Chapter 3 Flashcards
Papyrus
A type of reed used to make an early form of paper.
Parchment
An early form of paper made from animal skins.
Codex
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.
Technological Determination
Theory that states that the introduction of new technology changes society, sometimes in unexpected ways.
Oral Culture
A culture in which information is transmitted more by speech than by writing.
Chapbook
Inexpensive early form of paperback containing mostly stories to be read for pleasure.
Rag Content
Proportion of cotton or linen fiber in high-quality paper.
Dime Novels
Inexpensive fiction, popular in the 1860’s, that sold for 10 cents; also called pulp novels.
Pulp Novels
Paperback books printed on cheap paper made from wood pulp; another name for dime novels.
Public Domain
The category of creative works on which the copyright has expired.
Trade Paperback
A quality paperback book with a larger trim size than the standard mass-market paperback.
Audiobooks
Books recorded on tape or some other medium.
Trade Books
Fiction and nonfiction books sold to the general public.
On Spec
On speculation; in the publishing industry, finishing a work without a contract guaranteeing that it will be bought.
Royalties
The author’s share of the net amount of a work’s revenues.
Acquisition Editor
An editor who obtains books to be published.
Developmental Editor
An editor who works directly with the author during the writing of a book, going over each chapter and suggesting major revisions.
Copy Editor
An editor who polishes a manuscript line by line and prepares it for typesetting.
Genre
Type of writing, such as romance or mystery.
University Press
A publisher that is affiliated with an institution of higher education and that publishes mostly academic books, especially original research by college professors.
Small Press
A publisher with few employees and minimal facilities. Many small presses try to publish serious books, especially poetry and avantgarde fiction.
Vanity Press
A publisher that requires its authors to pay the full cost of producing their own books.
Online Publisher
One that provides “supported self-publishing” through a website.
Blurb
Brief laudatory comments that can be placed on the cover of a book.
Megastores
Large bookstores that feature around 100,000 book titles and offer various amenities such as coffee bars and live readings.
Independent Bookstores
Booksellers not owned by a chain and not part of a larger company.
Bibliophiles
Book lovers; heavy readers.
Casual Readers
Those who enjoy reading but find the time to read only a few books a year.
Required Readers
Those who read only what they have to for their job or studies.
Illiterates
Those who can’t read because they never learned how.
Aliterates
Those who are able to read but do not.
Blockbuster
All types of huge events, especially in terms of media products.
Midlist Authors
Authors who don’t make it to the best-seller lists but still have respectable sales.
