Glossary of terms

A
Acquistion cost. The cost of obtaining a customer or enquiry

Advertised price. The basic price of publication. 

Advertisers' copies. Copies of a publication given to advertisers in the publication (one copy to each advertiser) for checking their advertisements. 

Association subscription. Subscription received as part of membership in an association. 

Audit. Examination of a publisher's records and corroborative data in order to check for correctness in the Publisher's Statements covering the period audited. 

Audit Report. Official document issued by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, detailing its findings as the result of audit. 

Average paid. Average paid circulation of all the issues arrived at by dividing the total paid circulation of all the issues during the period by the total number of issues. 

B
Back copies. An issue of a publication is considered to be a back copy immediately upon the appearance for sale of the next issue.

Bulk sales. Quantity sales of copies of a single issue or subscriptions of two or more consecutive issues to one purchaser (see applicable rule). 

business publication. A publication dealing with management, manufacturing, sales or operation of industries or some specific industry, occupation or profession, published to interest and assist persons actively engaged in the field it covers. 

C

D
distribution. The total number of copies distributed per issue whether paid, non-paid or unpaid. 
distributor. A general term applied to carriers, dealers, street vendors and all others who sell publications as a vocation or part of their vocation. This term also covers middlemen who resell papers to carriers, dealers, street vendors and all others. 
E
edition. All copies of a portion of the total distribution of an issue of a newspaper or periodical, other than replate or split-run, in which the editorial and/or advertising content has been changed. (Also see "replate" and "split-run.") 
 
F
free publication. One which is distributed mainly free of charge to recipients. 
fulfillment. Procedures involved in delivering copies of publication to recipients. 
function. The type of work a publication's recipient performs. It may or may not be the same as the individual's title. 
G
gift subscriptions. Subscriptions paid for by one other than the recipient, used as a gift and not to promote the interest of the donor. 
group organizer. A person who takes two or more subscriptions to the same publication from a group of individuals, collectively, and sends the order for all of the group at the same time, each member of the group thereby receiving a reduction from the regular subscription price. 
group subscriptions. Subscriptions in quantities to corporations, institutions or individuals for employees, subsidiary companies or branch offices under special conditions specified in the rules. (See applicable rule.) 
H
hotel copies. Copies purchased by a hotel or motel and distributed free to guests. Copies similarly distributed by restaurants, clubs, and transportation companies are included in the same designation. They are included in bulk sales regardless of number. (See applicable rule.) 
I
individual mail subscription. Individual subscription served by mail and qualifying as paid in accordance with the rules. 
informational announcement. Advisory notifications. Their use in connection with the distribution of priced publications as supplements is intended to be of a non-circulation inducing nature. The following parameters shall apply:
· Informational announcements are intended to inform the subscriber/single copy purchaser that the supplement publication will be included in the distribution of their (host) publication. 
· No disclosure of price or value of the supplements distributed. 
· No reference to the inclusion or distribution of supplements in subscription/single copy promotional offers. 
· May include an insert to host and/or supplemental publications informing recipient that the host publication will be distributing the supplemental publication. 
installment subscriptions. Subscriptions on which the collection of the total amount to be paid is made in installments within the subscription period. 
intermittent subscriptions. Subscriptions to periodic (or irregular) issues only. For newspapers, this may include service of less than the total potential days within an established term (i.e. serving 9 out of 13 Monday issues). Such subscriptions may include "anchor" days, such as every Sunday published within the total term, plus the period issues. 
J 
K 
L 
M
mail subscription. Order received by mail directly from a subscriber. 
motor route. Delivery of single copies by means of motor transport to subscribers. 
N
 
O
occupational analysis. Classification of subscribers into groups according to their business or professional callings or according to the position they occupy in a business organization. (This classification is mandatory in business publication reports.) 
official journal. A periodical which is owned by an association organized for other purposes than to publish the periodical or which is appointed as the official publication of an association. 
P
paid. A classification of subscriptions or purchases, based upon payment in accordance with the standards set by the rules. 
paid-on-delivery subscription. Subscription for which the price on each issue is collected when it is delivered or, in case an advance payment is made with order, the prorated balance is collected at time of delivery of each issue. 
paid subscriber. Purchaser of publication on a term contract, whose subscription qualifies as paid circulation in accordance with the rules. 
paid subscription. A subscription paid in accordance with rules defining a paid subscriber. 
pay-in-office subscription. Any subscription to a newspaper where the subscriber is billed by and makes payment to the newspaper's office regardless of the delivery method. 
periodical. Publication of regular periodic issue, except newspapers. 
premium. Anything, except periodicals, offered to a subscriber, either free or at a price, with a subscription, either direct, or by agent. 
Public Place/Sponsored Sales. Quantity sales of 11 or more copies of a single issue or subscriptions of two or more consecutive issues to one purchaser. 
Publisher's Interim Statement. Statement of publisher, made to ABC at the publisher's option and issued unaudited (but subject to audit) by the Bureau. 
Publisher's Statement. Statement of circulation data made to ABC by a publisher member of the Bureau and issued unaudited (but subject to audit) by the Bureau. 
Publisher's Suggested Price. The price at which the publication may be purchased by anyone, without limitation, for a definite duration, in contrast to a special price for a limited period or to a limited class or under limited conditions. 
Q 
R
rack sales. Sales of newspapers from racks or boxes, placed on street corners or other convenient points, with the customer depositing coin in payment in a box provided for the purpose. Same as "box" or "honor box" sales. 
reduced prices. Subscriptions or single copies sold at prices less than the basic price. 
reference media. Books or publications of periodic issue giving statistical data designed to be kept for reference. 
renewal. A subscription which has been renewed prior to or at expiration or within a period thereafter permitted under Bureau rules. 
replate. A change of one or more pages during the printing of an edition or issue of a publication. This procedure generally serves the purpose of adding late news items or of correcting an error in the original copy. 
returnable. Copies of publications sold to distributors under agreement to take back those unsold. Fully returnable means that all copies sold to any and all distributors may be returned if unsold. Limited returnable is used in two senses. First, when a part of the distribution is sold on a returnable basis and part on a nonreturnable basis; second, when distributors are allowed the return privilege but only of a certain percentage of the quantity purchased. 
returns. Copies returned to publisher by dealer or other distributor for credit. Frequently, to save transportation charges, complete copies are not returned but only paper headings or covers. 
rotated circulation. Copies of a publication sent free to prospective subscribers for less than six months. 
S
sample copies. Copies distributed free to prospective subscribers or prospective advertisers. Copies delivered as part of a contractual arrangement shall not be counted as sample copies. 
short term arrears. Copies served to subscribers retained on active subscription lists after expiration of a term order which was for less than one year and where the amount paid for the term was less than 50% of the basic annual price. 
short term subscription. Subscription for less than a year. 
special 6-month statement. A statement issued by the Bureau instead of Publisher's Statement. It is based upon data already audited. 
split period audit. Audit covering a period other than covered by the regular Publisher's Statement period. 
split-run. The insertion or substitution of different advertising content for a portion of the distribution of an edition or of an issue for either a newspaper or periodical. 
T
Third party sales. Newspaper's quantity sales of copies of a single issue or subscriptions of two or more consecutive issues to one purchaser (see applicable rule). 
total paid. Total of all classes of a publication's distribution for which the ultimate purchasers have paid in accordance with the standards set by the rules. 
trial subscriptions. Subscriptions resulting from test offers. 
U
Unpaid copies. Copies distributed either entirely free or at a price inadequate to qualify them as paid in accordance with the rules. 

V 
W