The following is a far-from-exhaustive list of common writing-related terms and abbreviations that either have or likely will appear on this site. They are grouped by category and arranged in a process-oriented, chronological, and conceptual order. For instance, terms related to drafting come before those related to revising, and general terms (like genre or editor) are defined before more specific terms (like sub-genre or copy editor), regardless of alphabetical order. I’ll probably tinker with and add to the list over time.
Photo by Ahmad Ossayli.
Genres and marketing categories
genre (literary)—an artistic category with defined parameters for content and, sometimes, form. Both fiction and non-fiction can be divided into genres. The following are examples of major fiction genres:
contemporary—fiction set in the time it is written.
fantasy—fiction in which magic plays an intrinsic role in the plot and world-building; typically set in the past or containing cultural elements derived from the past.
historical—realistic fiction set in a recognizable culture and period from the past; may include actual historical figures.
horror—fiction designed to scare, disturb, disgust, or cause dread.
literary fiction—character-driven books or stories with a strong emphasis on the quality of the writing.
mystery—fiction with a plot that revolves around a crime or situation that needs to be figured out by the protagonist and reader.
romance—fiction in which the plot revolves around a romantic relationship and ends happily.
sci-fi, science fiction—fiction in which the hard and/or social sciences play an intrinsic role in the plot and world-building; typically set in the future.
subgenre, sub-genre—a specific descriptive genre category that can be included under another, more general genre label. Examples: cosmic horror, cozy mystery, sweet romance, dystopian science fiction.
marketing categories—age-based groupings defined by publishers and booksellers to target specific audiences. Books are typically described by referring to both their marketing category and genre, such as adult mystery or YA fantasy. Many respected sources treat marketing categories as genres; I believe it is clearer and more useful to separate them.
MG, middle grade—marketing category targeting readers aged 8–12 and typically featuring protagonists in their pre-teens and early teens. The Harry Potter books are middle grade fantasy.
YA, young adult—marketing category for books targeted primarily at teen readers, starting with ages 12 or 14 and going up to 18 or early 20s. YA stories feature protagonists in their mid- to late-teens, address the concerns of people in their teens, and use the voice of that targeted age range.
NA, New Adult—this is/was a marketing category for books aimed at people in their early twenties, usually with more explicit sex or violence than that found in YA. However, the classification never fully caught on and, as of the writing of this post, New Adult appears to have dissolved as a category for traditional publishing.
Adult—marketing category dedicated to books written for people over 18. Although most commonly about people over 20, the main protagonists can also be children or teenagers if the perspective is really that of an adult. For instance, My Brilliant Friend, which is written as the reminiscences of an older woman after her childhood friend goes missing, is adult literary fiction that primarily follows two child protagonists.
Preparation and drafting
ms, manuscript—an unpublished text, usually a book.
Word—Microsoft’s word-processing program; the industry standard.
Pages—Apple’s free word-processing program, similar to Microsoft Word.
Scrivener—word-processing and content management software specifically designed for those writing books.
pantser—someone who drafts without a plan or preparatory materials.
plotter—someone who plans before drafting, usually by outlining the plot and creating other world- and character-building materials.
worldbuilding, world-building—the creation of a new, fictional world or imaginative supplement to the already existing world.
Revising
CP, critique partner—a person with whom one exchanges in-process writing to both receive and provide feedback.
betas, beta readers—unpaid readers who provide general feedback on an unpublished manuscript. More about beta readers here.
editor (freelance)—an independent professional hired by writers to provide extensive, concrete feedback and make corrections to completed, pre-published manuscripts.
editor (traditional publishing)—employee of a publishing house in charge of accepting and revising manuscripts for publication. Editors in traditional publishing are responsible for and have final say over a book’s content.
copy editor—professional who provides the final edits for a manuscript, focusing on the minute details of spelling, punctuation, grammar, and formatting.
Querying and Publishing
literary agent—person who represents an author and serves as an intermediary between the author and publishers or other relevant parties, such as movie studios or theatrical producers. Literary agents are responsible for finding an editor and associated publisher for their client’s work, will negotiate the publishing contract, and may offer manuscript suggestions/edits with an eye to making the prospective book as marketable as possible.
to query—the act of seeking representation for a specific work, usually by emailing a letter and additional related materials.
query (letter)—a cover letter including a brief description of the book (title, word count, genre, marketing category), the main protagonist, and the basic problem driving the plot, usually written as the body of an email. Query letters may also contain brief descriptions of the writers’ relevant qualifications and an explanation for why they are contacting the specific agents to whom the letters are addressed.
pitch (book)—a brief conversation between a writer and agent or editor, in which the writer attempts to interest the agent/editor in her work by providing a short description of the book and its main hook. The content of a pitch is similar to that of a query letter, albeit often in a shorter form.
self publishing—when authors take on the responsibility of editing, publishing, and marketing their own books.
independent publishing—another name for self publishing.
indie author—a self-published author.
traditional publishing—when a publishing house buys the rights to a book in order to edit, publish, and distribute an author’s work.
indie press, independent press—an independently owned publishing house.
ARC—advanced reading copy; provided by publishers or indie authors to reviewers before a book is released.
Community
platform (author’s, personal, writer’s)—the public presentation of oneself as an author to foster greater visibility for oneself and one’s work. A writer’s platform typically includes a personal website or blog, as well as presence on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instragram, or YouTube. Guest writing on other websites or periodicals, joining relevant organizations, public speaking, and participating in media interviews can also be part of a writer’s platform.
critique group—writers who meet regularly to share and review each others’ work.
writing group—authors who meet regularly to write together and/or discuss writing-related matters.
residency (writing)—a live-in program or retreat lasting a predefined period of time in which a single writer or group of writers focus on creating and refining their craft, usually with the support and input of other participants.
BookTube—nickname for the community of people on YouTube with channels dedicated to books and writing advice.
NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month—annual creative writing challenge in which authors all over the world attempt to write 50,000 words (the minimum number of words for a novel) during the month of November. The online event was created and is organized by a non-profit organization of the same name.
Camp NaNoWriMo—an online event held twice a year in which writers sign up for virtual “cabins” with other writers. Unlike regular NaNoWriMo, writers set their own word- or time-based goals for the month.
Reading
DNF—did not finish
TBR—to be read
POV—point of view
MC—main character
Photo by Lacie Slezak.
