Glossary of publishing terms
Bleed, safe zone, spine, trim size, wrap, blueprint and other terms you will meet.
Last reviewed 2026-09-28
- Bleed — the 0.125" of artwork extending past the trim edge so no white sliver shows after cutting. Full-page art and covers are built with bleed.
- Blueprint — the Phase 2 outline plus Book DNA (titles, chapter or page list, and the bible of facts, characters or themes).
- Book DNA / bible — the reference facts the writer and illustrator must keep consistent.
- Cast — the named characters in a children's book, each with a locked design so they look the same on every page.
- Credits — the meter for AI work. Shown before every paid action.
- EPUB — the ebook file format used for Kindle uploads; produced for text-based books.
- Gutter — the inner margin beside the binding; it grows with page count so text is never lost in the fold.
- Matter pages — front and back matter: title page, copyright, dedication, table of contents, about the author.
- Safe zone — the area at least 0.25" inside the trim edge where text must stay to survive cutting variance.
- Spine — the edge of a print book. Its width is calculated from page count and paper type; thin books get no spine text.
- Trim size — the finished page size, such as 6" × 9". Hardcover (case laminate) is available at these trim sizes: 5.5" × 8.5", 6" × 9", 6.14" × 9.21", 6.69" × 9.61", 7" × 10", 8.25" × 11".
- Wrap — the single cover file for a print book: back cover, spine and front cover laid out side by side with bleed.
- KDP — Kindle Direct Publishing, Amazon's self-publishing platform where you upload the files this platform produces.
- ISBN — the book identifier. Amazon KDP gives print books a free one during upload, or you can use your own.
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