Profile Books
British independent publisher specializing primarily in non-fiction, with additional literary fiction and specialist imprints.
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Overview
Profile Books is a British independent publishing firm established in 1996. Its principal publishing focus is non-fiction, spanning history, biography, memoir, politics, current affairs, economics, popular science, medicine, travel, business and ideas. The company has also developed a significant fiction presence through its Serpent's Tail imprint and maintains specialist lists that allow it to publish books with distinct editorial identities. The business operates within the independent publishing sector rather than as a publicly listed media conglomerate. It is part of the Independent Alliance, an association of independent publishers, and its books are distributed in the United Kingdom by Random House. Faber & Faber also sells Profile titles. These arrangements give the company access to national retail and distribution infrastructure while preserving an independent editorial profile. A major expansion occurred in 2002, when Profile acquired HarperCollins UK's business list. The acquisition broadened the company's commercial and intellectual range and helped establish a platform for books addressing management, economics, politics and public affairs. Profile subsequently became associated with authors and works that combine serious research with broad readership appeal, including Robert Greene's books on power and strategy, Ryan Holiday's works, and Shoshana Zuboff's writing on technology and society. Profile achieved a major commercial and cultural breakthrough in 2003 with the publication of Lynne Truss's Eats, Shoots & Leaves. The book became the bestselling non-fiction title in the United Kingdom for 30 weeks and was named Book of the Year at the 2004 British Book Awards. At the same awards, Profile received the Small Publisher of the Year award. The success demonstrated the company's ability to turn a focused, specialist subject—in this case punctuation and usage—into a mass-market publishing event. The company expanded its portfolio in 2007 by acquiring Serpent's Tail, a London independent publisher known for distinctive literary fiction and international writing. In 2008, it created GreenProfile, an ethical publishing imprint directed by Mark Ellingham, founder of Rough Guides. Profile later established a medical and human-condition list with Wellcome Collection in 2012, publishing writing about medicine, the body and healthcare by authors including Atul Gawande, Val McDermid and Gavin Francis. The same year, it acquired Birmingham-based independent publisher Tindal Street Press. Since 2014, the company has also published the boutique Tuskar Rock list, editorially selected by Colm Tóibín and Peter Straus. The list has included internationally regarded literary writers such as László Krasznahorkai and Chris Kraus. In 2017 Profile introduced Pursuit Books, an imprint devoted to writing about cycling, extending its specialist-list model into sport and cultural history. The wider Profile Books publishing program includes both individual titles and continuing author relationships. Its authors and contributors have included Alan Bennett, Susan Hill, Simon Garfield, Jonathan Dimbleby, Sandi Toksvig, Margaret MacMillan, Simon Jenkins, Anjana Ahuja, Richard Mabey, David Harvey, Federico Varese and Francesca Simon. Profile also publishes books associated with The Economist. Its catalogue has received recognition in literary, history, medical, business, design and sports-book awards, and the company has won Independent Publisher of the Year awards three times. The company remains an active British independent publisher with a broad non-fiction core and a diversified group of editorial imprints.
History
Profile Books was founded in 1996 as an independent British publisher. From its beginning, the firm concentrated on serious but accessible books for a general readership, especially in non-fiction fields such as history, politics, biography, science and current affairs. Its independent status enabled it to build editorial lists around authors and subjects that did not necessarily fit the programs of larger publishing groups. In 2002, Profile acquired the United Kingdom business list of HarperCollins. This was an important expansion of the company's commercial publishing base. The enlarged list supported books in business, economics, management and public affairs, while later titles associated with the list included works by Robert Greene, Ryan Holiday and Shoshana Zuboff. Profile's most prominent early commercial success came in 2003, when it published Lynne Truss's Eats, Shoots & Leaves. A book about punctuation and grammar became a mass-market phenomenon, remaining the United Kingdom's bestselling non-fiction title for 30 weeks. It was named Book of the Year at the 2004 British Book Awards, where Profile also received the Small Publisher of the Year award. The success gave the company a high-profile example of how specialist non-fiction could achieve mainstream reach. The company broadened its corporate structure in January 2007 through the acquisition of Serpent's Tail, an independent London publisher recognized for literary fiction and international writing. In 2008, Profile created the GreenProfile ethical imprint under Mark Ellingham, who had founded Rough Guides. These developments showed a deliberate strategy of adding editorially differentiated lists rather than relying on a single general publishing program. In 2012, Profile collaborated with Wellcome Collection to establish a list about medicine, the body and human experience. The list brought together works by writers including Atul Gawande, Val McDermid and Gavin Francis. Later that year, Profile acquired Tindal Street Press, an independent publisher based in Birmingham. Since 2014, the company has also maintained the boutique Tuskar Rock list, selected editorially by Colm Toibin and Peter Straus and including works by László Krasznahorkai and Chris Kraus. Profile added another specialist direction in 2017 with Pursuit Books, whose first publications focused on cycling. Across the wider group, the catalogue has included literary fiction, history, memoir, biography, politics, science, medicine, travel, business and cultural criticism. Serpent's Tail's publishing achievements have included The Essex Serpent, which received multiple British Book Awards in 2017, including Fiction Book of the Year, Book of the Year and Publicity Campaign of the Year. Profile distributes its books in the United Kingdom through Random House and sells titles through Faber & Faber. It is also part of the Independent Alliance. The firm has received recognition across several specialist categories, including history, medical writing, business books, book design and sports publishing, and has won Independent Publisher of the Year awards three times. Its continuing identity is that of a diversified independent house: commercially ambitious, but organized around focused editorial lists and author-led publishing.
- 2017
Pursuit Books begins publishing
[1]The first books appear under Pursuit Books, a specialist cycling imprint.
- 2014
Tuskar Rock list develops
[1]Profile publishes the boutique Tuskar Rock list, editorially selected by Colm Tóibín and Peter Straus.
- 2012
Wellcome Collection list is launched
[1]Profile creates a list with Wellcome Collection devoted to medicine, the body and the human condition.
- 2012
Tindal Street Press is acquired
[1]Profile acquires the Birmingham-based independent publisher Tindal Street Press.
- 2008
GreenProfile is established
[1]Profile launches an ethical publishing imprint directed by Mark Ellingham.
- 2007
Serpent's Tail joins Profile
[1]Profile acquires Serpent's Tail, adding a distinctive literary-fiction and international-writing list.
- 2003
Publication of Eats, Shoots & Leaves
[1]Lynne Truss's book becomes a major bestseller and establishes Profile as a publisher capable of turning specialist non-fiction into a mainstream success.
- 2002
Acquisition of the HarperCollins UK business list
[1]Profile acquires HarperCollins UK's business list, expanding its commercial non-fiction program.
- 1996
Profile Books is founded
[1]Profile Books begins operations as a British independent publishing firm.
Products and positioning
An independent British publisher combining commercially successful, accessible non-fiction with serious books in history, politics, science, medicine, business and culture, alongside distinctive literary and specialist imprints.
Book publishing · 1996
General non-fiction
Profile's core list covers history, biography, memoir, politics, current affairs, economics, business, popular science, mathematics, travel and cultural criticism. The list is oriented toward books that translate specialist knowledge or research into readable works for a broad audience. Examples include Moneyland, Why Nations Fail, Just My Type, Being Mortal and books by authors such as Simon Jenkins, Margaret MacMillan and Simon Garfield.
Literary fiction and international writing · 2007
Serpent's Tail
Acquired by Profile in 2007, Serpent's Tail provides a distinct literary publishing identity within the wider group. Its list is associated with bold fiction, translated or international literature and authors whose work may sit outside conventional commercial categories. The imprint's recognition for The Essex Serpent in 2017 illustrates its critical and promotional reach.
Medicine and the human condition · 2012
Wellcome Collection list
Created with Wellcome Collection in 2012, this list focuses on medicine, healthcare, the body and the wider human experience. It combines scientific and clinical perspectives with literary and cultural approaches. Authors connected with the list include Atul Gawande, Val McDermid and Gavin Francis.
Boutique literary publishing · 2014
Tuskar Rock
Tuskar Rock is a boutique list editorially selected by Colm Tóibín and Peter Straus. Since 2014 it has provided a home for carefully chosen literary works, including books by László Krasznahorkai and Chris Kraus.
Cycling and sports publishing · 2017
Pursuit Books
Pursuit Books is a specialist imprint focused on writing about cycling. Launched with its first books in 2017, it extends Profile's approach of creating focused lists around strong communities of interest and cultural subjects.
Business, economics and current affairs
The Economist books
Profile publishes books associated with The Economist, supporting titles in economics, business, geopolitics and public affairs. This publishing relationship complements Profile's broader non-fiction and ideas list.
Marketing campaigns
- 2017The Essex Serpent publicity campaign
United Kingdom
Serpent's Tail promoted Sarah Perry's The Essex Serpent as a major literary release within the Profile group.
Outcome. The book was named Fiction Book of the Year and Book of the Year at the British Book Awards and won Publicity Campaign of the Year.
- 2003Eats, Shoots & Leaves launch
United Kingdom
Profile's publication of Lynne Truss's punctuation book became a major consumer-book success, demonstrating the market potential of accessible specialist non-fiction.
Outcome. The title was the United Kingdom's bestselling non-fiction book for 30 weeks and won Book of the Year at the 2004 British Book Awards.
Brand decisions
2017
Launch Pursuit BooksProduct launchBackground
Profile used a specialist-imprint model to serve readers interested in cycling and its associated culture.
Action taken
The first books were published under the Pursuit Books imprint.
Aftermath
Cycling became a defined area within the group's specialist publishing offering.
2012
Create a Wellcome Collection publishing listStrategyBackground
Profile sought to develop a focused list around medicine, healthcare and writing about the human body.
Action taken
The company launched a new list with Wellcome Collection.
Aftermath
The list connected medical and scientific subjects with literary and cultural approaches to the human condition.
2012
Acquire Tindal Street PressM&ABackground
Profile continued to expand through the acquisition of independent publishing operations.
Action taken
Profile acquired Birmingham-based Tindal Street Press.
Aftermath
The acquisition added another independent publishing list to the Profile portfolio.
2008
Launch GreenProfileStrategyBackground
Profile identified ethical and environmental subjects as a distinct editorial opportunity.
Action taken
The company established GreenProfile under Mark Ellingham.
Aftermath
The imprint added an explicitly ethical dimension to the group's publishing program.
2007
Acquire Serpent's TailM&ABackground
Profile aimed to broaden its publishing portfolio beyond its established non-fiction base.
Action taken
Profile acquired the independent London publisher Serpent's Tail.
Aftermath
The group gained a prominent literary-fiction and international-writing imprint.
2002
Acquire the HarperCollins UK business listM&ABackground
Profile sought to expand its business and commercial non-fiction publishing capacity.
Action taken
The company acquired the HarperCollins UK business list.
Aftermath
The enlarged list became associated with business, economics and ideas titles, including works by Robert Greene, Ryan Holiday and Shoshana Zuboff.
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