sections)
may be separating from the binding (outer
case) along the hinges. Where described,
also refers to any leaf
which has become detached from text
blockk.
[TOP]
M
Mass Paper Back:
A paper-covered edition of a book that is
generally 7" tall or less, and is often
printed on inexpensive pulp-paper. Mass
paperbacks are designed for single use wear,
and are directed at a "lower-end"
market.
P
Pastedown, Free
Endpaper and Flyleaf: The paper
or "endpaper" glued to the inside
cover board
(both front and back) is called the pastedown.
The pastedown uses only one-half of the
entire endpaper. The other half of the endpaper,
which is not pasted down, is called the
free endpaper. It is the first (and last)
"turnable" leaf
in a book, opposite the pastedown. The pastedown
and free endpaper is often decorated on
one side.
The free endpaper in the front of
the book is known as FFEP - (Front Free
End Paper); the back free endpaper is known
as the BFEP - (Back Free End Paper). The
front flyleaf is the next blank leaf
after the front free endpaper although it
is not always present. In modern books publishers
may place their colophon
on the recto (top side) of the flyleaf.
Perfect
bound: An adhesive binding type
(as opposed to sewing or stitching) for
paperback books that employs a synthetic
glue to bind loose leaves to produce the
text block
of a book.
Periodical: A magazine
or other publication which appears at stated
or regular intervals.
Pictorial Cover: Describes
a book with a picture on the front cover
board which may or may not
be in color.
Plate:
A full page illustration with the reverse
side being blank or without text. Sometimes
a thin sheet of tissue called a "tissue
guard" is placed in between the plate
and the opposite page.
In many older books the plates were simply
"tipped-in," glued-in after all
the signatures were sewn together. There
is always the risk with antiquarian books
that a tipped-in plate has become separated
and lost from the binding, or that it was
even deliberately removed by a breaker.
When examining old books, it is prudent
to count and compare the plates against
the "List of Illustrations" found
immediately after the Table of Contents
page.
Preliminary Matter: (typesetting
term)
The order of the first printed leaves
in a book generally are (but not always):
Half-title,
Frontispiece,
Title Page,
(reverse of title is Copyright
Page), Dedication, Errata,
Preface, Contents, List of Illustrations,
Introduction, Acknowledgments. Appendices
and Index are at the end, starting most
often on the right-hand side.
Presentation
copy: A book that is signed (or
inscribed) and presented as a gift by the
author to another person of some notoriety.
See also; signed, association
copy, inscribed.
[TOP]
Price Clipped: Describes
a dust jacket
where the publisher’s printed price
has been clipped-off, usually at an angle
on the front flap corner. The publisher
may price clip a jacket to conceal a new
higher price on a book already in stock,
or it may be done to a book when presented
as a gift. Collectors always prefer un-clipped
jackets.
Print on Demand:
(POD) is a type of printing technology
that allows a complete book to be printed
and bound in a matter of minutes. This makes
it easy and cost-effective to produce books
one or two at a time or in small lots, rather
than in large print runs of a thousand or
more. Due to economies of scale, POD books
have a higher unit production cost than
books produced by means of a traditional
offset print run. POD technology has a number
of applications. Commercial publishers use
it when they can't justify the expense of
producing and warehousing a large print
run--for instance, to keep lower-selling
books or their backlists available. Some
independent publishers use it as a more
economical publishing model, trading lower
startup costs against smaller per-book profits.
Last but not least, there are the fee-based
POD publishing services that offer a service
that's similar--but not identical--to self-publishing.
It can be perfect for a small run for family
and friends.
R
Remainder:
A publisher’s overstock is referred
to as "remainders". These are
sold to book-sellers at less than cost.
Remainder Mark: Many publishers
mark the bottom or top edges of books sold
as "Remainders"
with a stamp, black marker or spray paint
(which speckles the edge). This allows publishers
to identify whether a return was a discounted
book or not. Remainder marks, although not
technically considered "damage",
are unsightly and thus not collectible.
Rubbed: Describes the
condition of a books' outer case which is
scuffed, whether on the board-cloth, at
the board edges,
or the spine
edges. A book which receives fairly heavy
use and which is re-shelved frequently,
often has rubbed bottom edges.
Rubbed Through: Same as
rubbed but more serious. The layer of cloth
or paper glued on to the boards
will be worn right through in spots, revealing
the cardboard beneath. This often happens
at board
corners which have been bumped or banged.
After a while the corners can become frayed
and mushy. Rubbed Through can also refer
to paper which has been heavily rubbed by
an eraser leaving an ugly thin spot.
[TOP]
S
Shaken: Describes the condition
of a book in which the text
block is becoming loose, but
has not separated, from its covers; a book
which feels "wobbly", and which
falls over easily when stood-up on its board
edges.
Signed: A book which is
"autographed" by the author.
Slipcase: A sturdy, protective
box that houses a book or set of books.
Slipcases are most often made of cloth or
of paper covered cardboard.
Soft cover:
Any book cased in paper wrappers, as opposed
to hard-cover boards. See, mass
paperback, trade
paperback.
Spine:
The bound edge of a book, where the pages
are held together.
Spine Lean: See cocked.
Started: Used to describe
the condition of a binding where some leaves
are "becoming" (but are not yet)
loose and start to extend beyond the fore-edge;
pages will still attached. As opposed to
loose or shaken.
[TOP]
T
Text Block:
The body of a book, which consists of the
leaves,
or sewn sections which make up the entire
part to be bound. It excludes the binding
case, all papers added by the bookbinder
including board papers, endpapers,
etc.
Title
Page: Page located near the beginning
of the book, and is usually on the recto
(right side) of the next leaf
after the half-title
page. It may contain the some or all of
the following information: title, sub-title,
author name, publisher or publishers colophon
and sometimes the location, copyright date
and edition. (see also COPYRIGHT
PAGE). The title page should
never be marked, altered or inscribed upon
except by the author.
Trade Paper Back:
A high-quality soft-cover book which is
usually larger size (8vo) than the more
common mass paperback (12mo) and which is
perfect bound
(has a glued binding). Also known as a quality
paperback.
U
UPC Code (Universal Product Code):
Used since the early 1970's, the UPC is
a unique company and product identification
code. Along with an ISBN, a UPC can be found
on the rear panel of most contemporary dust
jackets.
V
Vellum: A very fine sheet
of calf, lamb, deer or kid skin (or parchment)
specially prepared for writing upon or illuminating.
Volume: Comprises one
book or periodical of a series or set. The
volume identification can be a number, letter,
or a similar form.
[TOP]
W
Waterstain: When water
or other liquids come into contact with
a book, a tide-line, dark spot, or bleeding
of dyes may result. Some shrinking may also
occur in the board cloth giving it a buckled
or raised appearance.
Wrappers: The undecorated
stiff paper covers of an unbound book, manuscript,
galley or uncorrected proof. Most often
improperly used to refer to the decorated
covers of a trade or mass market paperback
book. Paperback books should be described
as "PB" or "PAPERBACK"
- not "in wrappers".
Y
Yellowed: Used to describe
the interior leaves
of a book, or the panels of a dust
jacket which have darkened
or literally "yellowed" from age,
or acidification. Exposure to high humidity
can cause highly acidic paper to yellow
rapidly. This condition can be seen in newspapers
less than two weeks old. Pulp fiction paperbacks
from the sixties and earlier, which were
produced with cheap paper, are often completely
yellowed and often so brittle that the paper
easily crumbles when handled. There is no
cure for this condition.
[TOP]
|
