Verlagsversion

Verlagsversion is a term used in German publishing to denote the version of a work that is prepared, approved, and released by the publisher. In books, it refers to the publisher’s edition that appears in print and online, including final layout, typography, pagination, and metadata such as ISBN and imprint. The Verlagsversion follows the author’s manuscript and editorial revisions and may differ from earlier drafts or proofs.

In scholarly publishing the term often corresponds to the Version of Record—the final, citable version published by the journal or publisher. It is distinct from the author’s accepted manuscript or a preprint, which may be deposited in repositories but is not the official publisher’s version. The Verlagsversion typically includes the publisher’s copyediting, typesetting, figure placement, and reference style.

Rights and access depend on contract and policy. The Verlagsversion is usually copyrighted by the publisher and distributed under the publisher’s license terms; open‑access policies may allow sharing of certain versions (for example the accepted manuscript) while the published PDF remains the Verlagsversion.

In German-language publishing discourse, the term is common in both book and journal contexts and is sometimes used interchangeably with Verlagsedition or Version des Verlags. The English equivalents are publisher’s version or version of record.