Glossary
Advance reader copies (ARCs):
Free copies of a book given to reviewers, librarians and influencers prior to its wide release publication. This is often done with the hope for a good review or other positive press to be published prior to a book’s release.
Algorithm driven reviews:
System where visibility, recommendation and engagement with a review are shaped by platform algorithms, not human judgement.
Critical authority:
Perceived expertise held by reviewers and the way in which they shape readers’ opinions and literary judgements.
Cultural goods:
Products that are understood to possess artistic, intellectual, educational or social value beyond their purely economic function. These are often not measurable in monetary terms; instead, they embody or generate cultural value.
Digital first:
A publishing strategy that is created for, prioritises and released for/on digital platforms.
Discount department stores (DDS):
Large-scale retailers (such as Big W, Kmart and Target) that sell books alongside a wide range of consumer goods, frequently using discounting strategies to attract customers.
Ecofonts:
Specialised typefaces designed to reduce ink or toner consumption when printed.
End of Life (EoL):
The point when a manufacturer stops producing, selling and providing active support or updates for a hardware or software product.
Environmental performance indicator (EPI):
A measurable value that evaluates and organisation/project’s environmental impact. Common examples include greenhouse gas emissions, waste management or resource usage (i.e. water).
Firm sale (FS):
A retail model in which booksellers purchase stock outright from publishers or distributors without the ability to return unsold copies for credit or refund.
Fixed retail price (FRP):
The practice of publishers setting the retail price of books that retailers are then legally restricted from discounting beyond a prescribed margin. These mechanisms are designed to stabilise pricing and limit aggressive pricing competition.
Forest management certification (FMC):
A voluntary, independently reviewed certification for forestry companies that demonstrates responsible forest management.
Front list:
A publisher’s upcoming or newly released books that are actively promoted and marketed during the current season.
Global warming potential (GWP):
How heat is trapped by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere when compared to carbon dioxide over an established period of time.
Goodreads:
An online reader-oriented user-generated book review platform.
Greenwashing:
The deceptive use of marketing or promotion to make a company or product appear more environmentally friendly than it actually is.
Gross energy requirement (GER):
A summation of the primary energy (both direct and indirect) required to produce a specific product, crop or service.
International exhaustion:
The process where a product that was originally covered under intellectual property (IP) rights is sold by the IP rights owner. The IP right is then exhausted, and thus it cannot be exercised by said owner.
Large language models (LLMs):
An advanced type of artificial intelligence that is trained on vast amounts of data to predict the next most likely word in a sentence. LLM’s are a type of generative AI, commonly in the form of a chatbot (see above).
Last mile/last-mile delivery:
The final step of a product’s supply chain in which it is delivered to a distribution hub (store) or directly to a customer’s desired address.
Life cycle/life cycle analysis (LCA):
A standardised method to evaluate the total environmental impact of a product. This includes the raw minerals extracted, manufacturing, distribution, usage and disposal.
Long run:
The practice of printing a book in high volume to ensure the cost of each unit is as low as possible.
Loss leaders:
Products sold at very low margins (or even at a loss) as a means of attracting customers into a retail environment where they are likely to purchase additional goods.
Macro/micro-influencer:
Terminology used to categorise social media influencers by the follower count, reach and engagement. A micro-influencer typically has a follower count within the range of 10,000 to 100,000; they may also cater to specific niche interests or audiences. A macro-influencer may generally have a follower count within the range of 100,000 to 1,000,000 with content that typically appeals to more general audiences.
Parallel import restrictions (PIRs):
Legislative protects that restrict the importation and resale of foreign editions of books where Australian territorial publishing rights already exist.
Parallel imports:
The importation of a non-counterfeited item (i.e. books, DVDs, CDs) which are protected via a patent, trademark or copyright without the permission of the local rights holder.
Participatory reviewing culture:
A term that describes a reviewing environment where readers and reviewers actively contribute opinions, ratings and recommendations, rather than relying solely on professional critics. This terminology extends to reader-generated reviews.
Print on demand (PoD):
An alternative publishing business model where books, magazines or other material are printed, bound and shipped only after a customer places an order.
Reader-generated book reviews:
Reviews created by everyday readers on digital platforms such as Goodreads and BookTok, often based on personal reading experiences, opinions and emotional responses.
Recommendation systems/Search optimisation:
The use of algorithmic technology that collates users’ data and recommends products and services based on user profile patterns.
Recommended retail price (RRP):
The value of a product that has been suggested by manufacturers that allows for retailers to independently determine the final sale price.
Romantasy:
A genre of books combined of romance and fantasy that is popular among #BookTok trends.
Sale or return (SOR):
A dominant publishing distribution model where stock supplied by a publisher to a bookseller may be returned if unsold after a certain period, usually for credit or reimbursement. It is designed as a means of reducing retailer risk, but contributes to overproduction, waste and market inefficiencies.
Shelf-talker:
A small sign or card placed near a specific title that typically indicates a staff recommendation of a book or shares a short review/plot summary.
Short run:
The practice of printing a limited run of a book, typically 1000 copies or less. While short run printing does increase the unit price of a book, it is a valid alternative to long run printing for those wishing to reduce their environmental impact or for smaller scale projects.
Urban consolidation centre (UCC):
A logistics facility where goods from multiple suppliers are organised and combined for final delivery to a retailer.
Bookish influencers:
Content creators on social media who mainly post book-related content (e.g. book reviews, unboxing haul and recommendations).
BookTok:
Reader-participation based book-focused communities and digital reviewing spaces that exists on the platform TikTok.
Brexit:
A portmanteau of ‘Britain’ and ‘exit’, Brexit refers to 31 January 2020 where the United Kingdom officially withdrew their membership from the European Union (EU) following a referendum held in 2016.
Brick-and-mortar stores:
Traditional bookshops which operate out of a physical shopfront and whose business is primarily conducted in person.
Building energy modelling (BEM):
Physics-based computer simulations that predict a building’s energy consumption.
Buying around:
The practice of importing a foreign edition of a book when there is a locally published edition available.
Chatbot:
A form of large language model (LLM) artificial intelligence that mimics the conversational responses of a human being.
Click and collect:
A hybrid form of shopping where customers order and pay for items online, then collect it in person at the store.
Computer-to-plate (CTP):
Prepress printing technology that transfers digital page layouts to a physical printing plate.