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The condition of a book is usually described in the form of VG/VG, Fine/Good, VG/--, etc. The first part refers to the condition of the book; the second is the condition of the dust jacket. If a "/--" is present, it usually means that the dustjacket is not present.
New: A new book is unread, in print and in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages.
As New: To be used only when the book is in the same immaculate condition to which it was published. There can be no defects, no missing pages, no library stamps, etc., and the dustjacket (if it was issued with one) must be perfect, without any tears.
Fine (F or FN): Approaches the condition of As New, but without being crisp. For the use of the term Fine, there must also be no defects, etc., and if the jacket has a small tear, or other defect, or looks worn, this should be noted.
Very Good (VG): Describes a book that does show some small signs of wear - but no tears - on either binding or paper. Any defects must be noted.
Good (G): Describes the average used worn book that has all pages or leaves present. Any defects must be noted.
Fair: A worn book that has complete text pages (including those with maps or plates) but may lack endpapers, half-title, etc. (which must be noted). Binding, jacket (if any), may also be worn. All defects must be noted.
Poor: Describes a book that is sufficiently worn, to the point that its only merit is as a reading copy because it does have the complete text, which must be legible. Any missing maps or plates should still be noted. This copy may be soiled, scuffed, stained or spotted and may have loose joints, hinges, pages, etc.
A
Advanced Reading Copy - A copy for reviewers and/or booksellers, usually bound in paperwraps and usually with either the finished cover art or possibly trial cover art. Generally, this copy is at it will appear in the stores and differs from the Uncorrected Proof.
All Edges Gilt - The top, fore-edge and foot of the book are coloured in gold.
Antiquarian Books - A loose term implying collectible books rather than used books. Refers to old, rare, and out-of-print books.
As Issued - A term indicating a given book is in the same condition as when originally published.
Association Copy - A book which belonged to or was annotated by the author, someone close to the author, a famous or noteworthy person, or someone especially associated with the content of the work. Should have documentary evidence of its association, such as the author's bookplate.
B
Backstrip - The covering of the book's spine.
Bibliomaniac - A bibliophile in whom the love of books has become an obsession; many bookdealers and certain collectors.
Bibliophile - A lover of books.
Binding - The cover of the book.
Binding Copy - A book which needs to be rebound and is worth rebinding.
Blind-stamping - An impressed mark, decoration, or lettering, not coloured or gilded, usually appearing on the binding. One way that the Book Clubs have marked their editions when they are otherwise identical to trade editions is to use a small square, round, or sometimes leaf-shaped blind stamp in the bottom right corner of the rear board.
Blurb - A comment from a review (often by another author praising the particular book) printed on the dustwrapper or covers of a proof copy, or on a wrap-around band.
Boards - The stiff binding material for most modern books.
Book Club Edition - A book usually printed especially for a book club such as "The Book of the Month Club" or "The Literary Guild." These copies will usually have the words "Book Club Edition" printed on the bottom right corner of the front flap of the dustwrapper.
Book Label - A label indicating the ownership of a book.
Bookplate - A pasted-in sign of ownership. Modern bookplates are pressure sensitive (peel-and-stick) as opposed to the older bookplates which were made with water-activated adhesive (lick-and-stick). Some bookplates from the last century were quite elaborate with engravings.
Bound - A book with a cover of any type, or a periodical that has a cover other than its published wraps.
Bowed - A condition of the covers or boards of a hard cover book. Bowed covers may turn inward toward the leaves or outward away from the leaves. The condition generally results from a rapid change in the level of moisture in the air and is caused by different rates of expansion or contraction of the paste-down and the outer material covering the board.
C
Cancel - A tipped-in (i.e., pasted in) page to replace a page removed after a book has been bound.
Case-Bound - The book is hardbound as opposed to a paperback.
Chipped - Used to describe where small pieces are missing or where fraying has occurred on a dust jacket or the edge of a paperback.
Cloth - A cloth-bound book.
Cocked - Also shelf-cocked. A condition resulting from storing a book on a shelf so that it leans and rests against its neighbour or the side of a bookcase. Gravity deforms the book binding. Cocked also refers to a book in which the spine no longer remains at right angles to the covers.
Comb Binding - A book binding similar to a spiral binding but using a round tubular plastic piece with many teeth which fit through small rectangular holes punched into the binding edge of the book. The plastic piece, if laid flat, would resemble a comb.
Conjugate Leaf - The unsevered second half of a printed page.
Contemporary - Refers to bindings and hand-coloured plates (generally of the period when the book was published) and author inscription (dated the year of publication).
Corners - The right angles on the unbound edges of the front and back covers of a hardcover book.
Covers - The binding of the book, most particularly the front and back panels of the book.
Covers bound-in - The original cloth covers, usually including the spine, bound into the book when a new binding is made. Normally they are mounted as pages at the end of the book. Also refers to the covers of books originally issued in boards or paperwraps, but in these cases the covers are usually bound in their proper positions.
Cut - Many modern books are smooth-trimmed after binding so that all edges are even, or flush. This is described as having been "cut."
D
Dampstained - A light stain on the cover or on the leaves of a book caused by moisture such as a piece of food or perspiration. Generally not as severe as waterstains.
Darkening - When book covers are exposed to light, the colour darkens or becomes more intense.
Decorative Stamped Binding - A highly detailed impression stamped into the cover and/or spine of a book.
Dedication Copy - The copy of the book inscribed by the author to the person to whom the book is dedicated.
Definitive Edition - The most authoritative version of a work.
Dents - Damage to the edges of the cover of hardcover books.
Disbound - This term refers to a book or pamphlet, once bound, from which the binding has been removed.
Dog-Eared - Book pages which have been folded over in the corners. Some people do this to mark their place in a book.
Dust Jacket/Dust Wrapper - A term synonymous with Dust Wrapper indicating the usually decorative paper wrapper placed around a book to protect the binding.
E
Edges - The outer surfaces of the leaves of a book.
Edgeworn - Wear along the edges of hardback book covers.
Edition - All the copies of a book printed from the same plates or typesetting.
End Papers- The sheets of paper pasted onto the inner covers, joining the book block to the covers. One side of the sheet is pasted to the inside cover, the other is left free.
Errata - Mistakes or errors. Generally encountered in the term "errata slip," a small sheet of paper laid into a book by a publisher who has discovered errors prior to publication.
Example - A particular copy of an edition.
Ex-Library- A term used to indicate a book was once in a library. They are usually identified with one or more markings of the library such as stampings, card pockets, cataloguing numbers, etc. Frequently they are marked as "discarded" or "withdrawn" when sold by a library.
Extra Illustrated- A copy of a book into which additional illustrations have been bound.
F
Fading - The colour of some book covers fades or becomes less intense when exposed to light. See also Darkening.
First and Second Printing before Publication - This indicates the publisher was successful in promoting the book and had more orders before the actual publication date than the first printing quantity would cover, therefore a second printing was ordered. Not a first edition.
First Edition - Generally used by book dealers and collectors to mean the first appearance of a work in book or pamphlet form, in its first printing.
First Trade Edition - The edition produced for general commercial sale, as distinguished from a limited edition.
Flyleaf- A blank leaf, sometimes more than one, following the front free endpaper, or at the end of a book where there is not sufficient text to fill out the last few pages.
Folio- Has several meanings:
(1) a leaf numbered on the front;
(2) the numeral itself; and
(3) a folio-sized book.
Fore Edge - The trimmed edge of the leaves of a book; the edge of the page opposite the spine, bound or back edge of the book.
Foxed, Foxing- Brown spotting of the paper caused by a chemical reaction, generally found in 19th century books, particularly in steel engravings of the period.
Frontis, Frontispiece - An illustration at the beginning of a book, usually facing the title page.
Front Matter- The pages preceding the text of a book, in the following order:
bastard title or fly title
frontispiece
title page
copyright page
dedication
preface or forward
table of contents
list of illustrations
introduction
acknowledgments
half-title
Full Binding - A binding in which the spines and boards are uniformly covered with the same material.
G
Galleys - Sometimes called "galley proofs" or "loose galleys" to distinguish them from bound galleys. Long sheets of paper bearing the first trial impression of the type.
Gilt Edges - The page edges have been trimmed smooth and gilt, or gold, has been applied. The abbreviation ge means gilt edges; aeg means all edges gilt; gt means gilt top; teg means top edge gilt.
Glassine - A transparent paper dustwrapper.
Gutter - The inner margin of a leaf near the spine of a book.
H
Half Binding - A book in which the spine and corners are bound in a different material (frequently leather) than the rest of the covers.
Half Cloth- Paper-covered boards with the spine bound in cloth.
Half Leather- A term indicating that the spine and the corners of a book are bound in leather, while the rest of the binding may be cloth or paper.
Half-Title - The page carrying nothing but the title of the book, usually preceding the title page.
Head - The upper margin of a leaf, cover or endpaper. Also referred to as the top.
Hinge- The joint (either outer or inner) of the binding of a book - the part that bends when the book is opened.
Holograph - A term indicating the handwriting of the author.
Hypermodern - Collected first editions published within last ten years or so. Most were published so recently that there is no track record on author or book.
I
Illumination - Decoration applied by hand in gold, silver or coloured paint.
Illustrated - Decorated with pictures or other graphical material to portray or clarify the text.
Illustration - A design, picture, plate, plan, diagram, chart, or map printed within the text.
Impression - A much misused term, but one that, when accurately employed, means the number of copies printed during any given press run.
Index- An alphabetical listing of names or topics mentioned in the book, with their page numbers. For serials and journals, the index is usually published after the volume is completed and is usually found in the last issue.
India Paper - An extremely thin, yet relatively opaque paper, used to help reduce the bulk of what would otherwise be a book of unwieldy size.
Inscribed - Usually indicates a book signed by the author, either with an inscription to a specific person or bearing some brief notation along with his signature.
Integral - A leaf or page is said to be integral when it is one that was sewn and bound into a book during its manufacture.
Interleaved - When blank leaves alternate with the printed leaves a book is said to be interleaved.
International Edition - Usually refers to textbooks. These books are lower-priced editions of the original, and have a statement on the cover that they are only for sale in certain countries. The content of the international edition of a textbook is typically identical to that of the U.S. edition, but they sometimes have less expensive covers or binding, are printed on less expensive paper and/or in black and white instead of in colour.
J
Jacket - The printed or unprinted cover, usually paper, placed around the bound book. Sometimes called Dust Jacket or Dust Wrapper.
Japan Vellum - A smooth, glossy paper, made in imitation of vellum, generally a light tan colour.
Joint - The exterior junction of the covers and spine of a book.
K
L
Laid In - A letter or other sheet(s) inserted but not glued into a book.
Laid Paper - A handmade paper showing parallel lines of the papermaking frame, visible when held up to the light.
Large Print - A book that is made with large type for the visually impaired.
Leaf - A single sheet in a book; each leaf contains two printed pages, one on each side.
Library Binding - Reinforced bindings used by many public libraries.
Limited Edition - Any book whose publication is deliberately restricted to a comparatively small number of copies, usually numbered and often signed by the author and/or illustrator.
Loose - The binding of a new book is very tight; that is, the book will not open easily and generally does not want to remain open to any given page. As the book is used, the binding becomes looser until a well-used book may lay flat and remain open to any page in the book.
M
Made-up Copy - A copy of a book whose parts have been assembled from one or more defective copies.
Marbled - Paper decorated with an imitation marble pattern.
Marginalia - Notes written in the margins of a page around the text. Frequently used by students and others when studying a text.
Mass-Market Paperback - The most common paperback book, about four inches wide and seven inches high. Seen most often as mystery, science fiction and romance books.
Mint Copy - An absolutely perfect copy; as perfect as the day it was issued.
Misbound - Pages or signatures sewn together in an improper order.
Modern Firsts - All books published in this century.
Monograph - A work, generally short, dealing with a single subject and usually issued in pamphlet form.
Morocco - A type of leather made from goatskins, especially suitable for book bindings because of its durability and beauty.
N
No Date - No date of publication mentioned within the book.
No Place - No place of publication listed in the book.
Number - An issue of a periodical.
O
Obverse - The right-hand page of a book, more commonly called the Recto.
Offprint - A separate printing of a section of a larger publication
Offset - The transfer of ink from one page to another, either as a printed page or an engraving.
Out-of-Print - A book no longer being printed.
P
Page - One side of a leaf. The front side of a leaf is called the recto or obverse and the back side of the leaf is called the verso or the reverse.
Paperback - Books in paperwraps published since the 1930's, although it can describe any book with a paper cover.
Paper Boards - Stiff cardboard covered in paper.
Parts - The practice of publishing novels in separate monthly instalments in magazine format.
Paste-Down - The portion of the end-paper pasted to the inner cover of a book.
Perfect binding - Used in paperback books, trade paperbacks and magazines that have too many pages to be stapled. The page edges are glued together, then placed in the covers. This is a less expensive process than traditional book binding and stapling.
Pictorial - Describes a book with a picture on the cover.
Pirated Edition - Any edition of a work issued without permission of the author and without payment of royalties to the author or copyright holder.
Plates - Whole-page illustrations printed separately from the text. Illustrations printed in the text pages are called cuts.
Points - Distinguishing characteristics, usually errors, that occur within a first edition and indicate the priority of copies.
Preface - Author's introductory statement.
Presentation Copy - A copy of a book actually given by the author to someone of his acquaintance, usually with an inscription of some sort testifying to this.
Price Clipped - The price has been clipped from the corner of the dust jacket.
Printed Cover - Used to describe a dust wrapper or paper cover that is only lettered.
Proofs - Precede the published book. The normal course of events would be galley proof, uncorrected bound proof and advance reading copy bound in paperwraps.
Prospectus - A publisher's announcement of a forthcoming book, set, or periodical, with information about the price, contributors or authors, date of publication, and binding.
Provenance - The history of ownership or possession of a given book.
Publication Date - The date a book is formally placed on sale.
Q
Quarter Binding - A book whose spine is covered in a different and generally fancier material than the covers.
Quarter Leather - A book with a leather spine.
R
Rare - Implies the books is extremely scarce, perhaps only turning up once every ten years or so.
Reading Copy - A copy of a book that is worn or used to such a degree that it is not in good enough condition to be considered collectible.
Re-backed - A book that has been repaired by replacing the spine and mending the hinges.
Re-cased - A book that has been glued back into its covers after having been shaken loose.
Recto - The front side of a leaf in a bound book; in other words, the right-hand page of an opened book.
Rejointed - Means the book has been repaired preserving the original covers, including the spine.
Reverse - The rear side of a leaf in a bound book; in other words, the left-hand page of an opened book.
S
Self-Wraps - Wrappers which have vestigial flaps that imitate a dust jacket.
Series - A group of volumes with a common theme issued in succession by a single publisher.
Shaken - An adjective describing a book whose pages are beginning to come loose from the binding.
Shelf Wear - The wear that occurs as a book is placed onto and removed from a shelf. It may be to the tail (bottom) edge of the covers as they rub against the shelf, to the dust jacket or exterior of the covers (when no dust jacket is present) as the book rubs against its neighbours, or to the head of the spine which some use to pull the book from the shelf.
Sheet - The piece of paper on which the printer prints. The sheet is folded one or more times to form the leaves of the book.
Signed - A book which the author has autographed.
Signature - In bookmaking, this does not mean the author's name written out in his hand. It refers rather to the group of pages produced by folding a single printed sheet, ready for sewing or gluing into a book.
Slipcase - A cardboard case covered in paper, cloth or leather which holds a book with only the spine exposed.
Spine - The book's backbone, where the signatures are gathered. The spine is covered with the backstrip.
Stub- A narrow strip of paper usually remaining where a leaf has been cut away.
Sunned - Faded from exposure to light or direct sunlight.
T
Tail - The lower margin of a leaf, cover or endpaper. Sometimes referred to as the bottom.
Tailpiece - Decorative typography ornament on the lower part of a page at the end of a chapter or a poem.
Tight - The binding of a new book is very tight; that is, the book will not open easily and generally does not want to remain open to any given page. As the book is used, the binding becomes looser until a well-used book may lay flat and remain open to any page in the book.
Tissue - A thin, protective sheet laid over an illustration.
Tipped-in - Means the plate, autograph, letter, photo, etc., is actually attached to the book.
Title Page - The title page, near the beginning of the book, lists the title and subtitle of the book, the authors, editors, and/or contributors, the publisher or printer, and sometimes the place and date of publication. The title page information should be used for cataloguing (not the half-title page or covers).
Title Page Index - Used in describing periodicals to indicate that the title page and index are present; without a title page and index, the volume is incomplete.
Tooling - The decoration of a binding.
Top Edge Gilt - Usually abbreviated teg, it means that the top edges of the pages have been covered with gold leaf or gilt material.
Trade Edition - The regularly published edition. This term is used to differentiate it from a limited signed edition of the same book.
Trade Paperback - A softcover book which is generally large in size and made of better quality materials than a mass market paperback.
Trimmed - An adjective indicating that the pages have been cut down to a size smaller than when originally issued.
U
Uncut- The pages of the completed book have not been shaved down to a uniform surface.
Underlining - Using a pencil or pen to underline passages in a book to draw attention to the underlined text.
Unopened - The leaves of the book are still joined at the folds, not slit apart.
Unpaginated - The pages are not numbered.
V
Variant - A book that differs in one or more features from others of the same impression, but a positive sequence has not been established.
Vellum- A thin sheet of specially prepared skin of calf, lamb, or kid used for writing or printing, or for the cover.
Verso - The second, or rear, side of a leaf in a book; in other words, the left-hand page of an opened book.
W
Waterstain - Stain on a book cover or leaves from water or other liquids. May cause discoloration and perhaps actual shrinking.
Worming, Wormholes - Small holes resulting from bookworms (the larvae of various beetles.)
Wrap-around Band - The band of printed paper the length of the dust wrapper of a book. Wrap-around bands contain favourable reviews and are put around some copies of books. Obviously fragile, they are of interest to collectors.
Wrappers - The outer covers of a paperbound book or pamphlet.
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