New to the book world and completely confused by all the book acronyms you see everywhere online? Or a long-time book lover who just can’t remember what that one bookish acronym means? In both cases, it can be hard to keep track of all the different acronyms that are evolving in the book community…so here’s a book acronym reference guide and directory to help you out!
First up, you’ll find a shortlist of some of the most common book acronyms. These are the ones you’ll see a LOT all over forums online, Bookstagram, and even filtering into real life usage. These are the top acronyms to remember and will help you find your footing in the book community.
After the short list, you’ll then find a longer list of bookish acronyms in alphabetical order. These bookish acronyms are also in common usage, but just might not be as important or generalized as the few on the shortlist. They can still be really helpful to know or to reference back to when you find someone using them online!
Additionally, you’ll find links on several of the acronyms where you can read more or learn more about each one.
With all that said, let’s get into the book acronym directory!
Most Popular Book Acronyms
- TBR: To Be Read
- DNF: Did Not Finish (can also be used as DNFd or DNFing)
- ARC: Advance Reader/Review Copy
- MC: Main Character
- YA: Young Adult
Book Acronyms From A-Z
A
- ACOTAR: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas
- ALA: American Library Association
- ARC: Advance Reader/Review Copy
B
C
- CR: Currently Reading
- CW: Content Warning (see also TW)
D
- DNF: Did Not Finish (can also be used as DNFd or DNFing)
- DNR: Do Not Read
- DRC: Digital Review Copy (see also eARC)
E
- eARC: e-Advance Reader’s Copy (see also DRC)
F
- FTB: Fade to Black
G
- GN: Graphic Novel
- GR: Goodreads
H
- H/h: Hero (H) or heroine (h).
- HC: Hardcover
- HEA: Happily Ever After
- HFN: Happy for Now
- HP: Harry Potter
- HR: Historical Romance
I
- ILL: Interlibrary Loan
- ISO: In Search Of
K
- KU: Kindle Unlimited
L
- LFL: Little Free Library
- LOTR: Lord of the Rings
M
- MC: Main Character
- MG: Middle Grade
- MMPB: Mass-Market Paperback
N
- NA: New Adult
- NBA: National Book Award
- NG: Netgalley
- NRN: Not Right Now
O
- OOP: Out of Print
- OTP: One True Pairing
P
- PB: Paperback
- PLA: Public Library Association
- POD: Print on Demand
- POV: Point of View
- PRH: Penguin Random House
R
- RTC: Review to Come
S
- S&S: Simon & Schuster
- SF: Science Fiction
- SF/F or SFF: Science Fiction and Fantasy
T
- TBR: To Be Read
- TOG: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
- TPB: Trade Paperback
- TSTL: Too Stupid to Live
- TW: Trigger Warning (see also CW)
W
- WF: Women’s Fiction
- WIP: Work in Progress
Y
- YA: Young Adult
- YT: YouTube
What bookish acronyms would you add to the list? Feel free to leave a comment with other book acronyms you use!