Indie Author Resources
Self-Publishing Glossary: The Complete A–Z for Indie Authors
From ARC to wide distribution — every term you will encounter as a self-published author, clearly defined. Bookmark this page and refer back to it whenever you hit an unfamiliar acronym or concept.
ARC (Advance Reader Copy)
A pre-publication version of a book sent to readers in exchange for an honest review. ARCs are typically distributed 2–4 weeks before launch and are the primary mechanism indie authors use to build review counts before a book goes live. A healthy launch generally requires 20–50+ ARC reviews.
Get ARC readers with iWrity →ACX
Audiobook Creation Exchange — Amazon's marketplace for producing audiobooks. Authors can connect with narrators, set royalty-share or pay-for-production deals, and distribute finished audiobooks through Audible, Amazon, and iTunes.
A+ Content
Enhanced book description content available to authors enrolled in Amazon Author Central or brand-registered publishers. A+ Content allows image modules, comparison charts, and formatted text sections below the standard description, increasing conversion rate.
Amazon Author Central
A free dashboard at author.amazon.com where KDP authors can manage their author page, add a bio and photo, connect their blog, respond to editorial reviews, and view basic sales data.
ASIN
Amazon Standard Identification Number. Every product on Amazon — including each format of your book (Kindle, paperback, hardcover) — has a unique 10-character ASIN. ASINs are used in Amazon Ads targeting, affiliate links, and competitor research.
Beta Reader
A reader who reads a manuscript before it is published and provides feedback on story, character, pacing, and logic. Beta readers are unpaid volunteers (usually fellow readers or authors) and are different from ARC readers — betas read for feedback, not reviews.
BISAC
Book Industry Standards and Communications — a standardized subject code system used by publishers and retailers to categorize books by genre and topic. BISAC codes are used in metadata for distribution through platforms like IngramSpark and Draft2Digital.
BSR (Best Seller Rank)
Amazon's ranking system for books, updated hourly. A BSR of #1 means the book is currently the best-selling book in its store. Lower number = better rank. BSR is driven by recent sales velocity, not total sales. A book needs ongoing sales to maintain a low BSR.
Bleed
In print formatting, bleed refers to the extra 0.125 inch added around the edges of a page so that full-page backgrounds and images can extend to the trim edge without leaving white borders. If your interior has colored backgrounds or edge-to-edge images, you must enable bleed.
Book Funnel
Both a concept and a software platform (BookFunnel.com). The concept is a reader journey from discovery → opt-in → purchase. The platform is used by indie authors to deliver reader magnets, ARCs, and ebook downloads. iWrity integrates with BookFunnel-style delivery for ARC distribution.
Categories (Amazon)
Amazon organizes its book catalog into a hierarchical tree of genre and topic categories. Your book's category placement affects which bestseller lists you can appear on. You select 2 categories at upload but can request up to 10 via KDP support, which dramatically increases your chance of hitting #1 in a category.
CMYK
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (Black) — the color model used in print production. Unlike RGB (used for screens), CMYK accurately represents how ink will look on paper. Book covers should always be designed in CMYK to avoid color shifts when printed.
Copyright Page
The legal page near the front of a book that establishes ownership of the content. A KDP paperback copyright page typically includes: copyright symbol + year + author name, 'All rights reserved' statement, ISBN, publisher name, country of publication, and a disclaimer for fiction works.
Coupon Code
In self-publishing contexts, a discount code used to offer ARC readers free or discounted ebook downloads through retailers. Smashwords and Draft2Digital support coupon codes. Amazon KDP does not natively support coupons, so most Amazon ARC delivery uses BookFunnel or iWrity's delivery system.
Cover Reveal
A marketing event where an author publicly unveils the cover art for an upcoming book. Cover reveals generate excitement, social shares, and pre-order interest. They are typically hosted in the author's Facebook reader group and shared across social media 4–8 weeks before launch.
Draft2Digital
A free aggregator platform that formats and distributes ebooks and print books to retailers including Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Scribd, and library platforms. Used by 'wide' authors who want distribution beyond Amazon. Draft2Digital takes a 10% commission on sales.
Distribution
The channels through which a book is made available for sale. KDP distribution covers Amazon global stores. Expanded Distribution adds Ingram's network (bookstores, libraries). Draft2Digital and IngramSpark provide 'wide' distribution to non-Amazon retailers.
Drop Cap
A typographic styling where the first letter of a chapter is enlarged to span 2–3 lines of text. Common in traditionally published fiction and high-production-value indie books. Both Vellum and Atticus support drop caps with a single checkbox.
DRM
Digital Rights Management — encryption added to ebook files to prevent unauthorized copying or sharing. KDP gives authors the choice to enable or disable DRM. Some authors disable DRM deliberately to make sharing easier; most trade publishers enable it.
EPUB
The standard open ebook file format used by Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble Nook, and most non-Amazon retailers. Amazon KDP accepts EPUB files directly (since 2022). For wide distribution, EPUB is the master format you should maintain.
Editorial Review
A professional review published on your book's Amazon page, typically from a media outlet, book blogger, or notable author who endorsed the book. Editorial reviews are added through Amazon Author Central and appear separately from customer reviews. They are not subject to Amazon's review policies.
Expanded Distribution
A KDP program that makes your paperback available to bookstores, online retailers, and libraries through Ingram's network, beyond Amazon's own stores. Trade discount is 40%, which reduces per-copy royalties significantly. Many authors prefer IngramSpark for expanded distribution due to higher trade discounts.
Front Matter
All pages that appear before the main text of a book. Standard front matter includes: half-title page, full title page, copyright page, dedication, acknowledgments (sometimes back matter), table of contents, foreword/preface. Front matter pages are typically numbered in Roman numerals.
FKBT (Free KDP Days)
KDP Select's promotional program allowing authors to offer their ebook free for up to 5 days per 90-day enrollment period. Free promotions are used to spike downloads, improve BSR, and gain new readers who may go on to buy sequels or leave reviews.
Goodreads
The world's largest book discovery and social reading platform, owned by Amazon. Authors can claim their Goodreads Author profile, add their books, and participate in the community. Goodreads ratings and reviews are separate from Amazon reviews and often precede a book's launch.
Gutter (Print Margin)
The inside margin of a printed book — the edge nearest the spine. The gutter must be larger than the outside margin to account for paper that disappears into the binding. KDP specifies minimum gutter measurements based on page count to ensure text is not cut off near the spine.
ISBN
International Standard Book Number — a 13-digit identifier unique to each book edition and format. KDP assigns a free ISBN to paperbacks, but this ISBN is Amazon-exclusive. For distribution through other channels, authors should purchase their own ISBNs (through Bowker in the US or Nielsen in the UK) to maintain publisher control.
IngramSpark
A print-on-demand and distribution platform owned by Ingram Content Group, the world's largest book distributor. IngramSpark is preferred by authors wanting maximum bookstore and library distribution. It requires a setup fee per title but offers better trade discounts than KDP's expanded distribution.
Interior Formatting
The process of designing the inside pages of a book — setting fonts, margins, chapter headings, page numbers, headers, and overall visual layout. Proper interior formatting distinguishes professional self-published books from amateur ones. Tools include Vellum, Atticus, InDesign, and MS Word.
KDP
Kindle Direct Publishing — Amazon's self-publishing platform for ebooks and print-on-demand paperbacks and hardcovers. KDP gives authors royalties of 35% or 70% for ebooks (depending on price and territory) and 60% minus printing cost for print books.
KENP
Kindle Edition Normalized Page — Amazon's unit for measuring how many pages of your ebook have been read by Kindle Unlimited subscribers. Authors enrolled in KDP Select are paid per KENP read from the monthly KU Global Fund.
KU (Kindle Unlimited)
Amazon's ebook subscription service, $9.99/month in the US, which gives subscribers unlimited access to enrolled titles. Authors must be in KDP Select (Amazon exclusive) to have their ebooks in KU. Authors are paid per page read, not per borrow. KU is particularly strong for genre fiction series.
KDP Select
An enrollment program for KDP ebooks requiring 90-day Amazon exclusivity. In exchange, authors get Kindle Unlimited inclusion, Kindle Owners' Lending Library access, and access to promotions like Kindle Countdown Deals and Free Book Days. Must be renewed every 90 days.
Keywords
Search phrases entered by Amazon shoppers that determine which books appear in search results. KDP gives authors 7 keyword phrase slots in the book dashboard. Proper keyword research (with tools like Publisher Rocket) can add hundreds of daily impressions and significantly improve organic discovery.
Launch Team
A group of readers assembled before a book's release to read, review, and promote the book at launch. Similar to an ARC team but often more engaged — launch team members may also share posts, create social content, and help generate pre-order sales. Building a launch team is a core service of iWrity.
Build your launch team with iWrity →LCCN
Library of Congress Control Number — a unique identification number assigned to books by the Library of Congress. Required for books seeking library distribution. US authors can apply for a Preassigned Control Number (PCN) before publication through the Library of Congress website.
Loss Leader
A book priced at free or very low ($0.99) not to generate direct profit, but to attract new readers who will buy subsequent books in a series at full price. Perma-free first-in-series is the most common loss leader strategy for indie fiction authors.
Metadata
All the data describing your book: title, subtitle, author name, description, keywords, categories, price, BISAC codes, and contributor information. Metadata is what retailers and search engines use to match your book with readers. Poor metadata is one of the most common reasons good books don't sell.
Manuscript
The complete written text of a book before it has been formatted for publication. Manuscripts are typically delivered to editors and beta readers as Word documents or Google Docs. After editing and approval, the manuscript is imported into a formatting tool to produce the final interior file.
POD (Print on Demand)
A printing technology that produces individual copies of a book only when an order is placed — no inventory required. KDP and IngramSpark both operate POD services. POD eliminates upfront printing costs and warehousing risk, making it the standard for indie paperback and hardcover publishing.
Perma-free
A book permanently priced at $0.00 on Amazon, typically the first book in a series. Amazon does not allow authors to set books to free directly; the workaround is to price the book free on other retailers (Kobo, Apple Books) and use Amazon's price match policy to request a price match.
Pre-order
A book listing live on Amazon before the publication date, allowing readers to purchase in advance. All pre-order sales count toward your first-day/first-week sales rank when the book releases, making them a powerful launch tool. KDP allows ebook pre-orders up to 1 year in advance.
Royalty
The payment an author receives per sale or per page read. KDP ebook royalties are 70% for books priced $2.99–$9.99 in eligible territories, and 35% for books outside that range. KDP paperback royalties are 60% of list price minus the printing cost. Audiobook royalties through ACX vary by deal type.
Read-Through Rate
In a book series, the percentage of readers who read Book 1 and then purchase Book 2, and so on. A high read-through rate is the foundation of a profitable fiction series. Read-through is improved by strong endings with hooks, cliffhangers, and compelling characters.
Reader Magnet
A free piece of content (bonus novella, deleted scenes, prequel story, exclusive character guide) offered to readers in exchange for joining the author's email list. Reader magnets are the primary list-building tool for indie authors and are typically promoted in book back matter.
How iWrity helps turn readers into subscribers →Series Page
An Amazon page grouping all books in a series together, showing readers the correct reading order. Authors can set up a series page through KDP by giving each book the same series name and numbering. Series pages improve discoverability and read-through rates.
Sitemap (for SEO)
An XML file listing all pages on a website, submitted to Google Search Console to help search engines discover and index content. For author websites and book retail pages, a properly maintained sitemap accelerates indexing of new content and helps maintain search visibility.
Sell-Through
Similar to read-through, sell-through refers to the percentage of a print run (or, for POD, of total buyers) who go on to purchase the next book. In wide distribution contexts, sell-through also refers to the rate at which bookstore inventory sells versus being returned to the publisher.
Trim Size
The final physical dimensions of a printed book. Common trim sizes include 6×9 in (standard fiction and non-fiction), 5.5×8.5 in (compact novels), and 8.5×11 in (workbooks). The trim size must be set before interior formatting begins, as margins and text reflow depend on it.
Traditional Publishing
The legacy publishing model where a publisher acquires rights to an author's book, pays an advance against royalties, and handles editing, design, printing, and distribution. Traditional publishing typically pays 10–15% royalties and takes 12–24 months from contract to publication. Contrasted with self-publishing.
Typesetting
The professional arrangement of text for print publication — setting type size, leading (line spacing), tracking (letter spacing), kerning, widow/orphan control, and hyphenation. High-quality typesetting is what separates a book that looks traditionally published from one that looks homemade.
Vellum
A macOS desktop application used by indie authors for book formatting. Vellum produces beautiful ebook and print files from imported Word documents with minimal manual setup. It is widely considered the easiest professional formatting tool available. Priced at $249.99 for unlimited books.
Wide Distribution
The publishing strategy of distributing your ebook across all major retailers (Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Smashwords) rather than being exclusive to Amazon KDP Select. Wide authors sacrifice Kindle Unlimited income but diversify revenue and reduce platform dependency.
Word Count
The total number of words in a manuscript. Industry benchmarks by genre: Adult Romance 50,000–100,000 words; Adult Fantasy/Sci-Fi 80,000–120,000 words; Non-fiction 40,000–80,000 words; Novella 20,000–50,000 words; Short story under 10,000 words. Word count affects print page count and therefore spine width and printing cost.
White-Hat Reviews
Authentic, policy-compliant book reviews left by readers who genuinely read the book and share their honest opinion. White-hat review acquisition — through ARC programs like iWrity — is the only sustainable way to build a review base. Review manipulation, review swaps, and incentivized positive reviews violate Amazon's Terms of Service and risk account suspension.
How iWrity generates white-hat reviews →Quick Reference: Key Acronyms
| Acronym | Stands For | Where You'll See It |
|---|---|---|
| ARC | Advance Reader Copy | Review strategy, launch planning |
| ASIN | Amazon Standard Identification Number | Ads, affiliate links |
| BISAC | Book Industry Standards & Communications | Distribution metadata |
| BSR | Best Seller Rank | Your KDP dashboard |
| DRM | Digital Rights Management | Ebook settings |
| FKBT | Free KDP Book Days | KDP Select promotions |
| KENP | Kindle Edition Normalized Page | KU earnings reports |
| KDP | Kindle Direct Publishing | Every Amazon publishing context |
| KU | Kindle Unlimited | Subscription reader program |
| LCCN | Library of Congress Control Number | Library distribution |
| POD | Print on Demand | Paperback printing |
Related Guides
How to Get ARC Reviews
The complete playbook for building your advance reader team and launching with reviews.
Read guide →KDP Paperback Formatting Guide
Trim sizes, margins, bleed, spine width, and tools — everything for a professional print book.
Read guide →Publisher Rocket Guide
How to find the right keywords, categories, and AMS ad terms for your book.
Read guide →Building a Facebook Reader Group
Turn one-time readers into superfans and lifetime ARC reviewers.
Read guide →Know the Terms. Now Get the Reviews.
Understanding ARC readers is one thing — having a platform to connect with them is another. iWrity matches your book with verified genre readers who leave the honest reviews that build your Amazon ranking.
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