backlist

[bak-list]

noun

1. the books that a publisher has kept in print over several years, as distinguished from newly issued titles.

adjective

1. Also backlisted. placed or maintained on a backlist.

verb (used with object)

1. to place on a backlist.

backlist

/ ˈbækˌlɪst /

noun

1. a publisher's previously published books that are still available See also front list mid-list

Word History and Origins

Origin of backlist¹

First recorded in 1945–50; back ² + list ¹

Example Sentences

“They have a backlist of children’s books second to none” — classic works like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, Tom Swift and the Bobbsey Twins.

Read more on Salon

Though it’s her job to keep abreast of current books, while on a book tour, Patchett gives herself the luxury of reading backlist.

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On average, Open Road is able to double the sales of the backlist titles it promotes, Steinberger said.

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Grove Atlantic, an independent publisher, is working with Open Road to promote about 1,500 of its backlist titles, including “1942: The Year That Tried Men’s Souls” and “Black Hawk Down.”

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The quality of the writing is what matters most to Kent, and backlist titles from long-passed authors like Highsmith and Clarice Lispector get the kind of face-out display treatment that in most bookstores is reserved for the hottest New York Times bestsellers.

Read more on Seattle Times