Chapter 3

Question 1

Papyrus

Answer 1

A type of reed used to make an early form of paper.

Question 2

Parchment

Answer 2

An early form of paper made from animal skins.

Question 3

Codex

Answer 3

A book written on parchment pages that were cut and bound on one side. Developed by the Romans in the first century AD, the codex was the first book to resemble today’s familiar form.

Question 4

Technological Determination

Answer 4

Theory that states that the introduction of new technology changes society, sometimes in unexpected ways.

Question 5

Oral Culture

Answer 5

A culture in which information is transmitted more by speech than by writing.

Question 6

Chapbook

Answer 6

Inexpensive early form of paperback containing mostly stories to be read for pleasure.

Question 7

Rag Content

Answer 7

Proportion of cotton or linen fiber in high-quality paper.

Question 8

Dime Novels

Answer 8

Inexpensive fiction, popular in the 1860’s, that sold for 10 cents; also called pulp novels.

Question 9

Pulp Novels

Answer 9

Paperback books printed on cheap paper made from wood pulp; another name for dime novels.

Question 10

Public Domain

Answer 10

The category of creative works on which the copyright has expired.

Question 11

Trade Paperback

Answer 11

A quality paperback book with a larger trim size than the standard mass-market paperback.

Question 12

Audiobooks

Answer 12

Books recorded on tape or some other medium.

Question 13

Trade Books

Answer 13

Fiction and nonfiction books sold to the general public.

Question 14

On Spec

Answer 14

On speculation; in the publishing industry, finishing a work without a contract guaranteeing that it will be bought.

Question 15

Royalties

Answer 15

The author’s share of the net amount of a work’s revenues.

Question 16

Acquisition Editor

Answer 16

An editor who obtains books to be published.

Question 17

Developmental Editor

Answer 17

An editor who works directly with the author during the writing of a book, going over each chapter and suggesting major revisions.

Question 18

Copy Editor

Answer 18

An editor who polishes a manuscript line by line and prepares it for typesetting.

Question 19

Genre

Answer 19

Type of writing, such as romance or mystery.

Question 20

University Press

Answer 20

A publisher that is affiliated with an institution of higher education and that publishes mostly academic books, especially original research by college professors.

Question 21

Small Press

Answer 21

A publisher with few employees and minimal facilities. Many small presses try to publish serious books, especially poetry and avantgarde fiction.

Question 22

Vanity Press

Answer 22

A publisher that requires its authors to pay the full cost of producing their own books.

Question 23

Online Publisher

Answer 23

One that provides “supported self-publishing” through a website.

Question 24

Blurb

Answer 24

Brief laudatory comments that can be placed on the cover of a book.

Question 25

Megastores

Answer 25

Large bookstores that feature around 100,000 book titles and offer various amenities such as coffee bars and live readings.

Question 26

Independent Bookstores

Answer 26

Booksellers not owned by a chain and not part of a larger company.

Question 27

Bibliophiles

Answer 27

Book lovers; heavy readers.

Question 28

Casual Readers

Answer 28

Those who enjoy reading but find the time to read only a few books a year.

Question 29

Required Readers

Answer 29

Those who read only what they have to for their job or studies.

Question 30

Illiterates

Answer 30

Those who can’t read because they never learned how.

Question 31

Aliterates

Answer 31

Those who are able to read but do not.

Question 32

Blockbuster

Answer 32

All types of huge events, especially in terms of media products.

Question 33

Midlist Authors

Answer 33

Authors who don’t make it to the best-seller lists but still have respectable sales.