Definition
A said bookism is any dialogue tag used in place of "said" in an attempt to add variety or expressiveness. The term is often pejorative, referring to tags like "exclaimed," "declared," "murmured," "opined," or the notorious "ejaculated" that draw attention to themselves rather than letting the dialogue do the work. The instinct behind it makes sense - you don't want to be boring - but "said" is essentially invisible to readers, while "he pontificated" stops them cold.
Why It Matters
Your dialogue should carry its own weight. If a character's words need "she hissed" to convey anger, the words themselves probably aren't doing enough. Mastering this concept frees you to trust your dialogue and use the occasional non-"said" tag only when it genuinely earns its place.
Types of Said Bookism
Famous Examples
This famously bad fantasy novella uses tags like "he gasped" and "she ejaculated" on nearly every line of dialogue, making it a go-to example of said bookisms run wild.
Rowling occasionally reaches for tags like "ejaculated" and "said, snapping his fingers" but largely relies on "said" for the heavy lifting, showing even bestselling authors sometimes slip.
Leonard's third rule - "Never use a verb other than 'said' to carry dialogue" - became the most famous argument against said bookisms in modern writing advice.
Common Mistakes
"Said" should be your default, not your only option. "Whispered," "shouted," and "asked" convey real information. The problem is tags that editorialize, not tags that clarify.
Don't trade "she exclaimed" for "she said excitedly." Instead, rewrite the dialogue itself so the excitement comes through in the words.
In a two-person conversation, you can drop tags entirely once the rhythm is established. Action beats can handle attribution when needed.
Try It Yourself
Take a page of dialogue you've written and highlight every dialogue tag that isn't "said" or "asked." For each one, try three alternatives: replace it with "said," replace it with an action beat, or rewrite the dialogue so it doesn't need a tag at all. Read all three versions aloud and pick the strongest.
Catch dialogue tags that pull readers out of the scene
Novelium's line editing tools highlight overused and unusual dialogue tags across your manuscript, helping you spot patterns you might miss on your own. Keep your dialogue clean and let your characters' words speak for themselves.