Reference

Used & rare book glossary

The words booksellers use in listings and catalogues, explained in plain English. Search or scroll.

Advance reading copy (ARC): A pre-publication copy sent to reviewers and booksellers, often in plain or printed wrappers and marked as not for sale. Some are collected, especially for authors who became famous.
All edges gilt (AEG): The top, fore and bottom edges of the pages have been coated with gold leaf.
As New: The top condition grade: the book is in the same immaculate state as when published.
Association copy: A copy with a meaningful connection to the author or to a notable person, such as an inscription to a friend, editor or fellow writer. Often worth more than a simply signed copy.
Binding copy: A copy whose binding is so damaged that it is mainly useful to someone who will rebind it.
Blind stamp: An impression pressed into a cover or page without ink or foil. A small blind stamp on the back board is a common sign of a book club edition.
Boards: The stiff front and back covers of a hardcover book.
Book club edition (BCE): An edition produced for a subscription book club. Usually lacks a price on the jacket, may be smaller and on cheaper paper, and has little collector value.
Bookplate: An ownership label pasted inside the front cover. A bookplate signed by the author and tipped in is worth less than a signature on the page itself.
Buckram: A heavy, durable cloth often used for library and rebound books.
Bumped: Corners or spine ends that are dented or slightly crushed from knocks or shelving.
Chipped: Small pieces missing from the edges of a dust jacket or paper cover.
Cocked spine: A spine that leans so the book no longer sits square, usually from being shelved at an angle or read flat open.
Colophon: A note, usually at the end of the book, giving printing details such as typeface, paper or limitation; also a publisher’s emblem.
Deckle edge: Rough, uneven page edges imitating handmade paper. A deliberate feature, not a defect.
Dust jacket (DJ / DW): The removable paper cover on a hardcover. For modern first editions it can account for a large share of the value.
Endpapers: The sheets that join the text block to the covers, one half pasted to the board (pastedown) and one free (free endpaper).
Errata slip: A printed slip listing corrections, inserted after printing. Its presence can be a point of issue for early copies.
Ex-library (ex-lib): A former library book, usually with stamps, pockets, labels or barcodes. Must always be disclosed; collectors avoid them.
Fine (F): A copy close to As New with no defects worth noting.
First edition: All copies printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually mean the first printing of the first edition.
First thus: The first appearance of a work in a particular form, such as the first illustrated edition or first paperback edition.
Flat signed: Signed by the author with just a signature, with no personal inscription.
Folio, quarto, octavo: Traditional size terms based on how many times a printed sheet was folded; octavo is the common modern book size.
Fore-edge: The front edge of the pages, opposite the spine.
Foxing: Brownish spots on paper caused by age, moisture and impurities in the paper.
Frontispiece: An illustration facing the title page.
Gilt: Gold decoration or lettering on a binding or page edges.
Good (G): An average used copy with all pages present; shows wear, and any defects are noted. The middle of the scale, not a compliment.
Gutter: The inner margins where pages meet at the spine.
Half / quarter binding: A binding where the spine (quarter) or spine and corners (half) are in one material, usually leather, and the rest in another.
Hinge: The inside fold where the covers meet the text block. A cracked hinge is a common defect on well-read hardcovers.
Inscribed: Signed with a personal message, typically to a named person.
Issue / state: Variations within a first printing caused by corrections or changes during production. Collectors may prize the earliest issue.
Joint: The outside groove where the cover meets the spine.
Limited edition: An edition restricted to a stated number of copies, often numbered and sometimes signed.
Mylar / Brodart: Clear protective covers used over dust jackets. Archival-quality covers protect without damaging the jacket.
Near Fine (NF): Between Fine and Very Good, with one or two very small flaws.
Number line (printer’s key): A row of numbers on the copyright page; the lowest number usually shows the printing.
OOP: Out of print — no longer available new from the publisher.
Points of issue: Specific features (typos, binding details, ads) that distinguish the earliest copies of a first edition from later ones.
POD: Print on demand — copies printed individually when ordered. Generally of no collector interest.
Price-clipped: A dust jacket with the price corner cut off, slightly lowering collector value.
Provenance: The documented ownership history of a copy.
Reading copy: A worn copy suitable for reading but not for collecting.
Remainder mark: A stamp, spray or line on the page edges showing the book was sold off cheaply as publisher overstock.
Rubbed: Surface wear from friction, often at corners, edges and spine.
Shaken: A text block that has loosened from the binding.
Shelf wear: Light rubbing along the bottom edges and corners from being taken on and off shelves.
Signature (binding): A group of pages printed on one sheet and folded; signatures are sewn or glued together to make the book.
Slipcase: A protective box open at one end into which a book slides.
Spine: The back of the book that shows when shelved, usually carrying title and author.
Sunned: Faded by light, typically on the spine of a jacket or cloth binding.
Text block: The body of pages, without the covers.
Tipped in: Lightly glued in along one edge, as with an inserted plate, letter or signed bookplate.
Toned: Pages that have yellowed or browned evenly with age.
Uncorrected proof: An early bound version printed before final corrections, sent out for review.
Very Good (VG): A used copy showing some wear but no tears or major defects; flaws are described.
Wraps / wrappers: Paper covers, as on a paperback or pamphlet.

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