A specialized brand within a larger publishing house that focuses on specific genres or audiences.
An imprint is essentially a label or subdivision within a bigger publishing company. Each imprint has its own editorial identity, genre focus, and reputation, even though they all share the same parent company's distribution, marketing, and business infrastructure. Think of it like how a car company might own multiple brands that each target different buyers. Penguin Random House, for example, operates dozens of imprints, each with its own personality and catalog.
Knowing which imprints publish books like yours is crucial when you're querying agents or submitting manuscripts. An agent who says they want to place your book at a Big Five publisher isn't being specific enough. What matters is the specific imprint, because that's where the editorial taste lives. Researching imprints helps you target your submissions smarter and understand where your book actually fits in the market.
Tor dominates the science fiction and fantasy space. If you write SFF, you've almost certainly read a Tor book. Authors like Brandon Sanderson, V.E. Schwab, and N.K. Jemisin have called it home.
Known for blockbuster fantasy and science fiction, Del Rey published the original Star Wars novelizations and continues to be a powerhouse for genre fiction.
A nonprofit literary press that punches well above its weight, publishing award-winning authors like Claudia Rankine and Carmen Maria Machado. Proof that prestige doesn't require a Big Five parent.
Pick five books on your shelf that are closest to the book you want to write. Flip to the copyright page and note the publisher and imprint for each one. Research those imprints online and write down what genres and styles they seem to favor. You now have a targeted shortlist for your future submissions.