By Twenty terms that come up constantly in book reviews, writing craft discussions, and publishing: defined plainly, without circular jargon.
Craft & Narrative
Protagonist: the central character whose goal drives the story.
Antagonist: the character or force opposing the protagonist; not always a villain.
Unreliable narrator: a narrator whose account the reader has reason to doubt.
Foreshadowing: an early hint at something that pays off later.
Foil: a character whose traits contrast with another to highlight them.
In medias res: starting a story in the middle of the action, not at the chronological beginning.
Denouement: the resolution after a story’s climax.
Trope: a recognizable, recurring convention within a genre (enemies-to-lovers, the chosen one).
Point of View & Structure
First person: narrated using “I,” from inside one character’s perspective.
Third person limited: narrated using “he/she/they,” restricted to one character’s knowledge.
Omniscient narrator: a narrator with access to every character’s thoughts.
Frame narrative: a story told within another story (a narrator recounting a tale).
Genre & Market Terms
Comp titles (“comps”): comparable published books used to pitch a new book’s market position.
Backlist: an author’s previously published books, still in print and selling.
ARC (Advance Reader Copy): a pre-publication copy sent to reviewers and influencers.
BISAC code: the standardized category code bookstores and libraries use to shelve a book.
Wide vs. exclusive (KDP Select): publishing across multiple retailers versus exclusively through Amazon.
Editing Terms
Developmental edit: a big-picture edit focused on plot, structure, and pacing.
Line edit: a sentence-level edit focused on style, clarity, and voice.
Copyedit: a technical edit for grammar, consistency, and factual accuracy.
Proofread: the final pass catching typos and formatting errors before publication.
Related: The Writing Process: How to Actually Finish Your Manuscript
Written by the BookPros editorial team
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