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Penguin BooksFounder Allen Lane told his team that he wanted a “dignified but flippant” logo for the company. The image of the penguin was sketched in 1935 by one of the company’s employees after a visit to the zoo. |
Random HouseCurrently one of the world’s biggest book companies, Random House got its name in 1927. Founders Donald Klopfer and Bennett Cerf decided to publish some books and because there was no pattern in the types of titles, they chose the name Random House for their publishing business. |
HarperCollinsThe company was originally known as Harper and it was named after founders James and John Harper. Eventually, the name was changed a couple of times – to Harper & Brothers and Harper & Row. The company was acquired by NewsCorp, which also acquired the British William Collins & Sons. A merger between the two led to the current name. |
McGraw-Hill EducationThe company carries the name of its founders James H. McGraw and John A. Hill. In 1986, McGraw-Hill bought out The Economy Company – a large publisher of educational books. This is how the final component of the name came into existence. |
Tin HouseOriginally, the company was set up as a magazine publisher that had its editor living in a literal tin house in the northern part of New York. Even today, the original tin house is the home of the large book publishing company. |
McSweeney’sIn his childhood, founder Dave Eggers and his mom Heidi McSweeney Eggers received multiple letters from a man who claimed to be their relative. The man was an artist called Timothy McSweeney and it was eventually found out that he suffered from mental illness. Dave Eggers later on said that he had named the book company after the letter sender. |
Marketing Strategy & Useful
Advertising Terminology
Book companies have diversified names that can be creative, practical or simply based on the names of founders. A name plays an integral role in branding and putting together an effective marketing strategy, which is why it has to be chosen carefully.
If a book company focuses on a specific genre or a type of publication, it’s a good idea to put emphasis on these specifics. Narnia Children’s Books is an excellent example of a book company that knows what it does and that highlights its area of expertise right from the start. The same applies to Mysteries to Die For (not only is the name specialized, it also features a bit of dark humor).
A book company could also carry a name inspired by a favorite literature mastermind or a protagonist (Little Dickens), by a bit of humor (Run for Cover!) or a combination of words that simply sounds good (Shelf Indulgence Books).
Some marketing terms pertaining to the industry include read more, passion, good book, inspiration, culture, literature, modern, classic, discover, new, book lover, new publication, independent, indie, story and classic.
Clientele & Interests
Book companies have a truly diversified clientele. It consists of both men and women, younger and older people. The specifics of the audience are very much dependent on the types of books that the respective company publishes.
Book companies have a more conservative clientele, as well as tech-savvy buyers who are looking for ebooks, audio books and other new formats. Needless to say, it’s difficult to come up with a common set of interests for such a diverse crowd.
Industry Related Words