Romance Terms Glossary

 

2S2L – see TSTL
AAR – initialism for Association of Authors’ Representatives, a not-for-profit organization of independent literary and dramatic agents
ABA – initialism for the American Booksellers Association
advance - a percentage of a writing fee paid to the author up front, usually upon contracting for a work and calculated on estimated book sales ; any royalties an author may receive are balanced against the amount of the advance
Affaire d’Coeur – a bimonthly magazine focusing primarily on romance novels (but does include other genres) and features author interviews, general articles and news, trivia and many reviews
agent -- a literary professional who markets book-length works to publishing houses, often charging a 10-20 percent commission. Writers are often warned about dealing with agents who charge a fee ; scrupulous agents make their money by selling their clients' books. The “Preditors and Editors” website (http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/) is updated regularly and will list recommended and not recommended literary agents ; may also be referred to as literary agent
ALA – initialism for the American Library Association, the national organization for librarians ; publisher of the review source Booklist
AMM – initialism for “Area Market Manager,” a bookstore personnel responsible for booking authors for in-store signings; depending on the stores hierarchy, may also be referred to as a Community Relations Manager (or CRM)
antagonist – the character in a novel that is in direct conflict with the protagonist, often in competition for specific goal
ARC – initialism for “advance reading copy” (also referred to as an “advance copy”), a copy of a book released by the publisher before the book has gone to press for a complete printing;  ARCs generally do not have the final dust jacket, formatting or binding of the finished product; the text of an ARC may also differ from that of the published book if the book is edited after the ARC is produced; ARCs are often distributed to reviewers, bookstores, magazines and, in some cases, libraries between three and six months before the book is officially released
auction - a process which allows multiple publishers to bid on an unpublished work; auctions can vary, depending on the number of editors interested, the type of book, and the agent involved
back story (may also be written as backstory or back-story) – the background information provided, often in narrative form, to give the reader help in understanding something, as the behavior of a character or situation
backlist – an author’s list of older titles still in print and available from the publisher
BEA – initialism for “BookExpo America,” the annual premier trade show for the publishing industry, providing booksellers and libraries a sneak peak inside the world of bookselling; sponsored by the American Booksellers Association (ABA).
BIP – initialism for Books in Print, a bibliographic resource published by Bowker that lists all titles currently available in print; online version available at www.booksinprint.com/bip/
bodice-ripper – a derogatory term for historical single-title romance novels, based on covers that featured scantily clad women being grabbed by the hero; the term originated in a 1980 Wall Street Journal article that referred to bodice rippers as “publishing’s answer to the Big Mac: They are juicy, cheap, predictable, and devoured in stupefying quantities by legions of loyal fans”
“Bookseller of the Year” – an award, established in 1995 by the Romance Writers of America, to honor Booksellers who go above and beyond in their support of the romance genre, romance authors, and romance readers; in 1999 the name was changed to the Steffie Walker Bookseller of the Year Award in honor of the late Steffie Walker, a former recipient of the Bookseller of the Year Award.
category romance (may also be referred to as “series romance”) – shorter romances that are released in order and by month, with a series number on each title; these books are most commonly published by Harlequin/Silhouette. 
characterization – an author’s use of description, dialog, dialect and action to create for the reader an emotional or intellectual reaction to a character or to make the character more vivid and realistic
Community Relations Manager – see AMM
contemporary series – a subgenre of category romance in which the novels focus primarily on the romantic relationship and typically set after 1945
contemporary single title – a subgenre of romance in which the novels focus primarily on the romantic relationship, released as individual titles, not as part of a series and set after 1945
conflict – the engine that drive the plot, the opposition between two characters (such as a protagonist and an antagonist) or between the protagonist and a larger problem such as forces of nature, ideas, public mores, etc. (external conflict), or the protagonist struggling with psychological tendencies (e.g., drug addiction, self-destructive behavior) (internal conflict)
copy editor – an editor who prepares text for publication
cover letter – see query letter
CP – abbreviation for “critique partner”
critique – the process by which a work in progress is reviewed by an individual or group in order to give the writer constructive feedback and make their story better
CRM – initialism for Community Relations Manager, a bookstore personnel responsible for booking authors for in-store signings; depending on the stores hierarchy, may also be referred to as an AMM,Area Marketing Manager
dialog (also dialogue)– lines spoken by a character or characters, especially a conversation between two characters; bad dialog is pointless, good dialog provides either characterization or advances the plot
dialog tag – see tag
dialogue – seedialog
EAN – initialism for “European article number,” the barcodes are used worldwide for marking retail goods; may also be referred to as ISBN-13. This 13-digit number is now used in place of the 10-digit ISBN for books.
editor – a person responsible for the editorial aspects of publication; the person who determines the final content of a text
external conflict – see conflict
ff&p – initialism for “Futuristic, Fantasy and Paranormal”
First North American Rights – see North American Rights
flash fiction – fictional story under 500 words
FNAR – see North American Rights
font – a specific style of type
font size – the specific height of a style of type, measured by the number of points
full manuscript (may also be referred to a “a full”) – a entire completed manuscript requested by an editor or agent
galley proof (sometimes referred to as simply “galley”) – a proof copy taken from composed type before page composition to allow for the detection and correction of errors
genre - a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, marked by a distinctive style, form, or content (e.g., romances, mysteries, etc.)
GH – see Golden Heart
ghost writer – a writer who is paid to write a book (or other writing) which is officially credited to another person, often a celebrity
GMC – abbreviation for “Goals, Motivation, Conflict”; popularized in the book by Debra Dixon (GMC: Goals, Motivation, Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction, 1996)
Golden Heart (often abbreviated as “GH”) – a contest sponsored by the Romance Writers of America for unpublished manuscripts in the romance genres; in the preliminary round judging, submitted manuscripts are read and judged by RWA members and finalists are judged by acquisition editor from romance publishing houses; many Golden Heart finalists sell their manuscripts as a result of the exposure from the contest; a listing of current categories is available on the RWA web site: www.rwanational.org/cs/contests_and_awards/golden_heart_awards/category_descriptions
hardcover (may also be referred to as hardback or hardbound) – a book bound with rigid protective covers, typically of cardboard covered with cloth, heavy paper or sometimes leather; they may have flexible sewn spines which allow the book to lie flat on a surface when opened, although most modern commercial hardcover books have glued spines
HEA – initialism for “happily ever after”
head hopping – when reading a scene, the reader jumps from one character’s thoughts and POV to another’s and to another’s
hero – the main male protagonist
heroine – the main female protagonist
h/h – shorthand abbreviation for “hero/heroine”
historical romance – a subgenre of romance novels set in any time period prior to 1945, and taking place in any location
single title – a book released as an individual title, not as part of a series
hook (may also be referred to as a “narrative hook”) – a literary technique in the opening of the story that “hooks the reader’s attention so that s/he will read on; the opening may consist of several paragraphs but, ideally, is the opening sentence
house style guide – a style guide intended for a particular publishing company; see also style guide
imprint – a brand name under which a work is published; one single publishing company may have multiple imprints, the different imprints used by the publisher to market the work to different demographic consumer segments (e.g., Avon Books is an imprint of HarperCollins)
inspirational romance – a subgenre of romance novels in which religious or spiritual beliefs (in the context of any religion or spiritual belief system) are a major part of the romantic relationship
internal conflict – see conflict
ISBN – initialism for “international standard book number,” a 10-digit number now replaced by the ISBN-13
ISBN-13 – the thirteen digit number used to uniquely identify a book edition.
Kicker – a journalistic term for a short, snappy ending
KISS – initialism for “keep it simple, stupid”
“Librarian of the Year” – an award, established in 1995 by the Romance Writers of America, to honor librarians who go above and beyond in their support of the romance genre, its authors, and readers
line edit – proofreading the typeset copy and marking any errors using standard proof correction marks (such as those specified in style manuals, by house style, or, more broadly, by the international standard ISO 5776, or, for English, the British Standard BS-5261:2).
lines – publisher imprints which have specific styles of stories (e.g., Harlequin’s SuperRomance, Intrigue, etc.); lines are created, morphed, changed, and retired, often without warning
literary agent – see agent
loop – an email group of people who send email to each other on a particular discussion topic; when you join the loop, you receive email messages from everyone else in the loop, and when you reply to a loop message, your email message goes out to everyone else in the loop too; most likely derived from the idiomatic phrase, “in the loop”
mainstream romance – a romance novel that is generally a longer book (regardless of genre or subgenre); may also be referred to as a single title; the use of the classification “Mainstream” also indicates how the book is perceived and sold
manuscript – a typewritten or handwritten version of a book, an article, a document, or other work, especially the author's own copy, prepared and submitted for publication in print (often abbreviated as ms, or mss in its plural form)
marketing – the “process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, services, organizations, and events to create and maintain relationships that will satisfy individual and organizational objectives" (Contemporary Marketing Wired by Boone and Kurtz. Dryden Press, 1998)
mass market paperback (often abbreviated as MMP or MMPB) – a small, usually non-illustrated, and inexpensive bookbinding format, commonly released (approximately one year) after the release of a hardcover edition, although many titles, especially in the area of genre fiction are released original to paperback and were not originally released in hardcover; may also be referred to as “rack size,” because the size fits on standard book racks
MMP – see mass market paperback
MMPB – seemass market paperback 
ms – common abbreviation for manuscript
mss – common abbreviation for manuscripts (plural of manuscript)
narrative – the telling of something that happened (a story); the narrative is not the story itself but rather the telling of the story
narrative hook – see hook
newbie – someone new to the profession
North American rights – the type of rights licensed to the publisher, allowing the publisher only to handle and represent book rights in North America (United States, Canada and Mexico); the author and the author’s agent are responsible for selling/licensing rights anywhere outside of North America (and usually a designated set of territories); may also be referred to as “First North American Rights” or FNAR
novella – a work of fiction between 7,500 to 40,000 words; may vary with genre
novels with strong romantic elements – a subgenre of romance novels in which a romance plays a significant part in the story, but other themes or elements take the plot beyond the traditional romance boundaries
on acceptance – term meaning payment given to the writer when the editor accepts the finished piece
on publication – term meaning payment is given when the piece is published
on spec – term meaning the writer’s work has not been officially assigned or requested by an editor and the editor is not obligated to publish the piece
outline – the writer’s own guide for their novel
pacing – the movement of a literary piece from one point or one section to another; often described as the manipulations of time as the writer may slow down or speed up events to keep the readers’ attention
PAN – initialism for Published Authors Network
pantser – a writer who writes by the seat of their pants; compare to plotter
paranormal romance – a subgenre of romance novels in which the future, a fantasy world or paranormal happenings are an integral part of the plot
partial manuscript (may also be referred to as a “partial”) – a portion of a manuscript (often defined as the first three chapters of a work, but may be limited in terms of the number of pages, e.g., first fifty pages) requested by an editor or agent
pink ribbon – a ribbon attached to an RWA conference attendee’s name badge indicating the attendee has achieved the first sale of a novel
pitch – the act of convincing an editor or agent, often during a face-to-face meeting, to request a partial or full copy of your manuscript for consideration for publication
PLA –initialism for the Public Library Association, a division of the American Library Association (ALA)
plot – thepattern of events or main story in a narrative or drama
plotter – a writer who organizes, plans, plots, outlines, etc., before putting pen to paper; compare to pantser
POD – see print on demand
point of view - the perspective from which the story is told; may be in first person (“I”), second person (you, rarely used in fiction apart from literary fiction), or third person.
POV – seepoint of view
preempt – a shortened version of the legal term preemption; in writing, it means a publisher offers a dollar amount so high that an author and agent agree to sell the manuscript without asking for bids from other publishers; see also auction
print on demand (often abbreviated as “POD”) – the publishing of a copy of a book at the time is requested for purchase by a consumer
prison letters – fan letters sent to romance authors from a correctional facility, often solely because the author’s mailing address is a PO box
PRO – a networking group within the RWA network made up of RWA members who are not yet published; to be considered for PRO membership, the RWA member must meet these requirements: (1) be non PAN-eligible, (2) have submitted at least one completed romantic fiction manuscript of at least 40,000 words (excluding collections of short stories, novellas or poetry), and (3) have submitted their work to a literary agent or non-Subsidy/non-Vanity romance publisher
proofreading – readinga proof copy of a text in order to detect and correct any errors; modern proofreading often requires reading copy at earlier stages as well.
proofs – the last stage of editing that a book goes through; the author is provided copies of the designed pages and given one last chance to review the typesetter's “proofs” to check for typos or other small errors; proofs may also be used to make review copies or ARCs for reviewers; may also be referred to as “page proofs”
proposal – similar to a query, contains information to a publisher or agent describing the project; may include a cover letter and a synopsis of the work (in the case of non-fiction, a proposal would include an overview and a table of contents), detailed marketing and competitive information about other similar titles and sample writing materials
protagonist – the main character in a story; s/he is the one your readers should care about and root for
publicity - advertising that is free, including magazine and newspaper articles, radio and television interviews, and of course internet sites such as MySpace or other networking sites
Published Authors Network – a group within the RWA network with the purpose of establishing “a network of communication and support to effectively promote and protect the interests of published romance authors; to open channels of communication between those romance authors and other publishing industry professionals; and to encourage professionalism on all levels and in all relationships within the publishing industry” (www.rwanational.org/cs/become_a_member/about_pan); often abbreviated as PAN 
query letter – a letter sent to a publishing house or agent by an author to ascertain interest in the author’s work of fiction; it may be accompanied by a treatment, summary or a first chapter of a potential piece of writing
rack size – see mass market paperback
recognized press (sometimes referred to as “recognized publisher”) – a publishing house that publishes romance and has met RWA publisher recognition criteria
regency romance – a subgenre of romance novels in which the majority of the story is set against the Regency period of the British Empire, traditionally the period between 1811 and 1820
Rita – annual award presented by the Romance Writers of America (named for Rita Clay Estrada, the group's first president) at the annual conference; a listing of current categories is available on the RWA web site: www.rwanational.org/cs/contests_and_awards/rita_awards/category_descriptions
romantic suspense – a subgenre of romance novels in which suspense, mystery, or thriller elements constitute an integral part of the plot
Romantic Times – a publication founded in 1981 by Kathryn Falk, beginning initially as a typewritten fanzine and expending to its current monthly magazine format with reviews including genres outside of romance; in 2005, the title was changed to RT Bookclub to attract a broader audience and changed again to RT Book Reviews; the organization also sponsors an annual convention bringing together readers, writers, and other industry professionals
royalties – the percentage of the cover (or wholesale) price of a book that constitutes the author’s income from sales
RT Book Reviews – a monthly publication with articles, interviews and reviews of romance novels and other genres; see also Romantic Times
running heads – a publishing term for the page header (or “pagehead”); typically, running heads of a book might include the book title on the of the left-hand (verso, or even-numbered) page and the chapter title on the right-hand (recto, or odd-numbered) page
RWA – initialism for the Romance Writers of America, a national association for published and aspiring romance writers; RWA has more than 10,000 members in over 130 local and special-interest chapters 
RWR – shorthand term for Romance Writers Report, the monthly publication for members of RWA.
SAE – abbreviation for “self-addressed envelope”; an unstamped piece usually sent with a query letter or manuscript to an editor or agent
SASE - abbreviation for “self addressed stamped envelope”; usually sent with a query letter or manuscript so the editor or agent can mail it back to the writer
sell-through – an important number viewed by the publishing world, it is the percentage of books shipped that have actually sold (e.g., if a publisher ships 50,000 copies of a title and sells 40,000, the sell-through is 80%)
SEP – abbreviation often used to refer to Susan Elizabeth Phillips, writer extraordinaire and all-around good person ; see also seppies.
seppies (also written as SEPpies) – devotees of the writings of Susan Elizabeth Phillips
series romance – see category romance
setting – the time, location and circumstances in which the story takes place; the main backdrop for the story
single title romance – longer romances released individually and not as part of a numbered series; may also be referred to as mainstream romance
slush pile – material sent to an agent or an editor that has not been requested
small press – a term often used to describe publishers whose annual sales below a certain level (commonly, in the United States, this is set at $50 million, after returns and discounts); may also be defined as those that publish less than a certain numbers of title per year; term may be interchangeable with “indie publisher,” or “independent press,” although the latter is often additionally defined as a publisher that is not part of a larger conglomerate
style guide (may also be referred to as a “style manual”) – a set of standards for writing and document presentation for a specific publication or organization, including technical aspects, word count, prose style, grammar punctuation, and spelling guidelines
sub-genres – the various broken-down categories of romance novels including, but not limited to:
(1)     contemporary – romances set in the present day and dealing with realistic problems; can be short (50-60K words) or long (70-85K words).
(2)     traditional – short, contemporary romances either without explicit sex (and only after marriage).
(3)     inspirational – a romance with religious elements, usually Christian; length and setting (historical, contemporary, futuristic, and paranormal) will vary.
(4)     romantic suspense – romantic situations with mystery woven into the story, with the focus of the book being on the romance; can be category (Harlequin Intrigue) or single title. The balance between the romance and suspense will vary for each publisher (check guidelines).
(5)     historical romances – although traditionally considered novels set in Europe or North America between 1066 and 1900, the definition has changed since our arrival into the 21st century. 
(6)     regency – set in the period 1811-1820, usually involving the upper class (e.g., Pride and Prejudice)
(7)     paranormal – elements include fantasy, science fiction, time travel, witches, vampires, werewolves, or other unearthly aspects or characters; futuristic romances often lumped into this category.
(8)     mainstream – a story in which the romance is not of the utmost importance to the story. If the romance were to be removed, there would still be a story (but, probably, no one would be interested in it).
(9)     ethnic romances – novels that involve heroes and/or heroines for color. Most are contemporary settings, although some historicals have been published.
synopsis – adetailed, multipage description of the work, including all major plot points as well as the conclusion
tag (as in dialog tag) – words that delineate which character is speaking a line of dialog; primarily two types of tags: 
(1) speaker attribution tags attribute the dialog to a specific person by using a form of the word “said” (“This is a speaker tag,” John said.)
(2) Action tags show action with the dialog, the assumption being that the person performing the action is also doing the speaking (“Mary grinned. “And this is an action tag.”)
teen – see YA
tone – a literary technique that encompasses the attitudes toward the subject and toward the audience implied in a literary work; tne may be formal, informal, intimate, solemn, somber, playful, serious, ironic, condescending, or many other possible attitudes
trade book (sometimes referred to as “trade,” or “trade paperback) – essentially any size that is not mass market paperback; typically, the size is slightly larger an a mass market paperback edition
TSTL (also 2S2L) – initialism for a derogatory term applied to characters deemed “too stupid to live.”
unsolicited manuscript – a manuscript sent to a publisher or editor which was no requested by them
vanity press – a publisher that publishes the author’s work at the author’s expense (not a recommended way to seek publication by most agents or editors)
voice – the style of the author, the quality that makes his/her writing unique, and which conveys the author’s attitude, personality, and character
Walker, Steffie –  1997 recipient of RWA’s Bookseller of the Year award and manager of Super Crown Books in Orlando, Florida, she was a promoter of the romance genre;  after her death,  the award was later named in her honor
wallbanger – derogatory term for a book that, for various reasons (sometimes plot, sometimes character actions) causes the reader to want to toss the book aside.
WIP – initialism for “work in progress.”
world rights – the right of the publisher to represent the book on the author’s behalf and sell foreign translation rights anywhere in the world
YA – abbreviation for young adult (ages 13 to 18); YA novels are usually between 20,000 to 45,000 words; may also be referred to as teen

young adult romance – a subgenre of romance novels with a strong romantic theme geared toward young adult readers, i.e., teenagers

 

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