Bookish Glossary & Abbreviation Guide
Do you know your ARC from your TBR?
The book community has loads of abbreviations, acronyms and shorthand words which can make you feel a little out of the loop, if you’re not familiar with them.
With this in mind, here’s your definitive bookish glossary for all* [sic] the must-know book blogger phrases and abbreviations!
*Missing anything obvious? Post your suggestion in the comments!
The Definitive Book Blogging Abbreviation Guide
A-Z
A
Affiliate Link
If you make a purchase after following a link on a blogger’s website, they receive a small commission. Bloggers typically declare affiliate links to avoid a conflict of interest.
ARC
Advance Reader Copy (also sometimes known as Advance Review Copy). ARCs are made available for bloggers, reviewers, and readers in order to generate discussion around a book.
B
Book Haul
A popular trend on social media, Book Hauls are images or videos of a pile of books recently acquired.
Book Stack
Book Stacks are another social media phenomenon. Users may choose a theme (author, book cover colour, genre) and stack a small selection of books in an artsy, aesthetically pleasing way.
Check out #BookStack on social media for a visual bookish feast!
Book Tag
An article (typically a listicle) created by a blogger, who tags more bloggers to recreate their own.
My examples include Create your Own Fellowship Book Tag & My Life in Books Book Tag.
Book Tour
A social media marketing tool, utilised by authors and publishers to generate hype for a book. The author/publisher highlights coverage of their book across a range of blogs, giving both the blogger and the book more visibility. Win, win!
BookTube
Bookish content creators on YouTube.
Examples include Booksnest and A Frolic Through Fiction.
Bookstagram
Bookish content creators on Instagram.
BookTok
Bookish content creators on TikTok.
C
Cover Reveal
A marketing tool of authors & publishers. Lucky bloggers may receive the opportunity to reveal an upcoming book’s cover. Like Book Tours, this generates a great amount of excitement for both bloggers and books.
CW
Content Warning – designed to highlight content that may cause stress or upset amongst certain readers.
D
DNF
Abbreviated form of Did Not Finish (the book).
E
eARC
Shorthand of e-Advance Reader Copy. A digital version of a proof.
EW
Edelweiss; a popular platform where bloggers request review copies of books.
F
FanFic
FanFiction. FanFic is an often vibrant part of a book/movie/videogame’s fandom, where fans write fictional stories within worlds they love.
FF
Social media hashtag for ‘Follower Friday’. A way for bloggers to share appreciation of others within their network. A positive way to grow followers and readers.
G
GR
Goodreads. The most popular book database & social media platform. Goodreads allows users to track their reading habits, join forums, enter giveaways, and post reviews.
h
HC
Hard copy, i.e. hardback.
I
Indie Press
A book publisher without subsidiaries, nor owned by a larger corporate entity.
Examples include Bluemoose Books, Bearded Badger Publishing Co., Canongate, Faber & Faber, and many more.
k
KU
Kindle Unlimited; a digital book subscription service offered by Amazon.
L
Listicle
A portmanteau of ‘list’ and ‘article’.
M
MC
Main character
MG
Middle-grade, often used to signify books aimed at middle-grade children (aged 8-12).
Mood Reader
Readers who have no idea what they’ll read next – they pick their next read purely dictated by mood. As opposed to readers who have a specific order.
n
NG
Much like Edelweiss, Netgalley is where book bloggers can request advance reader copies of books.
New to Netgalley? Check out the The Simple Guide to Netgalley!
p
PB
Paperback.
POV
Point of View. Often used to discuss books which cover perspectives of different characters (think Game of Thrones).
R
Reading Slump
When you have plenty of choice, but cannot bring yourself to pick up a book and read.
RTC
Review to come.
S
Self-Pub
A self-published author.
SFF
Science Fiction & Fantasy.
It somewhat baffles me that these two genres are lumped together given their overt differences.
Shipping
When a fan believes two characters should hook up. Shippers (noun) tend to make a portmanteau of the two characters’ names to identify their ‘ship’. Eg. Max Caulfield & Chloe Price in Life is Strange are known as PriceField.
Shipping is part of virtually every fandom on the internet.
T
TBR
To be read. A person’s list of books they intend to read, but inevitably grows despite best efforts.
Often used in the context of a ‘TBR pile’ or ‘TBR list’.
Trad Pub
A book that has been published through traditional publishing channels (as opposed to self-publishing).
TW
Trigger Warning (see also CW – Content Warning) to give readers fair advance warning of content that may upset or distress them.
U
UF
Urban Fantasy, an increasingly popular genre.
V
VSS
Very Short Stories. Often accompanying the hashtag #VSS365, which prompts social media users to write a story within the character limits of a social post.
Find out more at vss365today.com.
W
WIP
Work in Progress.
Y
YA
Young Adult fiction.
Enjoy this Bookish Glossary? Let me know in the comments below,
and if you’re feeling particularly kind, give it a share with one of those shiny buttons 👇
Enjoy the Definitive Book Blogging Abbreviation Guide? Try these
A Conversation With… Louisa Treger
This article contains affiliate links to bookshop.org. Purchasing the book through these links provides the blog with a small commission at no
Ginseng Roots By Craig Thompson
Title: Gingseng RootsAuthor: Craig ThompsonPages: 448Published by: Faber (2025) Review contains affiliate links to bookshop.org. Purchasing the book through these links provides
A Conversation With… Dan Spencer
This article contains affiliate links to bookshop.org. Purchasing the book through these links provides the blog with a small commission at no