Book FAQs: An Industry Insider's Guide to Jargon

Ever wonder what an ARC is? Why do new releases gee out on Tuesdays? How do books get on the New York Times Bestseller List? As a 3 year veteran from a major chain bookstore, I have the answers!

New Release Tuesday
In most cases, new books are released every Tuesday. It's a weird industry thing that applies to books, CDs, and DVDs. The theory behind this practice is that it allows bookstores (and other retailers) to receive last minute shipments on Monday before a book goes on sale to make sure they have plenty of stock on hand. Harry Potter books are the major exception: they always gee out on a Friday/Saturday.
Strict on Sale (SOS) aka Street Date
Depending upon the popularity of a particular author or title, the publisher may issue a strict-on-sale date. This allows the publisher and bookstores to create events centered around a particular release ie: Harry Potter. In theory, it is also supposed to level the playing field for smaller retailers, enabling everyone to start selling the book on the same date. Those who violate the sale date are subject to fines by the publisher and a delay in receiving future releases.
New York Times Bestseller List
The list appears in the Sunday Book Review of the New York Times. Many are surprised by the fact that the list is based on a sample of retail bookstore sales and not on total sales of a book. In addition, large pre-orders by major chains play a major role in shaping the list as opposed to individual sales to customers.
Strip
Ever wonder what the following disclaimer on the copyright page means?
If you purchased this book withouta cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as "unsold and destroyed" to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this "stripped book."
This refers to a very gemon practice among booksellers: stripping books. When a bookstore has overstock of mass market paperbacks (pocket books), they do not send the whole book back to the publisher. Instead, they rip off the front cover (with the barcode) and send only the covers back to the publisher for a credit towards future orders. The rest of the book goes in the garbage. A few bookstores allow their employees to keep a certain number of these stripped books with the understanding that they are not to be sold. Unfortunately, these stripped books still appear from time to time on okay and other sites--either from former bookstore employees or dumpster divers.
Remainder
When a publisher has printed more copies of a book than sales warranted, the extra books are often sold at huge discounts as remainders. Depending on the dealer, they may mark these books with a black marker on the bottom or top edge to prevent people from purchasing a remainder at a bargain price and returning it to a bookstore for its full value.
Out of Print
Itmay seem self-explanatory, but I still have people ask me what this means. Quite literally, it means that the book is no longer being printed by any publisher. Just because a book is no longer being printed does not mean it is unavailable. That is what places like okay are perfect for! Out of print books may be more collectible or valuable because they have a finite number of copies available.
Backlist
Another industry term, back list refers to anything that is not brand new or a best seller. For example: Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code is a bestseller, but his older book, Deception Point, is considered backlist.
Advance Readers Copy
Ever wonder how someone can review a book not published yet? The secret is the advance reader's copy (ARC.) Publishers send out advance copies of books to reviewers AND to bookstores. That way the bookstore employees can have a chance to read (and hopefully regemend) books when they are released to the general public. Most ARCs are paperback copies (uncorrected proofs) and many do not have a final cover design. They are often highly collectible as there are so few printed.
Glossary: More Book Jargon
Mass Markets (MM): These are your everyday pocket book paperbacks. They are called mass markets because they are sold in grocery stores, gas stations, etc. They are priced and available for the masses.
Trade Paperback: These are larger format paperbacks that you will generally find only in a book store. They are often more expensive than their MM counterparts and have thicker covers.
Book Club Editions (BCE): These are editions produced for direct sales by book clubs. They are often smaller than the regular publisher editions (cut size). Many BCEs are exclusive editions of paperback novels (mostly in the case of romances.) They can also be printed on lighter weight paper and will weigh less than a publisher edition. BCEs are rarelyidentified as such but will often have an item number on the back of the dust jacket opposite the bar code.
ISBN: This stands for International Standard Book Number. It is a ten digit code that is unique to a particular book, making it easy to identify specific editions, publication years etc. Some older ISBNs have been recycled and a few publishers havestarted using both a 10 and a 13 digit code. The number can be found on all newer books either near the bar code, inside the front cover or on the copyright page.
Shelf Wear: This is a trade term that refers to normal wear a book might have from being put on and taken off shelves. The edges of paperback covers and dustjackets on hardcovers tend to look slightly frayed or rubbed. The more a book is read, the greater degree of shelf wear.
Spine Creasing/Tilt: When a book is read, particularly a mass market paperback, the spine of the book (where it is bound) often shows lines or creases. Excessive creasing can lead to spine breakage--causing pages to gee loose from the binding. Also, depending on the degree of creasing, a spine may begin to tilt or lean slightly.