Industry Terms Defined: BLAD and Galley

By guest blogger, editorial assistant Sarah Nguyen

All the editing and designing is finally complete, and your book has been sent off to the printer to be born. But no sooner have you started to relax than your publisher tells you that distribution and publicity are demanding your book now. Printing will take months! There’s no way you can get a copy of your book in their hands—or is there? Never fear, the BookPros[e] blogettes are here to tell you how.

BLAD n. an acronym for Basic Layout and Design
The word BLAD always puts me in mind of an old Adam West episode of Batman. You know, BIFF! POW! BLAD! But really, a BLAD is a short, full-color version of your book that provides all the information a distributor or publicist needs. This includes the publisher, distributor, ISBN, publication date, etc. The BLAD is made up of your book’s cover art and a few sample pages, and since it’s in full color, it’s a perfect showcase for an up-and-coming cookbook, children’s book, or any visual-heavy work. With your book’s information at the media’s fingertips, a BLAD can jump-start your campaign before books even hit the shelves.

Galley n. an advance review copy of a book (sometimes referred to as an ARC)
Although a galley may conjure images of vast horizons and food “seasoned” with seawater, a galley, like a BLAD, can help your book’s campaign. A galley puts the full text of your book—always in paperback format—in the hands of the media (and, inevitably, a few nefarious eBay-ers) before its publication date. In this way, a galley can help generate anticipation for your book’s release.

BLADs and galleys can be useful tools that can help make your book a success. However, be mindful that BLADs and galleys are only useful in some cases—that is, they’re not right for every book. Your publisher or publicist will let you know if they are a good option for you. So enjoy your published book and keep an eye out for those BLADs and galleys.