Imprint (trade name)
{{Short description|Trade name under which works are published}}
An imprint of a publisher is a trade name under which it publishes a work. A single publishing company may have multiple imprints, often using the different names as brands to market works to various demographic consumer segments.{{cite web
|url= http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2015/02/a-quick-lesson-about-publishers-imprints-createspace-and-bowker/
|title= A Quick Lesson About Publishers, Imprints, CreateSpace, and Bowker
|first= Joel|last= Friedlander
|publisher= The Book Designer
|date= 2015-02-09|access-date= 2016-07-29}}
Description
An imprint of a publisher is a trade name—a name that a business uses for trading commercial products or services—under which a work is published. Imprints typically have a defining character or mission. In some cases, the diversity results from the takeover of smaller publishers (or parts of their business) by a larger company.
In the video game industry, some game companies operate various publishing labels. Electronic Arts' (EA) 2008 CEO, John Riccitiello, stated that, with the establishing of Rockstar, Take-Two Interactive effectively invented the "label" corporate structure, which EA followed into in 2008.{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/dice-08-riccitiello-lords-over-city-state-studio-model/1100-6185814/ |title=D.I.C.E. '08: Riccitiello lords over "city-state" studio model |first=Tor |last=Thorsen |date=February 8, 2008 |website=GameSpot |access-date=September 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904011243/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/dice-08-riccitiello-lords-over-city-state-studio-model/1100-6185814/ |archive-date=September 4, 2018 |url-status=live}} This model has influenced rivals including Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax, Electronic Arts from 2008 to 2018, Warner Bros. Interactive, Embracer Group, and Koei Tecmo. Take-Two have had such models in place since 1997–1998. Take-Two is seen as "a game holding company with autonomous game publishing and development subsidiaries".{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/06/18/take-two-ceo-strauss-zelnick-im-charged-with-making-hard-decisions/|title=Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick: 'I'm charged with making hard decisions'|date=18 June 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2008/03/02/ea-ceo-pledges-freedom-to-take-two-interactives-developers/|title=EA CEO pledges freedom to Take-Two Interactive's developers|date=3 March 2008}} Independently-owned game publishers like Devolver Digital also use the word "label" to describe themselves.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}
Use
A single publishing company may have multiple imprints, with the different imprints often used by the publisher to market works to different demographic consumer segments. For example, the objective of Viking—an imprint of the Penguin Group—is "[t]o publish a strictly limited list of good nonfiction, such as biography, history and works on contemporary affairs, and distinguished fiction with some claim to permanent importance rather than ephemeral popular interest".{{cite web|url=http://yodiwan.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/what-is-an-imprint |title=What is an imprint? |work=The Book Publicity Blog |date=2009-07-14}}
References
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