How books are described:

1/1

A first edition, first printing of a book. Usually the most desirable edition.

2o

fo

folio

A large book of 15″ or taller. The name comes from a standard printer’s sheet being folded once, which produced 2 leaves (or 4 pages).

4to

quarto

A large squarish book around 10″ wide and 12″ tall. The name comes from a standard printer’s sheet being folded twice, which produced 4 leaves (or 8 pages). The term is also used to refer to Shakespeare’s plays, which were often printed in this format without the playwright’s permission.

8vo

octavo

A book the size of a contemporary standard hardback (i.e. between 8-10″ tall). The name comes from a standard printer’s sheet being folded four times, which produced 8 leaves (or 16 pages).

ARC

advance reading copy

a pre-press copy of a book (usually a paperback) that has been released prior to the first edition for reviewers and promotional purposes. They are typically less attractive than the first edition as they may be missing artwork, have uncorrected errors, are not made to last, and often say “not for sale”. However, some collectors consider them the ‘true first copy of a work, and seek them out particularly if they want copies of a specific title or works by an author.

Association copy

A book that has been inscribed by an author for a friend or someone significant (e.g. a President or famous actor).

BCE

Book Club Edition

A book that was produced for sale to members of a book club, typically they have lower quality paper and bindings (sometimes a different size). Many of them are missing the price on the dust jacket, may have BCE written on the copyright page, a dot or other shape impressed into the back cover. Hardback BCEs are often smaller, while paperback BCEs are typically larger than the trade edition. Also sometimes called BOMC or Book of the Month Club editions. Typically these are less desirable to collectors, with certain notable exceptions such as Junior Deluxe Editions, the Easton Press, the Limited Editions Club and Franklin Library.

Boards

The thick cardboard that covers a hardback book. Named after very early books that used actual wooden boards covered with leather sewn over the pages of the text to keep the pages flat.

Bookplate

A decorative device to identify the owner of a book, typically a printed label pasted into a book to show ownership. Many of them feature the phrase Ex Libris, which is Latin for “from the library of…”.

Brodart

A well-known brand name for the maker of a plastic cover added to a dust jacket to protect it. Often used generically to include plastic cover products made by other manufacturers.

Buckram

A plain fabric book covering, usually made from cotton or linen stiffened with some type of starch. It is a strong moisture resistant covering that is commonly used to cover books like library books which may be well-handled, or to make a book that is long-lasting.

Case

The case is the hard outer shell of a hardback book (i.e. what is underneath the dust jacket). Case designs vary, but the most basic ones usually include the title of the book and name of the author on the spine. Slightly higher quality cases have at least the title on the front, some have more elaborate designs. 

Case stamp

Decorative designs stamped onto the case of a hardback book (i.e. onto the boards underneath the dust jacket). Often the designs are also foiled.

Clamshell box

Solander case

A protective box hinged on one side, with the other three edges extending down from the top of the box so that they neatly fit inside the edges that extend from the bottom of the box when it is closed. Used for archival purposes and often provided to protect high end fine press books.

Completist

A collector who is looking to collect all the editions of their particular interest, such as a specific title, or author, or topic.

Copyright Page

A page with information about the author, publisher, rights holders, printing history of the book (such as the ISBN) and other details. It is usually one of the first few pages of the book and often appears opposite the title page.

Deckle Edge

Pages that have a rough or “feathered” edge. Historically this occurred due to the way paper was made using a “deckle” to shape the sheet that left an uneven edge on the outside. These days it is used as a decorative device instead of standard machine-cut edges. (Some people love them, some people hate them.)

Debossed

When an image is imprinted into the paper or book boards, creating a depressed effect. It can be left untouched, or filled in with ink or foil stamping. The opposite (raised) effect is known as embossing.

Die-cut

A process in which shapes are cut out using steel blades from the cover of a book to create a ‘window’, or from internal pages as an artistic technique.

Digital signature

Digital book signatures are essentially scanned signatures. Real signatures are more valuable.

Dos-á-dos binding

Two (or more) books that have been bound together ‘back-to-back’, and share a back board. When placed on a shelf, one spine faces the front and the other faces the back. Sometimes (inaccurately) used as a more broad term that also includes books bound tête-bêche.

Dust Jacket

Dust Cover

Dust Wrapper

The paper jacket that wraps around the outside of the book, with flaps that fold over the edges to hold it in place. They first appeared in the early 1880s to protect the book bindings from damage but were usually discarded. From about the 1920s on they became more decorative and were kept with the books. Original dust jackets in good condition increase the value of first editions.

Embossed

When an image is imprinted into paper creating a raised effect. The image can be left untouched (blind emboss), or highlighted with ink or foil. The opposite effect (making a depression in the paper) is called debossing.

End matter, back matter

The pages of the book after the main text. Examples include author interviews, advertising for other titles, or sample chapters.

e.p.

Endpapers

The papers that are bound into the front and back of the book after printing to help keep the text block attached to the boards, typically heavier weight than other pages in the book. One half is pasted to the boards, and the other is often known as the ffep. In collectible books these papers are often decorated with marbling or illustrations.

Ephemera

Printed items that were originally produced in the anticipation of a short lifespan (e.g. postcards, pamphlets, posters) that are now considered collectible.

Facsimile

A reproduction of an original work, that has been made as accurately as possible.

ffep

Front Free Endpaper

The first page of the book that is usually part of a single sheet that is pasted on the inside front board of a book. It is usually of heavier weight than other pages in the book because it helps to connect the text block to the boards, and is sometimes decorative as part of the endpapers.

First edition

The initial printing, or first appearance of a book in print (after the ARC).

First edition, thus

: Not the first appearance of the book in print, but its first appearance in a substantially different format (e.g. the first edition of a paperback book that was originally released as a hardback, or the first Penguin Classics edition of a book originally released by a different publisher).

First printing

A first edition book that was part of the initial print run. (If the initial print run sells out, the publisher may decide to produce subsequent printings with the same typesetting – these are technically still first editions, but they are considered to be later printings.

Front matter

Prelims

The pages of the book prior to the main text. They usually include copyright information, dedications, tables of contents, etc.

Foil stamping, or foiling

A finishing process added to paper, fabric or page edges that uses a stamping technique to decorate the material with a thin application of metal sheet (typically gold, but silver and other colors are available).

Frontispiece

An illustration on the page opposite the title page.

Glued

Perfect bound

Books that are bound using glue rather than sewn with thread. Glued binding have varying length of life, but not usually longer than 40 years even when stored carefully.

pod

gsm

Paper density is usually referred to in grams per square metre, or gsm. Thicker paper is usually heavier and has a higher gsm.

Hardback

Hardcover Book

A book that is bound in stiff covers, or boards.

Headband

Tailband

A narrow band of plain or striped cotton glued to the top (head) and/or bottom (tail) of the spine of a hardback book. Mostly these are decorative elements.

Inscribed book

A book that has a short note written inside. It may be inscribed by the author (or someone significant) in which case it may be more collectible. Or it may be written in by someone of no significant historical interest, in which case it will usually make the book less valuable. (Unless, of course, it’s inscribed by your own Nan, in which case of course it is priceless.)

ISBN

International Standard Book Number

A unique* numeric** identifier for commercially produced*** books. It was used sporadically in the 1960s with the 9-digit SBN (Standard Book Number), standardized in 1970 as a 10-digit number, and later expanded to a 13-digit number in 2007. It is usually printed on the copyright page but is often also found on the barcode or on the jacket flap. 13-digit ISBNs consist of 5 parts – a prefix (978 or 979), a registration element (that represents the country or language, can be 1 to 5 digits long), a publisher element (that identifies the publisher or imprint, up to 7 digits long), an edition element (specific to the edition and format of the title, up to 6 digits long), and a check digit (the final digit that is calculated using all the other numbers and forms part of a failsafe that the number is valid). *Publishers sometimes make mistakes and accidentally register the same barcode for different books. It’s unusual, but it does happen. **Sometimes the letter X can appear at the end of the ISBN, as part of a check digit. ***Any publisher can apply (and pay for) an ISBN, but many independent or fine press publishers do not, so their books are released without an ISBN.

Lenticular

A technique that makes images look like they move when you change the angle you are holding them at. Sometimes used on covers of middle grade books for added desirability.

Lettered copy

Where a book has been set as a limited edition, sometimes the publishers include lettered editions which are usually limited to 26 copies according to each letter of the alphabet. Occasionally this can be doubled by adding double letters such as AA, BB, etc. Lettered editions are often used when the publisher creates a particularly special edition, such as using higher end bindings, including signatures, additional illustrations, etc. They are usually highly desirable (and expensive) editions.

Letterpress

A printing technique where a raised surface (such as movable type) is inked and then impressed onto the surface of a page or paper. This was the type of printing invented by Gutenberg and was widely used until the late 20th century. Digital printing leaves a flat kiss of ink behind on the page, while letterpress creates an actual impression on the page from the bite of type that you can feel when you run your fingers over the paper. If books are printed using this technique, the printers are usually working on books as an art form, so it is usually highly regarded but may be done with varying degrees of skill.

Library binding

A reinforced binding designed for libraries and schools, to protect books that are well-handled. (Many libraries replace pretty but fragile original bindings with boring but strong bindings, using materials such as buckram). Library bound books are worth less to collectors than books in the original binding.

Limited edition

When a publisher goes to press and sets a limit to the number of books that will be produced (in that format). They are making a commitment that no further copies will be made after that limit has been reached. Sometimes copies are numbered (starting at #1 and continuing to the limitation limit, e.g. #600) or lettered (usually starting at A and continuing to the appropriate letter of the alphabet), or marked as P.C. Limitations of 1000 copies or over are usually not considered particularly exclusive, but may still be hard to find if the work is very desirable. Some collectors really want the numbers in a series to be the same and will pay a premium for ‘matching’ sets.

Miniature book

Typically a book that is less than 3′ in width and length.

Number line

A series of numbers that appears on the copyright page of a book to indicate which printing it is. Usually, the lowest number indicates the printing (i.e. a “1” indicates a first printing, a “5” indicates a 5th printing). But there is no clear-cut standard here, some publishers user sequential number series, some do not. Some use letters instead of numbers (where “A” indicates the first printing). It’s confusing.

Numbered copy

When a book has been set as a limited edition, this is often indicated by including the current number of the book over the limitation number. E.g. 17/100 would indicate it was the 17th book printed out of a total limitation of 100 copies. Earlier numbers are typically more desirable – either because the author is more ‘fresh’ (for high limitations those later signatures can look a bit like tired scribbles), or for series books a later book might be printed in a lower limitation and the higher numbers can’t be matched.

Offset printing

A printing technique where the inked image or text is transferred from a plate (usually metal) to a “rubber blanket”, which is then rolled onto the surface of a page or paper. It is called off-set because the ink is not directly transferred to the paper. It usually results in crisp, clean printing with very accurate color reproduction.

OOP

Out of Print

A book that is no longer available from the publisher. If the title is collectible, this can drive up the price due to scarcity.

p

pp

Short for ‘page’, with pp being the plural form ‘pages’. pp is also used to refer to a range of pages, e.g. pp. 27-44.

pb

Paperback

A book bound in paper. Trade paperbacks are usually the same size and format as the hardback but in a lower quality binding, while mass-market paperbacks are printed cheaply for large audiences and are often smaller in size (around 4″ x 7″ in size).

PC

Publisher’s Copy

A book issued outside of the standard numbering of a limited edition, usually to someone involved in making the book, and typically not for sale. E.g. a publisher may make a limited edition print run of 700 copies numbered 1 to 700, and an additional 5 PC copies keeping one on file, and gifting the other 4 to the head of the company, the binder, the editor, the author, etc. Sometimes extra copies are printed in case the originals get damaged in shipping and need to be replaced, and these also might be labelled as PC copies if they are not needed. They are usually valued slightly less than the numbered copies.

Print On Demand

Books printed by special order. Usually paperbacks that have been reproduced by scanning or photographing the original text, and often of poor quality, but also used by self-publishing authors.

Remainder Mark

An ink marking that indicates the book has been “remaindered”. When publishers release new titles they have to guess how many will sell, and if they print too many that sit on shelves for a long time without selling, booksellers are allowed to send the remaining copies back to the publisher. Shops can take these remaindered books to sell them at a discount, but they are marked (usually with a black pen slash mark or red dot on the bottom page edge) to indicate they have had more wear and tear due to the extra handling, although they may otherwise look brand new. Remainder marks lower the value of a book to a collector.

Second / Third / etc Edition

: A printing subsequent to the first edition in which substantive changes have been made, e.g. a new foreword, or additional chapters.

Slipcase

A protective box, usually made of decorative cardboard or sometimes leather, that houses the book. The box is open on one side to allow the book to “slip” inside.

Smyth-sewn

A method of binding a book where the pages are physically sewn into the book. Sets of folded pages (usually 16 or 24) are stitched together with thread into a group called a signature, and then all the signatures are stitched together to form the text block. The pages are then reinforced with fabric backing and adhesive. You can actually see the stitches on the pages. This is considered the highest quality of binding because it is very durable and the pages lay flat, making it easier to read. It is usually compared against glued binding (which does not age well, and runs the risk of pages falling out). Some mid-range publishers use a hybrid style of binding, where the pages are sewn into signatures but then they are pressed together and glued into the covers (without the additional stitching and fabric of a Smyth-sewn binding).

Sprayed edges

Stencilled edges

When the edges of a book are sprayed for cosmetic effect. They may be sprayed in a block color, with different shades to create an ombre effect, or a decorative image may be stencilled on the edges. Stencilled images are also known as digitally sprayed edges, or #spredges.

Tête-bêche binding

A book that contains two titles bound ‘head-to-toe’. One title can be read by holding the book in one direction, then if you flip it over you will be able to read the other title, with both books ending somewhere in the middle. Different to dos-á-dos binding in that the book basically has two front covers and no back cover.

Text block

The inside pages of a book (distinct from the dust jacket, boards, and endpapers).

Tipped in

Tipped in pages (or plates, if it’s an illustration) are pages that are printed separately from the main text and later attached to the book. Pages can be glued onto a page in the text block, or it can later be bound in. If the page is inserted loosely it’s usually called an ‘insert’, or is listed as ‘laid in’. Often images in high quality publications are tipped in because it means they can be printed on higher quality paper, or author’s signatures can be tipped in because it is cheaper to ship just the signature page than the whole book. Sometimes errata sheets are tipped in to fix mistakes discovered after printing has been finished.

Title page

A page at the front of the book which usually contains the title of the book, the subtitle if there is one, the author, the illustrator/editor or other contributors, and often the publisher. A popular place for authors to sign their books, although older titles may include signatures at the back.

Variants

Coatings on top of a printed product. Spot UV varnish refers to a page or dust jacket that spots covered in varnish to highlight specific elements rather than the whole thing.

Varnish

Books that have different bindings (cover designs) within a particular issue or printing.

Wibalin

A strong durable paper covering used to simulate cloth on book covers.