About the Author: Relevant information about the author usually written in the 3rd person. Often used with published articles on web sites. Adjective:  A word that modifies a noun/pronoun by refining or qualifying it. Overuse of adjectives is a common stylistic error for beginners. Adverb: A word that modifies a verb by refining or qualifying it. (i.e., she listened intently) All Rights: The publication owns all the world-wide rights (but not the copyright) to the work in all forms. Allegory: A narrative technique in which the characters are portrayed as things or abstract concepts in order to convey a message or teach a lesson. Often used for moral, ethical, or religious lessons but could also be used for satirical or political purposes. Analogy: Where two alike things are compared to illustrate a concept. Anthology: A collection of short stories written by various authors but which have been compiled into one book. Antonyms: Words which are opposite in meaning (i.e. stop & go) Autobiography: Where a writer writes their own life story. This is different from a biography, where an author writes another person’s life story. Backlist: Books that were published before the present year, but are still in print and available. Bibliography: The list of all the resources that were consulted (books, magazines, journals, people and websites) in the process of writing an article or book. Bio, Bionote: A very short description (about 2 sentences) describing the writer’s background and mostly used with articles and books. Blank Verse: Poetry that doesn’t rhyme. Byline: The name of the author that appears with his/her published work. Caption: A brief description or summary usually placed underneath a picture, graph, table or diagram. Cliché: An expression that has been overused and lost its impact value. Consonants: All the letters in the alphabet, apart from the vowels “a, e, i, o, u”. Copyediting: The process of checking for errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation and word use of an article. Copyright: The intrinsic ownership by an author of his or her creative works. These rights are recognized by law and immediately applicable upon the work’s creation. Cover Letter: A brief letter (no more than one page) used as part of the submission of a manuscript, proposal or resume. It is used to introduce you, your work and your credits. Credits: A list of an author’s published works or other writing qualifications. This is often included as part of a query. CV:  Abbreviation for “Curriculum Vitae” meaning, a short one page resume. Deadline: The latest date that a piece of assigned writing is due for submission to an editor. Miss it and you lose. Draft: A completed version of a writing which most likely needs to be rewritten or revised. Edit: A process of correcting the grammar, spelling, or factual errors of an article. May also include critiquing the content of a piece as well as shortening or lengthening the article to fit the available space. Editor: A skilled writing professional, commissioned to edit articles intended for publication. Editorial: A typically short article expressing an opinion or point of view that is often, written by a member of the publication team. Euphemism: A phrase used instead of something upsetting like “passed on” rather than “died”. E-zine: Short for Electronic magazine, is a magazine published online or via email. Fair Use: Reproduction of short excerpts from a copyrighted work for educational or review purposes only. This “Fair Use” does not infringe upon the writer’s copyright. First Print Rights: The world-wide rights, to a piece of writing in the medium in which it is published. Formatting: This is the way in which the written work's  look&feel is prepared and presented for publication. Free Verse: A term for verse that has neither regular rhyme nor regular meter. It is also called “open form poetry”. Genre:  A particular type or category of writing such as poem, novel, or short story. It could also be a sub-category of these such as a sonnet or sestina.  Commercial fiction genres include categories like mysteries, science fiction, war, romance, fantasy, western, etc. Ghostwriter: Is a writer who is paid to write an article or book for someone else, but the writer receives no credit for the work. Many celebrities hire ghostwriters but then sell the book under their own celebrity name. Guidelines: Instructions given to a writer when submitting work for publication. Hardcover: A book that is bound with a hard cardboard cover and a paper dust-jacket. Homonyms: Words that are spelled and pronounced alike but have different meanings. i.e. – ruler (measure) and school (person who governs). Hook:  The writer’s skill, used in a lead paragraph of an article, that engages the readers and keeps them reading. Irony: When a person, situation, statement, or circumstance appears to mean one thing, but it is in fact, means the exact opposite. Jargon: The mode and familiar language of speech used only by one group or profession. i.e. – computer programming jargon or technical jargon. Lead Time: This is the time it takes from the point of a publisher receiving an article to the eventual publishing of an article. Manuscript: This is the author’s typescript copy of a novel, non-fiction writing article or screenplay. Metaphor: Language that indicates a similarity between two different things, but without the use of the words “like” or “as,” i.e., “the stars were sparkling diamonds.” Moral: The behavior modifying lesson contained in a story. Narrative: A collection of ordered events that tells a true or not true story. Nut Graf: In journalism, this identifies the paragraph that contains the main point of the story. On Spec: Short for "on speculation." The editor is under no obligation to publish an article which the writer has submitted ‘on spec’. Onomatopoeia: Words that resemble the sound they represent i.e. – a snake’s hiss or a mosquitoes’ buzz. Overview: A brief description of a novel or non-fiction book that is intended to introduce the written work to a publisher. Oxymoron: A phrase that is composed of two words but with contradictory meanings. i.e. – “original copy”. Pace: The speed or rhythm of a story that is being told. Parable: A brief, simple narrative that illustrates a moral or religious lesson. Paradox: A statement that initially appears to be contradictory but then, on reflection, turns out to be coherent. Personification: Used where human characteristics are attributed to non-human things in a story. Pica: A printer’s measure of type and is equal to 12 points. Used to measure column and photo widths. Point of View: The angle from which the writer writes an article. POV: abbreviation for "Point Of View". Proofreading: An intense reading of an article in order to uncover mistakes in the language use. Pseudonym: An alias used by a writer when they are not using their real name. Could also be called “a pen name”. Public domain: Any material that can be used freely by the public. This work is not currently protected by copyright, trademark or patent. Query: A one page letter pitching a written work to an editor. It usually consists of an introduction, background on the topic and a synopsis of the writer’s credits and qualifications. Reprints: Previously published articles that are made available for publication to other magazines, websites or journals. Rights: The control over the various ways in which a creative work may be reproduced, used or applied. Rough Draft: The first organized version of an article or other written work. Royalties: A percentage of the cover price of a book that is paid to the author for every copy of the author’s book that is sold by a publisher. Run-On Sentence: When two or more sentences in a paragraph are joined together without the appropriate punctuation or connecting words. SASE: Abbreviation for “Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope”. This is usually sent with a query or manuscript so the recipient can return it if unsuccessful. Sentence Fragment: A written sentence that is missing either the subject or the verb (or even both). Side Bar: This is extra information or hints and tips (like this one) that are provided to enhance the reader's experience and are apart from the main article. Simile: Used when comparing two different things using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’. i.e. – The night was as black as soot. Slant: The bias or angle which a writer uses to present information in an article. Subject: The main topic in a sentence, a paragraph, an article or a book. Summary: A short description of the main ideas contained in a written body of work. Synonyms: Words that have approximately the same meaning, i.e., gloomy and dim. Synopsis: The brief summary of a story, article, manuscript, or book, which is told in present tense prose. Usually no more than two to three paragraphs in length. Syntax: Ordering words into meaningful verbal patterns such as into phrases, clauses and sentences. Tear sheet: This is a sample of an author’s published work. Mostly a photocopy of an article, but was previously the “torn” page from a magazine, article or newspaper. Theme: The dominant idea contained in a literary work. It is the unifying point around which all elements of a work are organized including the plot, point of view, characters and settings. Topic Sentence: The sentence usually at the beginning of a paragraph, which introduces the main idea of the paragraph. Unsolicited Manuscripts: An article, story, or book that a publication or editor did not request. Voice: The method of writing which an author uses to compose a work. It includes style and tone. Word Count: The estimated number of words contained in an article. Writer’s Guidelines: A set of instructions outlined by the publication to which writers are required to adhere. This is also known as “the submission guidelines”. Writer's block: This is the inability of the writer to write when they want or need to write something. This either takes the form of inability to start or an inability to write anything that satisfies the writer’s own standards.