Terms and Attributes

AbeBooks searches the description field of the book data you send to us. We check for the specific attributes that can be searched for using the Advanced Search function. These attributes and their various abbreviations are listed below.  If you are using HomeBase to manage your inventory, you have the option of including attributes in the description field, or using the drop down menus.

Note:

• If you are using HomeBase, please do not add attributes using both the description field and drop down menus.  Please add information either using the drop down menus or the description field.  Adding information to both places will result in the attributes not being listed with your books.  

The Description field of your book data file is checked for the following terms.  

First Editions

A book's description contains one of the following terms:

•  1st Ed and none of: Reprint, Not 1st, Not a 1st, or 1st Thus
•  First Ed and none of: Reprint, Not First, or Not a First

Dust Jacketed

A book's description contains one of the following terms:

•  JACKET and not the term NO DUST or NO JACKET or WITHOUT DUST or WITHOUT JACKET
•  DJ and not the term NO DJ or W/O DJ or NDJ  
•  D/J and not the term NO D/J or W/O D/J
•  D-J and not the term NO D-J or W/O D-J
•  D.J. and not the term NO D.J. or W/O D.J.
•  D.W. and not the term NO D.W.  
•  DW and not the term NO DW  
•  D/W and not the term NO D/W  
•  DUST WRAPPER and not the term NO DUST WRAPPER  
•  DUSTWRAPPER and not the term NO DUSTWRAPPER  

A book's description contains:

• A slash mark (/) and the slash mark is followed by the letters F, G, P, V, NF or AN.  (For example a book with "/F" or "/NF" in its description would appear in the search results for a book with a dust jacket.)

Hard Cover

A book's description contains one of the following terms:

• HB  
• HC  
• HBK  
• HARDCOVER  
• HARD COVER  
• HARDBOUND  
• CLOTH  
• LEATHER  
• EMBOSSED  
• HINGE  
• HARD BACK  (Must be spelled as two words.)
• BOARDS  
• GILT  
• EX-LIB or EX LIB  
• BRODART  
• MYLAR  
• BUCKRAM

A final check is made on the year of publication. If it is prior to 1940, then is it deemed a hard back.

Soft Cover

A book's description contains one of the following terms:

• PAPERBACK  
• PAPER BACK  
• PAPERBOUND
• PAPER BOUND
• SOFTCOVER  
• SOFT COVER  
• PBK  
• PB  
• WRAPS  
• WRAPPERS
• PROOF

Signed 

A book's description contains one of the following terms:  

• SIGNED  
• INSCRIBED  
• INSCRIPTION  
• AUTOGRAPHED
• PRESENTATION COPY