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100 Terms for Book Lovers & Bookstagrammers


If you're going to be a citizen of the Book World, you better learn the lingo. I don't want you giving yourself up as a newbie by saying things like "here's a picture of my bookshelf," when you should be saying the more bookishly appropriate- "Check out my shelfie!" We book people are clever like that! So, learn the terms and become one of us- life is good in Book World!


  1. abibliophobia: Fear of having no books. It's real and it's scary!

  2. affiliate links: a popular book blogger or booktuber earns a small commission if you click on his/her link and buy the promoted product. Support your favorite book blogger by clicking on those links.

  3. ARC: Advanced Reader (Review) Copy. Authors or publishers give a free copy of their book to a select group of people before the publishing date. In exchange, they hope to gain reviews and buzz about the book, thus boosting sales. Volunteer to read ARCs and always leave reviews for books. This is the best way to support authors and become a valuable member of Book World.

  4. auto-buy author: An author whose newly released book you automatically buy regardless of the book's plot or reviews because you love all the previous work of this author. Every author's dream is to be your auto-buy!

  5. backlist book: a book that was published earlier, usually over a year.

  6. BAM: Books-A-Million (bookstore)

  7. B&N: Barnes and Noble (bookstore)

  8. Bechdel Test: Refers to the way women are represented in books. A book passes the Bechdel Test is 2 female characters have a conversation that doesn't discuss men.

  9. beta reader: a test reader before a book is published giving the author valuable feedback. Another gem of a citizen in Book World.

  10. bibliomania: extreme preoccupation with collecting books.

  11. bibliophile: lover of books. Basically, every citizen of Book World.

12. bibliosmia: the smell of a good book. Ahhhh.

13. biblioverts: people who recharge through reading or being surrounded by books. The best kind of people.

14. binge-reading: reading a lot of text in a short amount of time or reading straight through a series or reading an entire book in a short amount of time. Much better than binge-watching.

15. blurb: a book's synopsis, usually on the back cover.

16. book aesthetic: a group of pictures or a short video (reel) that gives the general feel of the book's plot and characters. A beloved form of art in Book World.

17. bookarazzi: people who post pictures of books and enthusiastically discuss/review/promote them.

18. book-bosomed: someone who carries a book at all times. AKA: packing heat!

19. book boyfriend/girlfriend: a fictional character a reader falls in love with. Because he's perfect, perfect, perfect!

20. book hangover: a period of time after a reader finishes a good book and is having trouble adjusting to the real world. Or the morning after suffering because you stayed up too late reading. Like any good bookaholic, you'll lie to yourself and promise to never do it again.

21. book haul: a type of social media post displaying all the books you purchased at a bookstore or checked out from the library. Warning: this causes severe financial pain.

22. bookish: anything book related or an adjective describing a person who enjoys reading.

23. book merch: book-inspired products (bookmarks, mugs, t-shirts, etc.) Pro tip: refer to it as a collection to alleviate guilt.

24. book mail: books received in the mail usually via a book subscription service. As if Amazon packages aren't enough...

25. book nook: a special place set aside for reading. Claim your space- you deserve it!

26. book stack: a photo of a stack of books usually grouped together based on a theme such as genre, color, author, etc.

27. book swag: book merchandise Refer to the warning under Book Haul.


28. book tour: a book marketing strategy in which a book is featured on several Bookstagram accounts.

29. BookTube: bookish vlogs on YouTube

30. bookworm: a person who loves reading. I need to get to 100, okay?

31. BOTM: Book Of The Month

32. buddy read: you agree to read a book at the same time as an online friend so you can discuss it together.

33. cinnamon roll: a sweet, loveable character

34. cliffhanger: an ending that leaves the reader in suspense and desperate to know what happens next usually coming at the end of a chapter so you'll stay up past your bedtime to read more or at the end of a book so you buy the next book in the series.

35. cliffie: a cliffhanger

36. contemporary: realistic fiction set in today's time period.

37. CR: Current Read

38. CTA: Call To Action (A prompt within a post to like, share, or comment.)

39. DNF: Did Not Finish Use this term with caution in Book World.

40. dystopian: a fictional society that has fallen and becomes full of suffering and injustice

41. epeolatry: worship of words

42. fandom: a group of people who lovingly obsess over a book or series. In Book World, we give polite names to the crazies.

43. fanfiction: a fan takes a character, world, or plot from a book they love and use it to create their own story.

44. flat lay: a picture of books photographed from above.

45. GR: Good Reads (a website for book lovers)

46. HC: hardcover book

47. HEA: Happily Ever After

48. HIFI: Historical Fiction

49. HP: Harry Potter

50. Indie: an author published by independent or small publishers

51. info dump: when an author gives the reader a bunch of background information all at once via narration or dialogue.

52. ink drinker: a person who loves to read. My personal favorite nickname for book lovers.

53. insta-love: when a couple meets and instantly falls in love.

54. KU: Kindle Unlimited (a program offered by Amazon)

55. MC: Main Character

56. meet cute: 2 characters have a charming or humorous first encounter that leads to romance.

57. MG: Middle Grade

58. mood reader: a person who selects books based on how he/she is feeling at the time as opposed to a reading list or plan.

59. MS: Manuscript

60. New Release: book released in the current year.

61. NOTP: a couple you do not want to see together (opposite of OTP).

62. OTP: One True Pairing. Fictional couples you love and want to be together.

63. PB: Picture Book or Paperback

64. PNR: Paranormal Romance

65. POC: People of Color

66. POV: Point of View

67. proof: first copy of a book an author orders to do a final check for errors before publication.

68. QOTD: Question of the Day

69. readgret: a feeling of sadness for not reading a book sooner. We must live with our choices.

70. reading slump: a period of time you struggle to read. A horrible season to endure.

71. RTC: Review to Come

72. SciFi: Science Fiction

73. self-published: an author that publishes his/her books on platforms like Amazon.

74. SFF: Science Fiction Fantasy

75. shelfie: a picture of your bookshelves. Its purpose- to make everyone in Book World jealous.

76. ship: a relationship.

77. SIMP: a character that is overly attentive to another character without his/her feelings being reciprocated.

78. slump buster: a book so good it gets you out of a reading slump. It is to be treasured & featured on your shelfie!

79. SMOL: a small, adorable character.

80. spoiler: information that spoils the book's plot or surprise for readers.

81. stan: diehard fan. Why? I have no clue.

82. standalone: a book that doesn't have a sequel.

83. street team: a group of readers, bloggers, and bookstagrammers who promote an author's book or series. For once, a team for us Ink Drinkers!

84. TBB: To Be Bought

85. TBR: To Be Read

86. the feels: overwhelmed with emotions. Apparently, there is no overusing this phrase.

87. tome: a heavy book usually over 500 pages.

88. traditionally published: an author that has a publishing house publishing his/her book. Usually, the envy of all indie and self-published authors.

89. trigger: material that can be upsetting to a reader (content warning).

90. trope: a common plot line in romance books such as friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, damsel in distress, etc.

91. TSTL: Too Stupid to Live

92. tsundoku: the act of leaving a book unread after buying it. Love this word for me- I just need to learn how to pronounce it.

93. twist: an unexpected event that dramatically changes the direction of the book. When done right, it's magic. When done wrong, it's annoying.

94. UF: Urban Fantasy

95. unboxing: a short video revealing the contents of a book subscription box.

96. unreliable narrator: a narrator whose POV is not trustworthy (lying, misinformation, mental health, etc.).

97. WIP: Work in Progress

98. wrap-up: an overview of the books you read the past month.

99. writing sprints: authors write for short bursts of time, usually 20-30 minutes.

100. YA: Young Adult


So, there you have it- the keys to Book World. Stop by for a visit. I reside at @staceywritesandreads on bookstagram. See you soon.

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