Comments on: Bookstore Speak: Words of the Trade http://bookshopblog.com/2010/02/07/bookstore-speak-words-of-the-trade/ ...to help you be a better bookseller Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:02:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Louis Gereaux http://bookshopblog.com/2010/02/07/bookstore-speak-words-of-the-trade/comment-page-1/#comment-7408 Louis Gereaux Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:24:43 +0000 http://bookshopblog.com/?p=1250#comment-7408 Dear John, I was stretching my expertise in this blog post. Thank you for the clarification. I would like to know more about the behind the scenes of the publishing industry. Louis G. Dear John,

I was stretching my expertise in this blog post. Thank you for the clarification. I would like to know more about the behind the scenes of the publishing industry.

Louis G.

]]> By: Louis Gereaux http://bookshopblog.com/2010/02/07/bookstore-speak-words-of-the-trade/comment-page-1/#comment-7407 Louis Gereaux Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:23:06 +0000 http://bookshopblog.com/?p=1250#comment-7407 Amanda, Thank you for the compliment. There is a terminology used in bookselling. Only the most traditional sellers use the terms in their online descriptions. An intimidation factor is definitely present for the uninitiated. However, the words are not that much different from coin or stamp collecting to make an analogy to a similar field. Words like: Fine, Very Fine... etc having to do with condition of the book. Adding the extra information can put buyers at ease. To be truthful, what I do is a synthesizing of the traditional booksellers descriptions while using more plain English. The Independent Booksellers association has a list of some of the words: http://ioba.org/terms.html You should also read their code of ethics because that is important too! Louis Amanda,

Thank you for the compliment. There is a terminology used in bookselling. Only the most traditional sellers use the terms in their online descriptions. An intimidation factor is definitely present for the uninitiated. However, the words are not that much different from coin or stamp collecting to make an analogy to a similar field.

Words like: Fine, Very Fine… etc having to do with condition of the book. Adding the extra information can put buyers at ease. To be truthful, what I do is a synthesizing of the traditional booksellers descriptions while using more plain English.

The Independent Booksellers association has a list of some of the words: http://ioba.org/terms.html

You should also read their code of ethics because that is important too!

Louis

]]> By: John Harris http://bookshopblog.com/2010/02/07/bookstore-speak-words-of-the-trade/comment-page-1/#comment-7257 John Harris Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:28:36 +0000 http://bookshopblog.com/?p=1250#comment-7257 octavo The book size resulting from folding a sheet of paper with three right angle folds, thus producing a leaf one-eighth the size of the sheet and forming a 16-page section. To define fully, the paper size must also be stated. The typical book paper, for example, which is 25 by 38 inches, will give an untrimmed book size of 12 1/2 by 9 1/2 inches. Also called 8vo or 8°. <a href="http://cool.conservation-us.org/don//dt/dt2355.html" rel="nofollow">Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology</a> octavo
The book size resulting from folding a sheet of paper with three right angle folds, thus producing a leaf one-eighth the size of the sheet and forming a 16-page section. To define fully, the paper size must also be stated. The typical book paper, for example, which is 25 by 38 inches, will give an untrimmed book size of 12 1/2 by 9 1/2 inches. Also called 8vo or 8°.
Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books
A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology

]]> By: Amanda http://bookshopblog.com/2010/02/07/bookstore-speak-words-of-the-trade/comment-page-1/#comment-7252 Amanda Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:39:26 +0000 http://bookshopblog.com/?p=1250#comment-7252 What a great blog Louis. I did enjoy the phrase - "book has been affected by dampness". I guess buying on-line is all about Buyer Beware, but surely there are enough books in the world waiting to be sold that we don't need to resort to selling mouldy, damp and potentially dangerous to our health books? And I realise I'm only new at this selling caper but when I see a book listed with Octavo or some other such term - my eyes just glaze over and I move on to another site. Speaking for myself - these are terms I just never use and always feel slightly inferior for not knowing exactly what size book the seller is talking about. I'm fairly sure I'm not alone in this :) What a great blog Louis.

I did enjoy the phrase – “book has been affected by dampness”. I guess buying on-line is all about Buyer Beware, but surely there are enough books in the world waiting to be sold that we don’t need to resort to selling mouldy, damp and potentially dangerous to our health books?

And I realise I’m only new at this selling caper but when I see a book listed with Octavo or some other such term – my eyes just glaze over and I move on to another site.

Speaking for myself – these are terms I just never use and always feel slightly inferior for not knowing exactly what size book the seller is talking about. I’m fairly sure I’m not alone in this :)

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