Definition: Pre-pub is a slang term used by people who work in book publishing. The term pre-pub is short for pre-publication and it's a phrase editors, publicists and others who work in book publishing use to refer to a book before it's officially published for the public to buy.

Because publishers release books on specific dates, the pre-pub time period -- often shortly before a book is published -- is often when publicity departments will be working to get media attention for a book.


Because pre-pub often refers to the time period just before a book is published, people in the industry would not usually refer to a book as "pre-pub" well in advance of it's actual release. (If an editor had just acquired a manuscript he would not say it's pre-pub because the book would likely be a year or more away from being published.)

Examples: The publicist said the author made a number of pre-pub appearances at book stores to promote his book leading up to its release.