Common Terms used in the Self-Publishing Biz
and the Book Friends understanding of them.
ARC -
Advanced Reading/Review Copy (aka galley, manuscript, proof) - a pre-publication (hopefully edited if not also proofread) document an author sends out to a trusted list of faithful fans, usually a couple of weeks prior to publication. The goal is to get faithful readers to post reviews (see Reviews, below) on or before the book goes live.
Advanced Reading/Review Copy (aka galley, manuscript, proof) - a pre-publication (hopefully edited if not also proofread) document an author sends out to a trusted list of faithful fans, usually a couple of weeks prior to publication. The goal is to get faithful readers to post reviews (see Reviews, below) on or before the book goes live.
Beta Readers -
Muy importante! See Beta Readers and Editing Stages and Support Team and BFF Beta Brigade pages
Contracts -
Hiring an editor is a business arrangement involving money, legalities, deadlines, rights, and responsibilities. A contract is necessary to state, in a fair and unambiguous way, the parameters and details of the arrangement. See Megan Harris’s “8 Must-haves for Freelance Editing Contracts.”
(See also Topical Resources page for writer-related Legal issues.)
Muy importante! See Beta Readers and Editing Stages and Support Team and BFF Beta Brigade pages
Contracts -
Hiring an editor is a business arrangement involving money, legalities, deadlines, rights, and responsibilities. A contract is necessary to state, in a fair and unambiguous way, the parameters and details of the arrangement. See Megan Harris’s “8 Must-haves for Freelance Editing Contracts.”
(See also Topical Resources page for writer-related Legal issues.)
Conventions -
The societally agreed-upon rules of language - both verbal and written - are conventions. Written conventions are slower to change and refer specifically to capitalization, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and spelling. Contemporary fiction dialogue often reflects the more quickly changing societal norms of verbal conventions.
The societally agreed-upon rules of language - both verbal and written - are conventions. Written conventions are slower to change and refer specifically to capitalization, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and spelling. Contemporary fiction dialogue often reflects the more quickly changing societal norms of verbal conventions.
Copy Edits - (see Editing Stages page)
Developmental Edits - (see Editing Stages page)
Dialogue Tags -
(e.g., said, asked, whispered, replied)
Dialogue tags are identifiers, usually attached to the quote by a comma (unless it is a question or exclamation). Fancy or creative dialogue tags (as well as adverbs) should be avoided or used sparingly so as not to distract the reader. (Also Note: wheezing, simpering, groaning, snarking, breathing, smiling etc. are not dialogue tags.) Sometimes no tag is needed if it is obvious who is speaking or that a question has been asked. Even said, if used repeatedly, can distract your reader. Try to identify speakers using description and action sentences for variety, interest, mood, and to show vs tell.
(e.g., said, asked, whispered, replied)
Dialogue tags are identifiers, usually attached to the quote by a comma (unless it is a question or exclamation). Fancy or creative dialogue tags (as well as adverbs) should be avoided or used sparingly so as not to distract the reader. (Also Note: wheezing, simpering, groaning, snarking, breathing, smiling etc. are not dialogue tags.) Sometimes no tag is needed if it is obvious who is speaking or that a question has been asked. Even said, if used repeatedly, can distract your reader. Try to identify speakers using description and action sentences for variety, interest, mood, and to show vs tell.
Editing Support -
(see Support Team page)
alpha, beta, and ARC readers; writing critique partners; developmental, copy, and line editors; formatters; proofreaders
(see Support Team page)
alpha, beta, and ARC readers; writing critique partners; developmental, copy, and line editors; formatters; proofreaders
Galley Proof -
An older term for a manuscript or WIP that has not had a final edit or proofread (as opposed to a final proof) - often used as an Advanced Review Copy.
An older term for a manuscript or WIP that has not had a final edit or proofread (as opposed to a final proof) - often used as an Advanced Review Copy.
Google Docs -
Google has a format for sharing documents. Multiple readers can be invited to comment on or edit the same piece simultaneously and/or interactively. Schools use this for peer group projects (saves paper!) The editing tools are adequate for simple tasks (though it can't compete with MS Word). And it can be useful when working on a rush project, as the author and editor can work on the manuscript simultaneously. This saves time, and the communication between author and editor is quick - like texting right in the document.
It can also be extremely confusing. And almost every professional editor I know dislikes working in Google Docs. If your editor agrees to working in GD, they will likely make and work on their own copy to avoid confusion and that someone-is-looking-over-my-shoulder feeling. :)
Google has a format for sharing documents. Multiple readers can be invited to comment on or edit the same piece simultaneously and/or interactively. Schools use this for peer group projects (saves paper!) The editing tools are adequate for simple tasks (though it can't compete with MS Word). And it can be useful when working on a rush project, as the author and editor can work on the manuscript simultaneously. This saves time, and the communication between author and editor is quick - like texting right in the document.
It can also be extremely confusing. And almost every professional editor I know dislikes working in Google Docs. If your editor agrees to working in GD, they will likely make and work on their own copy to avoid confusion and that someone-is-looking-over-my-shoulder feeling. :)
Microsoft Word -
MS Word is a word processing system with a huge capacity for creating and editing graphics and text. The editing tools are advanced and Track Changes mode keeps a record of the changes introduced to the text. Styles are an incredible resource for formatting. Comments in the margins are a helpful way for editors and authors to communicate. The Find/Replace tool is beyond useful.
MS Word is a word processing system with a huge capacity for creating and editing graphics and text. The editing tools are advanced and Track Changes mode keeps a record of the changes introduced to the text. Styles are an incredible resource for formatting. Comments in the margins are a helpful way for editors and authors to communicate. The Find/Replace tool is beyond useful.
Pass -
aka - a round of editing. Many of BFF Editing Services include multiple rounds of editing, passing the document back and forth between author and editor.
aka - a round of editing. Many of BFF Editing Services include multiple rounds of editing, passing the document back and forth between author and editor.
Proofreading - (see Editing Stages page)
Reviews -
Reviews are the blessing and bane of an independently publishing author. Authors need and appreciate when readers write constructive, informative reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, Kobo, etc. Reviews advise potential buyers, help authors improve their craft, and the scores affect the algorithms that determine ranking and marketing, etc.
Unfortunately, reviews/reviewers are not always trustworthy and can do a lot of damage as well.
Reviews are the blessing and bane of an independently publishing author. Authors need and appreciate when readers write constructive, informative reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, Kobo, etc. Reviews advise potential buyers, help authors improve their craft, and the scores affect the algorithms that determine ranking and marketing, etc.
Unfortunately, reviews/reviewers are not always trustworthy and can do a lot of damage as well.
Style -
- Style can refer to the author’s manner of writing: how their voice is conveyed, the tense in which it is written, the mood of the story, the point of view, the syntax, and word choice.
- A Manual of Style is an authority publication for a field (academic, literary, scientific, journalistic) such as Associated Press or Chicago Manual of Style in the US. These standards provide uniformity for the industry or field in which they are adopted.
- A House of Style Guide is the condensed version of a Manual of Style followed by a particular company or firm.
- A Style Sheet is also based on a particular Manual of Style and spells out the very specific decisions on style that are made for a particular piece of writing.
Substantive Edits - (see Editing Stages page)
Track Changes -
This is a tool that ... wait for it ... tracks changes in a Microsoft Word document. :)
An author can see, accept, or reject any additions, deletions, corrections, re-arrangements, or whatevs. Comments in the margin can explain or point out specific changes or portions of text.
(See Topical Resources for more on Track Changes, including tutorials.)
This is a tool that ... wait for it ... tracks changes in a Microsoft Word document. :)
An author can see, accept, or reject any additions, deletions, corrections, re-arrangements, or whatevs. Comments in the margin can explain or point out specific changes or portions of text.
(See Topical Resources for more on Track Changes, including tutorials.)
WIP -
Work In Progress - this is also pretty self-explanatory in the right context. We call a manuscript a WIP while it is in the midst of being created and edited.
Work In Progress - this is also pretty self-explanatory in the right context. We call a manuscript a WIP while it is in the midst of being created and edited.
