Common Abbreviations of Book Terms
A book between octavo and folio in size; approximately 11 to 13 inches tall. To make a quarto, a sheet of paper is folded twice, forming four leaves (eight pages).
A book of about five inches wide and eight inches tall to about six by nine inches. Octavo is the most common size for current hardcover books. To make octavo books, each sheet of paper is folded to make eight leaves (16 pages).
A book approximately seven to eight inches tall.
A small book, approximately four inches wide and six inches tall. To make it, each sheet of paper is folded four times, forming sixteen leaves (32 pages).
Advertisements placed in the binding of the book.
The top, fore-edge and foot of the book are coloured in gold.
A handwritten letter.
A handwritten letter signed by the writer.
A manuscript all in the author's hand.
A suffix denotating a collection of sayings, anecdotes, or other material regarding a person or subject. For example: Americana, Hemingwayana, etc.
Appendix
A copy for reviewers and/or booksellers, usually bound in paperwraps and usually with either the finished cover art or possibly trial cover art. Generally, this copy is as it will appear in the stores and differs from the Uncorrected Proof.
A book usually printed especially for a book club such as "The Book of the Month Club" or "The Literary Guild." These copies will usually have the words "Book Club Edition" printed on the bottom right corner of the front flap of the dustwrapper. Occasionally, if the book club does not wish to do a separate edition they will have a publisher blind stamp the rear board and print a supply of dustwrappers without a price on the front flap and now without the bar code data on the rear panel. Book Clubs are not solely an American phenomenon as there have been numerous British Book Clubs over the years.
A book with a cover of any type, or a periodical that has a cover other than its published wraps.
The cover of the book.
The stiff binding material for most modern books.
Bibliography
A pasted-in sign of ownership. Modern bookplates are pressure sensitive (peel-and-stick) as opposed to the older bookplates which were made with water-activated adhesive (lick-and-stick). Some bookplates from the last century were quite elaborate with engravings.
See Book Club
Usually describes illustrations, photographs, etc.
Circa
A cloth-bound book. The covering can be linen, buckram or another textile.
Check or cash (payment) with order.
Decorated. Often refers to binding, as in dec. cl.
A term synonymous with Dust Wrapper, indicating the usually decorative paper wrapper placed around a book to protect the binding.
See Dust Jacket
Edited, Editions, Editor
The sheets of paper pasted onto the inner covers, joining the book block to the covers. One side of the sheet is pasted to the inside cover, the other is left free.
A particular copy of an edition.
A term used to indicate a book was once in a library. They are usually identified with one or more markings of the library such as stampings, card pockets, cataloging numbers, etc. Frequently they are marked as "discarded" or "withdrawn" when sold by a library.
As in Book Condition.
Has several meanings: (1) a leaf numbered on the front; (2) the numeral itself; and (3) a folio-sized book.
The sheets of paper pasted onto the inner covers, joining the book block to the covers. One side of the sheet is pasted to the inside cover, the other is left free.
The portion of the end-paper pasted to the inner cover of a book.
As in Book Condition.
See Gilt Edges
The page carrying nothing but the title of the book, usually preceding the title page.
"Hors texte" is French for "outside of the text," and the term usually refers to plates, without printing on the reverse sides. The plates may be tipped in to paper of a different stock from that of the text.
An alphabetical listing of names or topics mentioned in the book, with their page numbers. For serials and journals, the index is usually published after the volume is completed and is usually found in the last issue.
Decorated with pictures or other graphical material to portray or clarify the text.
Usually indicates a book signed by the author, either with an inscription to a specific person or bearing some brief notation along with his signature.
A single sheet in a book; each leaf contains two printed pages, one on each side.
Large-paper Edition
Any book whose publication is deliberately restricted to a comparatively small number of copies, usually numbered and often signed by the author and/or illustrator.
The most common paperback book, about four inches wide and seven inches high. Seen most often as mystery, science fiction and romance books.
Manuscript
No date of publication mentioned within the book.
As in Book Condition.
An issue of a periodical.
No place of publication listed in the book.
A book no longer being printed.
As in original binding
Books in paperwraps published since the 1930's, although it can describe any book with a paper cover.
Paperback Original
The price has been clipped from the corner of the dust jacket.
Whole-page illustrations printed separately from the text. Illustrations printed in the text pages are called cuts.
A digital printing technology that allows a complete book to be printed and bound individually, as opposed to traditional publishing that produces several hundred or thousand books in a lot. Print On Demand books are printed when your order is placed.
Prior owner signature
Author's introductory statement.
When a book has ceased to sell, a publisher may get rid of his overstock by "remaindering" the title.
See End Papers.
The publisher will mark the bottom edges of books sold as remainders with a stamp, a black marker, or spray paint, which speckles the bottom.
The portion of the end-paper pasted to the inner cover of a book.
A group of volumes with a common theme issued in succession by a single publisher.
See Gilt Edges.
A typewritten letter signed by hand.
The title page, near the beginning of the book, lists the title and subtitle of the book, the authors, editors, and/or contributors, the publisher or printer, and sometimes the place and date of publication. The title page information should be used for cataloguing (not the half-title page or covers).
Used in describing periodicals to indicate that the title page and index are present; without a title page and index, the volume is incomplete.
The pages are not numbered (although each signature may be designated by letter).
Volume.
As in Book Condition.
The outer covers of a paperbound book or pamphlet. Not to be confused with Dust Wrapper.
