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Sort Of makes Profile alliance

24.09.08 Catherine Neilan

Independent publisher Profile is to start handling the sales and marketing for indie imprint Sort Of Books from January 2009, in a move which will also see Sort Of join the Faber-led Independent Alliance.

From 1st January distribution will be transferred from Penguin to Profile’s distributor, TBS. Mark Ellingham, commissioning editor for Profile’s GreenProfile imprint and general assistant at Sort Of, said the move made “total sense” because the two companies were already working in such close proximity. He added: "I’ve learnt at first hand that Profile and the Independent Alliance’s sales operation is incredibly focused, [and they] share a genuine interest in our authors and have true marketing flair. We feel honoured to be welcomed into such a brilliant team."

However, he said that moving away from Penguin had been a difficult decision as the publisher had helped the Sort Of team to "consistently punch above our weight".

Sort Of was created in 1999 by editor Natania Jansz and Ellingham to give a home to Chris Stewart’s bestselling début Driving Over Lemons. Jansz and Ellingham also set up travel guide imprint Rough Guides, which is now owned by Penguin.

Stewart’s fourth title, Three Ways to Capsize A Boat: An Optimist Afloat, is to be released next spring alongside 10th anniversary editions of his three existing books, which between them have sold more than one million copies in the UK. The new editions will feature art work by Peter Dyer and special author interviews.

Andrew Franklin, m.d. of Profile, said: “Sort Of is a small list, but it is much more perfectly formed than many far larger ones... Everyone at Profile is really delighted to be working with them.”

Faber Profile Independent Alliance Catherine Neilan Sort Of Books

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