The imprint of meaningful things | The Bookseller

Imprintscan be of keen historical and legal importance. Often an author is connected to the imprint (or publishing division), rather than the ultimate parent company - both emotionally and contractually. When Reed Books was sold to Random House in the late 90s, one of the imprints that went with it was William Heinemann, publisher, of course, of Harper Lee. It may feel somewhat arcane legally, but without the imprint Random House would not have gained the rights To Kill a Mockingbird - and almost certainly 20 years on would not be the publisher of Lee's prequel, Go Set a Watchman. Many years ago The Bookseller published a separate supplement entitled "Who Owns Whom": it showed a family tree of imprints and parents, with some half-forgotten names tracing their ancestry into the 19th Century. The feat was complex back then, to do a repeat would require at least double the workload.