How to Get a Job in Publishing Part 15

EPOS Electronic point of sale. Machine-readable code that can be read by a terminal at a shop checkout to establish price, register any appropriate discounts and reorder stock.

extent Length of text. For example, for a magazine or book, extent: 192pp (192 pages); for a leaflet, extent: 4pp A4 (four sides of A4 paper).

features The specifics of a product or service that distinguish it from other products and services produced (eg extent, ill.u.s.trations, level of content). What a sales person who does not hit targets sells with. See also benefits.

firm sale The orders placed by a bookstore from which the publishers expect no returns. In practice, most publishers have to be flexible and allow at least a credit for unsold t.i.tles, to ensure goodwill and the stocking of their t.i.tles in the future. The approach used by a sales person who won't take no for an answer.

flush left (or justified left) Type set so that the left-hand margin is vertically aligned, the right-hand margin finishing raggedly wherever the last word ends.

flush right (or justified right) Type set so that the right-hand margin only is aligned vertically.

flyer A cheaply produced leaflet, normally a single sheet for use as a hand-out.

font The range of characters for one size and style of type. This book is set in New Baskerville.

format The size of a book or page. In the UK and Australia this is usually expressed as height x width, in the US and most of Europe as width x height.

gsm (or g/m2) The measure by which paper is sold: grams per square metre.

half-life The point at which the eventual outcome of an experiment can be predicted. A description of a career or job you're not enjoying.

half-tone An ill.u.s.tration that reproduces the continuous tone of a photograph. This is achieved by screening the image to break it up into dots. Light areas of the resulting ill.u.s.tration have smaller dots and more surrounding white s.p.a.ce to simulate the effect of the original. A squared-up half-tone is an image in the form of a box (any shape), as opposed to a cut-out image.

hard copy Copy on printed paper as opposed to copy on computer or other retrieval system (which is soft copy).

hb Short for hardback, the binding of a book.

hc Short for hardcover, the binding of a book.

HE Higher education. Study at university level and above.

headline The eye-catching message at the top of a magazine article, an advertis.e.m.e.nt or leaflet, usually followed by the body copy. The difference between someone reading what you've written and not.

Honest Friend An honest friend. Someone who, when asked, will tell you what they really think. Invaluable for many things, but in the context of this book for compiling CVs and helping prepare you for interviews.

house ad An advertis.e.m.e.nt which appears in one of the advertiser's own publications or promotions. In magazine publishing, often evidence that the s.p.a.ce hasn't been sold hence the p.r.o.nunciation: 'how sad'.

house style The typographic and linguistic standards of a particular publishing house. For example, there may be a standard way of laying out advertis.e.m.e.nts, standard typefaces that are always used and standard rules for spelling and the use of capital letters. Smart publishing houses provide their authors with a sheet of instructions on the house style.

hype Short for hyperbole, it literally means exaggerated copy not to be taken seriously. It has come to mean over-praising, and is part of the generation of interest in t.i.tles that appeal to the ma.s.s media.

impression All copies of a publication printed at one time without changing the printing plates. Several impressions may go into the making of a single edition.

imprint The name of the publisher or the advertiser which appears on the t.i.tle page of a book, or at the foot of an advertis.e.m.e.nt. One publishing house may have several imprints, eg Grafton is an imprint of HarperCollins, Puffin of Penguin.

indent 1. To leave s.p.a.ce at the beginning of a line or paragraph; often used for subheadings and quotations. 2. To order on account; to 'indent for'.

in-house and out-of-house work Jobs that are carried out using either the staff and resources within the firm or those of external companies or freelancers.

in print Currently available. Telephone enquirers will often ask if a particular t.i.tle is still 'in print'.

insert Paper or card inserted in a magazine, book, journal or brochure. A 'loose insert' is not secured in any way; a 'bound insert' is st.i.tched into the spine of the magazine or book in question.

inspection copy Copy of a particular t.i.tle (usually a school text or other educational book) supplied for full examination by a teacher in the hope that a cla.s.s set will be bought or the t.i.tle will be recommended as essential on the course reading list. If the t.i.tle is adopted and a certain number purchased, the recipient may usually keep the inspection copy. Books for which a multiple sale is unlikely are generally available 'on approval'; after inspection they must either be returned or paid for.

ISBN International standard book number; a system of providing each edition of a book with an individual identifying number. The appropriate ISBN should appear on any piece of information to do with the book: it is essential for bookshop and library ordering, stock control, despatch and more.

ISDN International standard data number, use of a telephone line for the exchange of data between computers.

ISSN International standard serial number, a similar system to ISBN for identifying serial publications. The number allocated refers to the serial in question for as long as it remains in publication. It should appear on the cover of any periodical and in any promotion material. Libraries catalogue and order t.i.tles by ISSN.

jacket The cover of a book. Originally this term referred to the loose, wraparound cover on a hardback t.i.tle, but now is often used to refer simply to the cover, whether on a paperback or hardback.

jacket rough A design for a book jacket prepared for the approval of author, editor and marketing department. The kind of clothing worn by a 'character' (see character).

justified type Type set so that both left- and right-hand margins are aligned vertically as in newspaper columns.

lamination A thin film available in matt or gloss applied to a printed surface; often used for book jackets, glossy brochures or the covers of catalogues which can expect a lot of use. Varnishing has a similar effect and is becoming less expensive; it adds less to the bulk than lamination, but is not as durable.

landscape A horizontal oblong format, ie wider than it is deep (as opposed to portrait).

letterpress A printing process whereby ink is transferred from raised metal type or plates directly on to paper. All newspapers used to be printed by this method.

limp (or C format) A format midway between hardback and perfect bound paperback; the spine is usually sewn but encased in card covers rather than boards.

line work Ill.u.s.trations such as drawings that consist of line only rather than the graduated tones of photographs. The cheapest kind of ill.u.s.tration to reproduce.

list All the publications a particular publisher has for sale. Also used for a group of new publications, eg spring list.

litho Short for lithographic. A printing process which works on the principle of greasy ink not sticking to those parts of the wet plate which are not to be printed. Most usually ink is transferred (offset) from a printing plate on to an intermediary surface ('blanket') and then on to the paper. How most marketing materials are printed.

logo Short for logotype. An identifying symbol or trademark.

magazine publisher The main reason why a newsagent's life is so hard. See newsagent.

MarComms Short for Marketing Communications.

mark up 1. To prepare a ma.n.u.script for the typesetter by adding the instructions needed such as type specification, width of setting, indentations, s.p.a.ce between paragraphs and so on. 2. To increase the price of a particular t.i.tle above that shown in the list price. Examples of use include when individual copies rather than cla.s.s sets of school books are ordered (this is also called double pricing) or when selling expenses are likely to be high, perhaps due to exporting.

measure The width of text setting, usually measured in pica 'ems' (the m is chosen because it is the widest letter for setting).

media 'The media, ' like 'data', should be plural, with 'medium' the singular. (The singular of data is, of course, anecdote.) However, if the person interviewing you for a job says 'the media is . . .' we don't recommend correcting them.

merchandise Branded goods.

merchandising In a publishing context, this means persuading retail outlets and those who supply them to stock branded goods related to a key t.i.tle, for example a stationery range that relates to a key children's t.i.tle. Merchandising is a key function of the reps in bookshops, now that so much buying is done centrally.

monograph A single subject study by an author or group of authors, usually of a scholarly nature.

negative option A practice often used by book clubs whereby, unless a member responds to say a particular t.i.tle is not required, it will be sent eg the 'book of the month' is often a negative option. The process will have been part of the terms and conditions of membership.

net The final total. In the case of a price or sum to be paid, the net price means that no further discount or allowances are to be made; 'net profit' is the surplus remaining after all costs, direct and indirect, have been deducted, as opposed to 'gross profit', which is the total receipts, only allowing for the deduction of direct costs. For a mailer, asking for a list of net names means that several lists are run against each other to eliminate duplicates so the final mailing list, while containing names from several sources, will only include each individual once.

newsagent According to magazine publishers, the main reason why they, the magazine publishers, don't make more money. See magazine publisher.

nix (-ies) Addresses on a mailing list which are undeliverable by the carrier. If these amount to more than a certain percentage of the total list supplied, a reputable list owner or broker will provide a refund or credit.

online Connected to a telecommunications system. More and more publishers' products are available this way, with customers gaining access through a telecommunications link to the continuously updated publishing information database.

over-run 1. Type matter which does not fit the design and must either be cut or the letter and word s.p.a.cing reduced in size until it fits. 2. Extra copies printed, over and above the quant.i.ty ordered from the printer (see overs). 3. An invitation to make a remark about cricket.

overs 1. Short for over-run. The practice of printing a slightly larger quant.i.ty than ordered to make up for copies spoilt during either printing or binding. It is commercially acceptable for the printer to allow 5% over or under the quant.i.ty ordered unless otherwise specified. You will be charged for the overs. 2. An invitation to make another remark about cricket.

ozalid A contact paper proof made from the film and usually used as a last-minute check on positioning on more complex jobs. A final check before printing, unless a printed proof is requested.

pb Short for paperback.

perfect binding 1. In book publishing, the most common binding for paperbacks. The different sections of the book are trimmed flush and the pages glued to the inside of the cover. This is more expensive than saddle st.i.tching but cheaper than sewing. 2. In magazine publishing, a more expensive and therefore upmarket binding than saddle st.i.tching. Sometimes called 'square binding' (for the effect it has on the spine).

permissions The right (requested and approved) to reproduce quotations and extracts from other people's work in new publications. Usually arranged (the jargon is 'clearing permissions') by the author, but sometimes handled by the publishing house, if time or authorial inclination are short.

PMT Short for photo mechanical transfer. The production of a PMT is a two-stage process: the creation of a photosensitive negative which is then developed with a chemically sensitive carrier. The line image produced provides artwork.

podcast A podcast is a series of electronic media files, such as audio or video, that are distributed over the Internet by means of a Web feed, for playback on portable media players and personal computers, at a time that suits the listener. The word podcast is often used to mean either the content itself, or the method by which it is made available (although this is also referred to as podcasting).

point of sale Eye-catching promotional material to be displayed with the product where purchases are made. For example, publishers produce showcards, posters, bookmarks, balloons, single copy holders, dump bins and counter packs for display by the till.

point system 1. A typographic standard measure based on the pica, eg 12 pt. 2. The arrangement for identifying characters (see character).

portrait An upright oblong format, ie taller than it is wide (see landscape).

pos 1. Abbreviation for positive, eg pos film. 2. Point of sale.

print on demand As printing technology becomes cheaper and specialist publishers increasingly target highly niche markets, it may be cost-effective to print only the number of copies you have actual orders for. This can work particularly well for a high-price product relevant to a very small market, for example a market research report. Don't forget, however, that before any printing on demand can begin the origination costs must be covered. It follows that this is not as cheap an alternative to conventional production as is often imagined!

positioning A marketing term for how you want your designated customer to feel about the product or service you are offering; the emotional relationship you want them to have with it.

print run The number of copies ordered from a printer (see overs).

pro forma invoice One that must be settled before goods are despatched, often used for export orders or where no account exists.

progressive proofs A set of printed proofs showing each colour individually and then in combination.

promotions This originally referred to mutually beneficial arrangements between non-competing organisations approaching the same target market (now often referred to as 'affinity marketing'); today the term is used more generally, to refer to general pushing or promoting of t.i.tles to a wider prominence.

proofreading Reading typeset copy for errors. There is a standard series of proofreader's marks, which should be made both by the mistake and in the margin. Typesetter's mistakes should be noted in red, and author's and publisher's in black or blue.

pub 1. Where long Friday lunches are spent. 2. Short for 'publication' as in 'pub plan', 'pub date' and so on.

publication date 1. The date before which stock may not be sold, to ensure no one seller saturates the market before all have the same opportunity. Sometimes ignored to secure a compet.i.tive advantage. (See release date.) 2. In magazine publishing, the publication date is frequently one and sometimes even two months before the date on the cover of the magazine. Given the choice between two magazines, one the August edition and the other the September, consumers usually choose the latter.

reading copies Copies of a forthcoming t.i.tle distributed before publication date to key people in the trade (notably booksellers and wholesalers) to create enthusiasm and promote by word of mouth. Done on the grounds that those who sell books are more likely to enthuse to customers about t.i.tles they have themselves read and enjoyed.

recto The right-hand page of a double page spread (with an odd page number). The opposite of verso.

register Trim marks that appear on the artwork supplied to a printer, should reappear on the plates made, and need to be matched up when printing to ensure the whole job will be in focus or register. If the plates have not been aligned according to the register marks, or the marks placed incorrectly, the job is said to be 'out of register'.

release date Date on which stock is released from the publisher's warehouse for delivery to booksellers in antic.i.p.ation of the publication date. Some booksellers complain release dates are far too early and they end up warehousing the books instead of the publisher. This can fuel the temptation to sell early.

remainder To sell off unsold stock at a cheaper price, often to 'remainder shops' such as discount book stores.

repro Short for reproduction; the conversion of typeset copy and photographs into final film and printing plates.

response device How the order or response comes back to the mailer, for example a link to the website to place an order, or a reply card or envelope.

retouching Adapting artwork or film to make corrections or alter tonal values.

returns Unsold stock of particular t.i.tles that may be returned to the publisher by the newsagent or bookseller with prior agreement. In magazine publishing, newsagents hate handling returns almost as much as publishers hate newsagents. In book publishing, reps often use the authorisation of returns as a bargaining point in persuading booksellers to take new t.i.tles.

reverse out To produce text as white or a pale colour 'reversed out' on a darker background colour, as opposed to the more usual practice of printing in dark ink on a pale background. This technique is used by designers to win awards and persuade readers to stop reading.

review copy You will hear this term used widely to mean 'free copy', and probably receive many calls and e-mails requesting one. In precise terms, a review copy is a t.i.tle sent to a potential reviewer (or review editor) in the hope that they will feature it in the media. Early copies released this way end up for sale in second-hand bookshops and through online bookselling mechanisms, often before publication, and this practice is an ongoing source of tension between publishers and the media.

review slip 1. The enclosure in a book when it is sent out for review by a publisher. It should include details of t.i.tle, author, ISBN, price and publication date, as well as a request for a copy of any review that appears. 2. A sentence written by a critic that reveals they have not, in fact, actually read the book in question.

rights The legal ent.i.tlement to publish a particular work. Permission is given by the copyright holder (usually the author or editor) to reproduce the work in one particular format. Subsidiary rights (for other formats, such as paperback and online as well as film, merchandising deals and so on) are then sold by either the firm's rights manager or the author's agent. The major occasion for selling rights is the annual Frankfurt Book Fair.

roman Upright type (not bold), as opposed to italic.

royalty The percentage of list price or net receipt paid on each copy sold to the copyright holder, usually the author. There are regional variations in how long the royalties must be paid for. In the UK, royalties are paid to the author's estate for 70 years after his or her death; the ma.n.u.script is then out of copyright and may be reproduced by anyone without paying royalties.

rrp Short for recommended retail price. Usually set by the manufacturer, this is the basis for calculating the discount given to the retailer. The actual selling price is decided by the retailer, who may choose to lower prices and take a reduced profit margin in the hope of selling a greater quant.i.ty.

run of paper Refers to the position of an advertis.e.m.e.nt that will appear in a particular journal or paper wherever there is room, at the editor's or designer's discretion. This is usually cheaper than specifying a particular (or preferred) position.

saddle st.i.tching A method of binding magazines, pamphlets or small books (4864 pages is probably the limit for saddle st.i.tching successfully). Wire staples or thread are used to st.i.tch along the line of the fold. Also called 'wire st.i.tching'.

salary In publishing, usually an unfunny joke.

sale or return Newsagents, bookstores or wholesalers take t.i.tles 'on sale or return' on the understanding that if they have not been sold after a specified period (usually by the time the next edition comes out for magazines, or 612 months after ordering for books), and provided the t.i.tles are still in print, they may be returned for a credit. This leaves the long-term financial risk with the publisher. The opposite of firm sale.

school supplier (also called educational contractor) A firm which seeks to supply both schools and local education authorities with books and other educational products.

screen 1. The process used to convert continuous tone photographs into patterns of dots, in order to reproduce the effect of the original when printed (see half-tone). A coa.r.s.e screen is used in the preparation of ill.u.s.trations for newsprint and other less demanding jobs. 2. Short for silk-screen printing.

see safe Bookstores or wholesalers usually take books on a 'see safe' basis. They are invoiced immediately for the total taken; those they do not sell may be returned for a credit or exchange. While the immediate financial outlay is thus with the shop, they are protected by the practice of sale or return.

self mailer A direct mail piece without an envelope or outer wrapping. Often used to refer to all-in-one leaflets, which combine sales message and response device. s.p.a.ce for copy is limited so this format works best when the recipient already knows of the product being advertised.