Here is your quick guide to the most used acronyms, abbreviations, and lingo in the online book world.
This post covers:
- A/N
- ARC
- DNF
- HEA (and HFN)
- MC (and FMC and MMC)
- NA
- OTP
- Romantasy
- TBR
- YA
- Y/N
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Now let’s get into the terms…
What does A/N mean?
A/N stands for author’s note.
What does ARC mean?
ARC stands for advanced reader copy. This is used to refer to when publishers share a copy of a not-yet-released book with reviewers.
What does DNF mean?
DNF is an acronym for did not finish, and is used by readers as a shorthand to refer to books they stopped reading before the end. Some people count books they DNFed as read, and others don’t — it’s a personal choice.
What does HEA mean?
HEA is an acronym that stands for happily ever after. So if someone asks or mentions in a review that a book is HEA, you’ll know that it ends happily. A related term is HFN — happy for now — which is a book that has a happy but more ambiguous ending.
What does MC mean?
MC stands for main character. Two related abbreviations are FMC (female main character) and MMC (male main character).
What does NA mean?
NA stands for new adult fiction. This is a less commonly used category that is suggested by those who feel that there is too much variety in mature content in YA, and that some of the most intense novels should be classified as NA instead.
What does OTP mean?
OTP stands for one true pairing and refers to a to a reader’s favorite “ship” (romantic pairing).
What is romantasy?
Romantasy is essentially a mash-up, or portmanteau, of romance and fantasy. So it basically refers to books that have both romantic and fantasy elements.
What does TBR mean?
A TBR, or TBR list, is an acronym that stands for to be read. This refers to all the books that someone plans to read. Goodreads’ “want to read” shelf is a form of TBR.
What does YA mean?
YA stands for young adult fiction. It’s a commonly used categorization in libraries and is also used as a genre title.
What does Y/N mean?
Y/N means your name and is mainly used in fanfictions where the reader is meant to think of themselves as the main character.
We hope that this list of book abbreviations and lingo helps you understand and feel more comfortable in the online book world! We’re glad you’re here. So stick around and check out some of our other posts!