Profile m.d. Rebecca Gray says GBS changes are 'alarming' for indie publishers

Profile Books’ managing director Rebecca Gray has described the changes to Grantham Book Service (GBS) as “alarming” for indie publishers, following news that the site, which had been earmarked for closure, would become the new operational hub for Penguin Random House US.  

At the Independent Publishers Guild (IPG) Spring Conference — on Tuesday (27th February) at the Shaw Theatre in North West London — the recently appointed m.d. spoke about the challenges facing small publishers. “I think the GBS closure has really been very hard on a lot of very small publishers,” she said in response to a question from The Bookseller’s editor Philip Jones. “Hearing that it’s now going to be a warehouse for PRH US books is alarming for a lot of us, and there are a lot of things that we really need to find out about and take into account.”

PRH UK c.e.o. Tom Weldon confirmed last week that the publisher still intends to close its third-party distribution operation by 2025, but added that the site would remain open to fulfil PRH US’ orders to customers in continental Europe. Following last year’s announcement of the closure, some independent publishers are still searching for new distribution partners, while demand for distribution remains “at odds with supply”.

On the GBS site becoming the operational hub for PRH US, Gray added: “I think it is alarming, particularly because there is a problem with US copies leaking into the UK  — as many people here will know — and there is something discomforting about the idea that a very big company with a lot of muscle is making that move.” Aside from leakage, there are also concerns about English language editions of popular titles being sold to customers across continental Europe, inhibiting markets for local language editions.

Profile has been distributed by Hachette UK Distribution (HUKD) since 2021. Gray said it was likely to be “another difficult year” for independents as they are "still trying to work out how to face the political instability and the cost increases of the last few years, [and] how to navigate the challenges around shipping and changing markets".

On G T Karber’s 2023 Christmas number one puzzle book, Murdle (Souvenir Press), the m.d. said that its success in the UK was not reflected in how the book performed in the US, where it was published by Griffin. “Maybe that’s about the market, but I think it’s about something that’s really important to this conference, and that’s independence,” she said, “and all the qualities that flow from it.”

The support of Waterstones’ booksellers was key in getting Murdle into the hands of readers, Gray said, and that it was important for Profile to adapt its publishing approach to align with that of the book’s US publisher. She also explained that the publisher placed a lot of emphasis on making sure that the book remained in stock on Amazon for the majority of the lead-up to Christmas, which also contributed to its success.

The IPG spring conference continues on Wednesday (28th February).