Glossary of Publishing Terms-Part Four

by Laura Fabiani @ NouveauWriter

More publishing terms for writers. If you’ve ever wondered what an imprint or kill fee is, read on.

GHOSTWRITER: A writer who authors an article, speech, story or book based on another person’s ideas or knowledge, or on behalf of another person. The work is often not credited to the ghostwriter.

GRAPHIC NOVEL: A self-contained, book-length story told through a combination of text and illustration.

HONORARIUM: A token payment-small amount of money, or a byline and copies of the publication.

HOOK: Aspect of the work that sets it apart from others and draws in the reader/viewer.

HOW-TO: Books and magazine articles offering a combination of information and advice in describing how something can be accomplished.

IMPRINT: Name applied to a publisher’s specific line of books.

JOINT CONTRACT: Legal agreement between a publisher and two or more authors, establishing provisions for the division of royalties the book generates.

KILL FEE: Fee for a complete article that was assigned and then canceled.

LEAD TIME: The time between the acquisition of a manuscript by an editor and its actual publication.

LITERARY FICTION: The general category name for serious nonformulaic, character-oriented, often experimental fiction.

MAINSTREAM FICTION: Commercial fiction that transcends or blends popular novel genres like mystery, romance, and science fiction, and is directed toward a large audience.

MARKETING FEE: Fee charged by some agents to cover marketing expenses. It may be used to cover postage, telephone calls, faxes, photocopying, or any other expense incurred in marketing a manuscript.

Source: Writer’s Digest Weekly Planner