There are several terms that are useful to know when exploring this website.

Alignment – The positioning of text against the left margin, the right margin, or divided equally between the two.

Back Matter – The material at the end of your manuscript after the book has concluded.  This includes the index, bibliography or citations, appendices, “About the Author” pages, and “More Books By the Author” pages.

Beta Reader – Someone who reads your book in advance of publication to give you their impression of point such as character and plot development, as well as overall story flow.

Bleed – A margin area that extends around an image used for a book cover. Usable imagery should not extend into the “bleed.”

Draft – The unedited, unpublished version of your book, warts and all. It is your work in progress.

Editor – A person who may or may not proofread the manuscript, but also may change overall content to create a stronger, tighter package.

Footer – The space at the bottom of your manuscript.

Copyright – Your claim to the material in a book.  You may copyright your own words and images in a manuscript by publishing the book.  The date of publication becomes your copyright date.

Createspace – The interface for self-publication of paperback books through Amazon.com

Front Matter – The material at the front of your manuscript before the main portion of the book begins.  This includes the title page, the copyright information, the table of contents, and any dedication or acknowledgements.

Glossary – A collections of terms (like this one) pertinent to the material in the book.

Gutter – The additional space required in the inner margin of a paperback book to allow for the book’s binding process.

Header – The space at the top of your manuscript.

ISBN – International Standard Book Number – A unique numeric book  identification process. This is NOT required for e-books, but is for print books.  Createspace issues an ISBN at no cost to its users. Both a ten and thirteen digit ISBN will be generated.  Place both in the front matter of your manuscript.

KDP – Kindle Direct Publishers – The interface for self-publication of e-books through Amazon.com.

KDP Matchbook – A program offered by Kindle Direct Publishers that gives customers a special discount if they purchase both the e-book format and print version of the same book.

KDP Select – A program offered by Kindle Direct Publishers that allows benefits such as releasing the book into free promotions.  This program involves restrictions such as exclusivity of the book concerned to Kindle Direct Publishers, so investigate all of the angles.

Line Spacing – The size and configuration of lines between your text and paragraphs within the manuscript.

Margins – The space around the edges of your book’s pages.

Photo Editing Program – A computer software program designed to alter photographs to make them the appropriate size, quality, resolution, or condition for publication.  A photo editing program is also used for creating the book’s cover.

Proofreader – A person who reads your manuscript to correct grammar or typographical errors, as well as the structure of the words in the book.  Some proofreaders will also fact-check.

Public Domain – Material that is available for free use without copyright restriction.

Publishing Rights – Your ability to publish your own material in the world.  If the book you are publishing was not written by you or does not exist in the public domain, you may not have the right to publish it.  Please investigate further.

Royalty – Your cut of the price a reader pays for your book after Amazon’s fees are deducted.

Sales Channels – The venue through which Amazon sells your book.

Styles – The formatting of title, headings, and normal paragraph text within the manuscript in a particular consistent fashion.

Table of Contents – A listing at the beginning of the book consisting of main book headings. In an e-book, this is clickable as a link.  In a print book, it includes page numbers.

Trim Size – How big your paperback book will be upon completion.  Industry standards are 8×10″ for larger non-fiction books and 6×9″ for smaller nonfiction books and fiction books.

Zip File – A file created by MS Word or Open Office to combine and condense multiple files into one smaller file. This is the type of file required to upload a manuscript to KDP if images are included.