COMPLETE LIST OF BOOK TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

Have you ever been stumped by an abbreviation in an okay Book listing and had nowhere to turn?? What does BCE mean!?? What in the world is an ARC?!! Print out this handy guide if you like-it should clear some things up for you!
1st ed.: First Edition (the first printing of a book, later editions are printed if the books popularity warrants themand the later printings are generally not as valuable as the First Edition).
Adv. : Adventure Book
ARC: Advanced Reader Copy, a paperback published pre first edition for publicity-some collectors value these highly as they sometimes contain mistakes and also are not printed in large runs
Association Copy: An inscribed book from the author to a famous person or a copy which has been owned (usually autographed) by a famous person (not necessarily the author of the book).
Auto: Autographed
BC: Back Cover
BcEd: Bookclub Edition
BCE: Bookclub Edition, published by a book club, usually smaller in size than trade edition, some bookclubs produce cheap versions, other bookclubs are highly sought out for their quality such as Easton and Franklin press editions.
BKLT: Booklet
BMC: Book of the Month edition
Boards: the stiff front and back cover of the Hardback book
BOMC: Book of the Month Club edition
Brodart: Protective Book Cover (the plastic type as seen on library books-removable or not, ask the buyer if it has been glued on or not)
Chapbook: A small book-about the size of a pamphlet
CTB: Coffee Table Book
EXLIB: Ex-Library copy, will have various ink stamps/stickers and library markings on the book put there by the library and usually not removable, particulary on end pages.
E-Book or eBook: Electronic Delivery Book (this is sent to your e-mail acct. and you can download and print; or a link is sent to you so you can download from a website and then print it.)
F : Fair or Fine (Always ask the buyer-this is a big difference!).
FLB : Former Library Book
Flyleaf: Also called "free endpaper". This is the first loose leaf page of a book, usually colorful.
First Printing: Also referred to as "First Edition". The most desirable among collectors (the number of books printed originally)-when a popular book is reprinted a second, third, etc. time, these later editions are not usually worth as much as a first.
First Edition Thus: Can be a collection of stories gathered for the first time in book form; a book that is reissued with perhaps different cover art; a retitled book by the original publisher or a new one.
Fore-edge: The front of the book where it opens
Foxing or Foxed: Age spots, usually light tan to brown that occurs in old books due to deterioration of the paper, can also be large and uniform browning of the page.
G: Good Condition.
Half-Title: The page usually before the title page, it has only the Title of the book printed on it.
Headband: A small strip of cloth that reinforces the top of the spine.
Hinge: Also referred to as the "gutter", its where the book binding meets with the flyleaf.
Hinged: The books hinge is loose or broken-the book is not "tight"
HB: Hardback
HC: Hardcover
HCDJ: Hardcover with Dust Jacket
HTF: Hard to Find
IBC: Inside Back Cover
IFC: Inside Front Cover
Leaves: Pages of a book
LP: Large Print
ND: No Date
NM: Near Mint
Number Line: This is one way to tell the edition of the book. Usually on the copyright page, "1234567" not necessarily in numerical order, but the lowest number listed indicates the edition. So, if it reads "2456891" it is a first edition since the number "1" is listed.
OOP: Out Of Print
PB: Paperback
Paste-Down: The paper that is glued to the inside of the front and back covers.
Price clip: This is when the inside DJ cover has the price cut off-usually a "dog ear" or diagonal cut at the top of the inside DJ.
RC: Reader's Copy (pre publication book given to editors to make final changes-desirable and rare).
Remainder: A book that wasn't sold and was returned to the publisher-has a marking on the page edges usually a black marker swipe or the front cover may have been removed.
Rev. Ed: Revised Edition
Rolled: The spine is not square, the book is not square-rather, it leans toward one side or the other is stood on a shelf.
SC: Slight Crease
SC: Soft Cover (see above, ask the buyer what it indicates in the listing)
SF: Science Fiction
Sci Fi: Science Fiction
Sig: Signature
Spine: The back edge of a book, what you see when it sits on a shelf.
Sticker Pull: A discolored spot where the price sticker was pulled off of the book
Sunning: A fading and/or discoloration from exposure to sunlight-usually seen on the spine as this edge is exposed when the book is on a shelf.
T.E. : Trade Edition (larger than normal size PB or smaller than usual HB)
Trade Paperback: A large sized paperback book-gemon in todays Literary Fiction paperbacks
VF: Very Fine
VG or VGC: Very Good Condition
VHTF: Very Hard to Find
Warping: The book is not tight and square; could have been exposed to dampness, sun or handling.
WOB: Writing on Back
WOF: Writing on Front
Happy Book Hunting!! :)
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