Don’t Panic

Are you overwhelmed by the barrage of abbreviations, acronyms, and writing terms spouted by people in the publishing industry? No need. You’ll find many of the definitions in this post.

Why the concern?

When you’re dealing with editors, publishers, beta readers, and critique partners, knowing their shorthand will enable you to react without needing to search online or scramble for a dictionary.

AGT

Agent: a person who acts on behalf of an author, negotiating with publishers and promoters.

Alpha reader

The first reader, usually a non-professional, who provides feedback on a writer’s work.

ANT

Antagonist: the adversary or competitor to the hero/protagonist of any story.

APS

Associated Press Stylebook: a writer’s and journalist’s reference manual for rules on grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, abbreviations, and word and numeral usage.

ARC

Advance reader copy: free copy of a book given by a publisher to media, librarians, or other readers in advance of official publication.

ASIN

Amazon Standard Identification Number: Amazon’s unique identifier for each book they sell.

AU

Alternate universe: a fictional universe in which recognizable details are changed in order to create the story.

BBFD

BookBub Featured Deal

Beta reader

A reader, usually non-professional, who provides feedback on a book after a writer has made revisions inspired by alpha readers.

BG

Bad guy: the Freddy Krueger, Lord Voldemort, or Darth Vader of your narrative.

BS

Backstory: history or background that occurs before the current events of a story.

Character arc

The inner journey and transformation in personality of a character between the beginning and the end of a story.

CMOS

Chicago Manual of Style: a writer’s and editor’s reference manual for grammar usage, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, abbreviations, and word and numeral usage.

Cont

Contemporary (genre): a genre that, although fictional, depicts realistic events that could happen in today’s society. An example: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

CP

Critique partner: a writer who provides feedback on a fellow writer’s work.

Drabble

One hundred words that tell a story. Drabbles, because of their brevity, demand strong verbs, zero redundancies, and minimal showing. They usually require more time to write than longer stories.

F & SF

Fantasy and science fiction (genre): make-believe worlds and characters combined with narrative that is based on scientific principles. Think Star Wars by George Lucas, etc.

FF

Flash fiction: very short fiction, usually containing fewer than 1000 words.

FMC

Female main character

FN/Fant

Fantasy (genre): stories about mythical worlds often populated by magical creatures. Example: Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling.

GMC

Goal, motivation, conflict: important elements for engaging stories.

GN

Graphic novel (genre): stories that are told using a combination of graphic panels and text. Although a graphic novel may be similar to a comic book in format, it usually encompasses an intriguing plot with character growth. Example: the Logan’s Run graphic novels by William F. Nolan.

HC

Hardcover

HEA

Happily ever after: the way many fairy tales end.

Hook

An element that is unique to a story. Always memorable, it may also be controversial.

HR

Horror (genre): frightening stories that often include elements of fantasy. Examples: Children of the Corn by Stephen King and The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe.

Indie

An independent writer who maintains creative control and who is not associated with a major publisher.

Juv

Juvenile (audience/genre): usually geared to children under twelve years of age. Example: Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White.

LI

Love interest

Logline

A brief summary, usually one sentence, that presents the main conflict or storyline, often combined with a hook to stimulate the interest of readers.

LOI

Letter of introduction

Maid-and-butler dialogue

Dialogue revealing facts that characters and readers should already know; i.e., a sloppy and frowned-upon way to include backstory.

Mary Sue

Stereotypical perfect female character.

MC

Main character

MFC or FMC

Main female character.

MG

Middle grade (audience/genre): fiction intended for children in middle grade. Example: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle.

MMC

Male main character

MMPB

Mass-market paperback

MS or MSS

Manuscript

NA

New adult (audience/genre): fiction with protagonists between eighteen and thirty years of age. Example: Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire.

NaNoWriMo

National Novel Writing Month. Participants begin on November 1 and try to produce the first draft of a 50,000-word novel by midnight on November 30. In 2024, NaNoWriMo allowed participants to use artificial intelligence for their projects. This generated much controversy, and many writers abandoned the nonprofit.

NF

Non-fiction (genre): embracing everything that isn’t fiction. Example: What I Know For Sure by Oprah Winfrey.

OP

Out of print

Pantser

A person who “flies by the seat of their pants,” writing without preparing a story outline.

PB

Paperback

PH

Plot hole

Pitch

Words used to persuade an agent to represent you, to convince an editor to publish your book, or to induce people to buy it.

Plantser

A combination plotter/pantser: someone who prepares a rudimentary outline before writing.

PLI

Primary love interest

Plotter

The opposite of a pantser. A plotter plans a detailed outline of a story or book before writing the first draft.

PNR

Paranormal romance (genre): a combination of romance and speculative fiction. Example: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.

POD

Print on demand: books not printed by the publisher until a purchaser orders a copy.

POP

Pay on publication: publishers that pay when a short story, poem, or book is published.

POV

Point of view

pp

Pages (usually preceded by a number; for instance: 301 pp).

PRO

Protagonist: one of the main characters in a story.

Protag

Protagonist: one of the main characters in a story.

Query

A formal email or letter sent by a writer to a prospective publisher to propose a writing idea or plug a book.

R&R

Revise and resubmit

RI

Romantic interest. Juliet would be Romeo’s romantic interest, and vice versa.

RO

Romance (genre): the primary focus of a romance novel is the romantic relationship of its protagonists, usually riddled with conflict, snags, and at least one rival. Readers expect a happy resolution. Example: The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough.

RRP

Recommended retail price

RWA

Romance Writers of America, a non-profit association for romance writers.

SASE

Self-addressed, stamped envelope

SC

Secondary character or supporting character

Self-publishing

The process whereby a writer publishes works directly rather than through a publisher.

SF

Science fiction (genre): stories, often set in the future, that rely on established or imagined scientific principles. Example: Dune by Frank Herbert.

SFR

Science fiction romance (genre): a combination of science fiction and romance genres. Example: Divergent by Veronica Roth.

Slush pile

The “pile” of unsolicited manuscripts received by an editor or publisher.

SP

Speculative fiction (genre): stories that encompass several genres such as fantasy, science fiction, horror, superhero fiction, and their combinations. Example: The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.

SQ

Status query: a query about the disposition of a manuscript previously submitted to an editor or publisher.

Susp

Suspense/thriller (genre): stories that keep readers in suspense, horrified, or anxious, often until the last chapter of a book. Example: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.

Synopsis

Brief summary of a story, written in present tense, usually a couple of paragraphs in length.

TH

Thriller (genre): [see Susp].

ToC

Table of contents

TPB

Trade paperback: a paperback book that is larger than mass-market pocketbooks.

Trad-pub

A work published through a traditional publisher.

UF

Urban fantasy (genre): fantasy based in an urban setting. Example: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas.

UR

Urban (genre): fiction based in an urban setting. Example: Street Players by Donald Goines.

WC

Word count

WIP

Work in progress

XO

Crossover: works, intended for children or young adults, that also appeal to an adult audience.

YA

Young adult (audience/genre): fiction that appeals to readers from twelve years of age to those in their early twenties. Example: The Giver by Lois Lowry.