In Publishing What Is an Imprint?

Verb: to imprint is to leave your mark, either physically or figuratively. Now there's a verb that speaks to many authors' motivations. Little wonder then, that in the publishing world, an imprint is the publisher's trade or brand name for a specific group of works.

Why do publishers have imprints?

Imprints allow a publisher to establish a brand identity for a cohesive line of books some of which may be aimed at specific segments of the market. ... Many of the names on this list have rich histories of their own in book publishing, and they were independent companies before being acquired and brought under one roof.

What is the difference between a publisher and an imprint?

In brief: Publishing company are larger, somewhat faceless companies, while imprints are the more specific name that can be seen by consumers. Most likely, readers would know the imprint companies first rather than than publishing company.