banner – The title and publication date of a newspaper, magazine, or other periodical. The banner appears on the front cover of the publication.

beat  – A subject area or industry that is assigned to a newspaper staff reporter. For instance, the reporter can be assigned to report on all crime activity, on political happenings, or on specific news for one town or region.

billboard paragraph – The paragraph that sums up the general angle of an article, providing the essential points that the piece will cover. This is also referred to as the nut graph or theme graph.

body – The main portion of an article. This is where the writer provides solid information, answering the reader’s questions and illuminating the subject. The body follows the lead and precedes the conclusion.

byline – The name of the author as printed at the top or end of an article.

catalog envelope – An envelope that measures 10 inches by 13 inches. Because this envelope is large enough to enclose a long article and keep it flat during mailing, it is perfect for a submission package.

Chicago style – The style set by the University of Chicago. Most consumer publications use either Chicago style, detailed in The Chicago Manual of Style, or AP Style when making decisions regarding punctuation, spelling, abbreviation, and other elements of writing style.

circulation – The number of people who buy and/or receive a given publication. This can be either a closed circulation or an open circulation.

clips – Copies of published articles submitted by a writer to an editor. Usually, a writer includes two or three photocopied samples of work with asubmission package or query letter to demonstrate his experience in a particular area of writing.

closed circulation – Readership that is limited to subscription or membership. This is the case with many trade journals and academic journals. See also circulation;open circulation.

contract – The formal written agreement between a writer and publisher that defines the rights and responsibilities of each party. The contract should spell out what rights the publication is buying, along with the deadline for the article; any kill fee; any extra material the editor wants the writer to provide, such as art or a sidebar; and other important terms.

contributing editor – An honorary editor who also provides articles for a publication. Contributing editors are usually given a position on the masthead, and are often recognized experts in a given field

copy – Actual lines of writing. This is the text in an article or other piece of writing.

copyeditor – The person at a publication who is in charge of correcting and proofreading articles. This editor makes changes in the copy and double-checks it for grammatical errors, spelling problems, and other possible mistakes.

copyright – The legal overall right granted to an author or publisher for ownership of a written work. Under this ownership comes a number of specific rights, including the exclusive rights to print, sell, distribute, or translate a work. Putting a copyright notation on your work reminds others that it is your creation.

copywriting – Providing copy for corporations or marketing and advertising agencies. This can range from the writing of press releases to that of brochures and website material, depending on the needs of the client

cover letter – A short letter written to an editor to spark his interest in an article. The cover letter is accompanied by a copy of the already-written article. If the article has not yet been written, the writer sends a query letter instead.

curriculum vitae – A summary of an academic’s educational and professional background.  Usually, a vitae should be only a couple of pages in length and list only the most relevant and prestigious credentials.

defamation – Damage of a person’s reputation, character, or good name via something that is written (libel) or spoken (slander).

demographics – Statistics that profile specific characteristics of a human population, such as age, gender, income level, level of education, and region of the country.

dramatic, television, and motion picture rights – The right to sell an article or story for dramatic adaptation. Writers who have written human interest articles should try to retain these rights when signing a contract with a publication in case other media representatives are interested in the piece.

editor – The person at a publication who works with the writer, shaping the article and making it fit the publication. The editor also gives out assignments, sends out contracts or letters of agreement, and serves as the writer’s main point of contact. See also acquiring editor; copyeditor; editorial assistant; editor-in-chief; managing editor; section editor.

editorial – A first-person consumer or academic article that expresses one individual’s view of a topic. These pieces are usually less than 900 words in length and are sometimes called op-eds when they are written for newspapers.

editorial assistant – The person at a publication who helps an editor by making photocopies, filing, etc. The editorial assistant is the first to see unsolicited material and usually makes the first decision regarding the material’s appropriateness for the publication.

editorial calendar – A publication’s internal schedule in which the editors lay out their themes for the coming year’s issues. These calendars are generally created at the end of the year. Writers can request a copy of the editorial calendar along with the writer’s guidelines, or can search for the calendar online. Often, the editorial calendar is the same as or runs parallel to the advertising schedule.

editorial lead time – The amount of time between an article’s deadline and its publication date. This can vary from two to nine months, depending on the publication.

editor-in-chief – The person at a publication who oversees the editorial staff and ensures that all articles fit the publication’s editorial focus. The editor-in-chief has the final say over everything that runs in the publication.

electronic rights – A blanket term that encompasses all reprints of an article in electronic form–on websites, in online magazines, in CD-ROMs, in databases, etc. Any of these existing technologies, as well as any emerging technologies, can be lumped into this category.

e-query – An electronic query. An e-query is less formal than a traditional mailed query, and gets to the point of the letter faster. The language can be somewhat less formal but should accomplish the same goals as a regular query letter.

e-submission – An electronic submission. In general, these are pasted into the body of an e-mail (to fend off potential virus attachments) in ASCII (text only) format.

evergreen – A story or article that is recycled year after year, and is usually run to coincide with certain seasons. Almost every consumer publication carries some type of evergreen, whether it is an annual story on weight loss or one on Christmas baking.

e-zine – An online magazine. Some of these have print counterparts, but predominantly, they are limited to web distribution.

fact checker – A staff member employed by a publication to check the facts in every article before it is printed. Fact checkers use the source list submitted by the writer to verify the quotes, statistics, and other information that appear in the article.

fair use – A provision in the copyright law that allows for limited copying of published works without permission. Because the law is subject to different interpretations, it is generally best to avoid quoting fromcopyrighted material.

feature article – An article that is presented as a special attraction in a magazine, newspaper, or journal. This piece is usually the cover article, meaning that there is a mention of it on the cover of the publication. It is similar to a news story, and is usually written in the third person. In an academic journal, a feature article is designed to provide in-depth, comprehensive information on breakthrough thinking and its application in the reader’s world.

fiction – A story invented by the imagination. Can include elements from real life. Example: A story you made up about your dog.

filler – A short article of 200 words or less that does exactly what its name implies–it fills a space. Depending on the publication, fillers can range from news stories that don’t merit feature treatment to humor pieces, anecdotes, puzzles, jokes, and poems. These articles are usually written in third person and represent one of the best opportunities for a new writer to break into a publication.

First North American Serial Rights – The rights most commonly granted in a contract. Also called First North American Serial Rights (FNASR), these rights grant the publisher of a periodical (a serial) the exclusive right to print an article first. After these rights expire, the writer is free to resell the article.

first person – Writing that has the “I” viewpoint, meaning that it is seen from the writer’s point of view. First-person writing is used often in personal essays, humor pieces, and other articles that describe the writer’s direct experiences. This style builds a relationship with the reader, as if the writer were telling the story to a friend.

first serial rights – The rights most commonly granted in a contract. Also called First North American Serial Rights (FNASR), these rights grant the publisher of a periodical (a serial) the exclusive right to print an article first. After these rights expire, the writer is free to resell the article.

FNASR – The rights most commonly granted in a contract. Also called First North American Serial Rights (FNASR), these rights grant the publisher of a periodical (a serial) the exclusive right to print an article first. After these rights expire, the writer is free to resell the article.

format – The manner in which a submitted article should be physically set up on the page. This information is often found in the writer’s guidelines, and covers such parameters as margins, line spacing, and font. When in doubt, use the standard one-inch margins, double-spacing, and an easy-to-read font like Times New Roman (12pt) or Courier (12pt)

genre – A French word meaning sort or kind. A distinctive type or category of written work; epic, tragedy, comedy, novel, science-fiction, mystery, young adult, biography, etc. Example of use: “I write in the mystery fiction genre.”

header – The information printed at the “head” of a submitted article, running along the top of the page. The header should include the article’s title or a keyword for the title, the writer’s last name, and the page number.

headline – The title of an article. This short line should be kept to seven words or less, and use strong, active phrasing to encapsulate the piece and attract the attention of the reader. It is sometimes followed by a “subhead” that further explains the focus of the article.

homogeneous readership – A readership in which everyone shares common beliefs and interests. This is often found in trade journals and other publications that are distributed to readers who work within the same field, but may also be found in small local newspapers.

hook – The opening of an article or query letter that draws the reader in and interests him in the material.

how-to article – A consumer-oriented article that provides step-by-step information on completing a physical or creative project–fixing a car, planting watermelons, or decorating a cake. Usually written in second person, these articles can range widely in word count.

human interest article – An article that touches the heart of readers. These are often stories of people overcoming tragedies, learning from setbacks, or caring for others

humor piece – An article designed to entertain people and make them laugh. Most humor pieces are written in first person and run no longer than 1,000 words in length.

in-house – Within a specific publication’s staff. Editors, for instance, may refer to “in-house style, “or specific articles may be written “in-house”–by the staff of the publication.

interview – A conversation conducted by a writer for the purpose of eliciting facts and statements form another individual.  Interviews may be conducted in person, on the phone, by e-mail, by postal mail, or by fax.

invoice – A bill sent to a publication by the freelance writer of an article after the piece has been completed and approved. Writers should always submit an invoice so there is a paper trail for all business transactions.

jargon – Language that is used by a particular group, profession, or culture, especially when the words and phrases are not understood [meaningless] or used by other people such as “typesetters’ jargon”