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Profile profits shoot up 56%

13.08.07 Tom Tivnan

Profile Books has posted its best ever set of results following the success of its quirky New Scientist titles and the acquisition of fellow independent Serpent's Tail. In full year results to 31st March 2007, turnover was up 9% on 2005/6 to just over £9m and operating profit increased by 56% to £2.1m, representing 23% of turnover.

The results include three months' trading of Serpent's Tail, which Profile acquired on 1st January 2007. The integration of the two businesses was completed in late January and Serpent's Tail is now part of the Independent Alliance.

Profile said its New Scientist titles, Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze?, published in autumn 2006 and the previous year's Does Anything Eat Wasps?, sold a combined 980,000 copies in 2006/07. Other highlights included the paperback edition of Alan Bennett's Untold Stories and Serpent's Tail's backlist title We Need to Talk About Kevin.

Andrew Franklin, Profile m.d., said: "We're pleased to announce some great results and with the acquisition of Serpent's Tail it's been a very exciting time for the company. We are hoping to have another good autumn with books such as Alan Bennett's The Uncommon Reader (published jointly with Faber), Deborah Ross's Always Go To Bed On An Argument, the paperback edition of Joe Boyd's White Bicycles, Jonathan Trigell's new novel Cham, and of course the new New Scientist title, How To Fossilise your Hamster. In the end it's only the books that matter."

Publisher Financial tom tivnan Profile

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