A favorite term to describe defects that probably occur only on copies of the book the particular dealer handles, such as “lacks endpapers, as usual.”
It is a book and publishing term with various definitions and uses. As a general statement, “as usual” means that something is happening the same way it typically does. In the publishing world, it refers to how a book is printed and bound, how marketing and publicity campaigns are conducted, or how bookstores stock and sell books.
When a book is printed, typically, the printer uses the standard settings and specifications for that type of book. For example, a paperback novel is usually printed on 50# offset paper with a 4-color CMYK process. If a printer were to publish a paperback novel on 80# textured paper with a 2-color black and white approach, it would be considered “not as usual.”
Marketing and publicity campaigns conducted can also be considered. For example, if a publisher sent out advance reader copies (ARCs) of a new novel to book reviewers and media outlets, that would be considered typical. However, if a publisher were to hold a contest where readers could win an ARC by pre-ordering the book, that would be considered “not as usual.”
Finally, the way that bookstores stock and sell books can be considered. For example, if a bookstore were to order a certain number of copies of a new book based on the publisher’s sales history for that author, that would be considered “as usual.” However, if a bookstore were to order copies of a new book based on the number of advance orders they have received, that would be considered “not as usual.”
While the term can have different meanings in different contexts, it typically refers to something happening the same way it usually does.