The Stable Book Group

What The Stable Book Group does

The Stable Book Group is a privately-held collective of independent book publishers formed in early 2025 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, with a secondary office in Petaluma, California. The group consolidates seven imprints—Ulysses Press (travel, pop culture, cooking, true crime, founded 1983), VeloPress (endurance sports, founded 1995), Trafalgar Square Books (equestrian), She Writes Press (women's voices), Montague Books, Four In Hand Press, and Skybox Press (sports commemorative books)—along with two service operations, Stable Studios (custom packaging) and Stable Distribution (third-party distribution). Each imprint retains its editorial identity and brand while sharing back-office functions in design, production, marketing, sales, and accounting. The portfolio spans trade fiction and nonfiction, endurance sports, equestrian content, women's hybrid publishing, and custom sports commemorative books, with recognition including Publishers Weekly's fastest-growing independent publishers list and consistent placement on the Kirkus Indie Books list.

The company generates revenue through three principal streams: traditional book sales distributed globally through a strategic partnership with Hachette Book Group, hybrid publishing fees (Montague Books and She Writes Press packages starting around $10,000 and ranging into low six figures, with authors retaining up to 70% royalties), and a third-party distribution service for independent publishers via Stable Distribution. The Stable Distribution joint venture, announced in June 2025 with operations commencing January 2026, leverages Hachette's Indiana warehousing and fulfillment infrastructure while The Stable leads sales and publisher operations. Distribution channels span Hachette (global), Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Faire, Edelweiss, and a direct-to-consumer Shopify storefront; sales representation is handled through regional groups including Como Sales (Eastern US), Fujii Associates (Midwest/Mountain/educational), Imprint Group West (Western US), Canadian Manda Group, and Global Publishers Group (international).

The Stable Book Group serves three primary customer segments: general consumer readers purchasing across the imprint portfolio, independent publishers seeking distribution and sales representation services (Stable Distribution partners range from ~$100K to $5MM+ in annual revenue, with 3–5 new partners added annually), and authors pursuing hybrid publishing models. The company employs approximately 20 people across editorial, marketing, operations, sales, production, and technology roles, led by CEO Chris Gruener and President Keith Riegert. It is financed by founding members and a select group of individual investors, with no disclosed venture capital or private equity backing, and maintains a deliberately lean organizational footprint relative to its multi-imprint portfolio scale.

Name

The Stable Book Group

Legal name

The Stable Book Group

Website

https://stablebookgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Stable Book Group is a 2025-formed collective of seven independent book publishers—including Ulysses Press, VeloPress, Trafalgar Square Books, and She Writes Press—sharing distribution, production, and back-office resources while partnering with Hachette Book Group for global warehousing, fulfillment, and third-party distribution services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Book Publishing Services

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health, Wellness & Fitness Trade Publishing (MPAJAAAL), Hardcover & Premium Editions Publishing (MPAJAAAE)

Keywords

• Independent book publishing
• Hybrid publishing services
• Book distribution services
• Custom book packaging
• Trade book publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: The company generates revenue through sales of books across multiple imprints (Ulysses Press, VeloPress, Trafalgar Square Books, Montague Books, She Writes Press, Four In Hand Press, Skybox Press) to retailers, wholesalers, and directly to consumers. Books are distributed through Hachette Book Group worldwide.
2. Hybrid Publishing Fees: Authors pay upfront for hybrid publishing packages at Montague Books, typically starting around $10,000 and ranging up to low six figures. Authors retain up to 70% royalties on profits. She Writes Press operates on a similar model where authors invest in their publishing package upfront but retain full ownership and royalties.
3. Distribution Services: Stable Distribution provides warehousing, fulfillment, and sales representation services to independent publishers for a fee. Publishing partners range from ~$100k to over $5MM in annual revenue. The venture partners with Hachette Book Group for logistics infrastructure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Stable Book Group operates as a collective of independent publishers (Ulysses Press, VeloPress, Trafalgar Square Books, She Writes Press, Montague Books, Four In Hand Press, Skybox Press) that share editorial, marketing, production, sales, and operational resources while preserving each imprint's brand identity. The group publishes and sells books across diverse niches (travel, endurance sports, equestrian, hybrid publishing for women, sports commemoratives) and offers hybrid publishing packages, custom book packaging (Stable Studios), and third-party distribution services (Stable Distribution via Hachette Book Group partnership).

Product overview

The Stable Book Group is a publishing collective comprising multiple distinct imprints offering both traditional and hybrid publishing models. The portfolio includes Ulysses Press (travel, pop culture, cooking, true crime), VeloPress (endurance sports), Trafalgar Square Books (equestrian), She Writes Press (women's voices hybrid publishing), Montague Books (general hybrid publishing), Four In Hand Press (equestrian hybrid publishing), and Skybox Press (sports commemorative books). Services include Stable Distribution (sales and fulfillment via Hachette partnership), Stable Studios (custom packaging), and Literary Apparel (merchandise). The collective provides shared editorial, marketing, production, and accounting resources while preserving each imprint's brand identity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ulysses Press
• VeloPress
• Trafalgar Square Books
• She Writes Press
• Montague Books

Quantifiable outcome

• Authors retain up to 70% royalties (vs. as little as 10% in traditional publishing)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and partner.

• Hachette Book GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Partnership to create Stable Distribution, a sales and distribution service for independent publishers. Hachette provides world-class warehousing, logistics, and fulfillment from Indiana facility. The Stable leads sales and publisher operations. Operations began January 2026.
• Pacific & CourtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company providing expert publicity services for book marketing and media coverage across digital campaigns on Amazon, Facebook, and Instagram.
• Biagi Literary ManagementminorOthersRights office handling subsidiary rights, foreign rights deals, and literary representation. Located at 27 Bedford Road, Pleasantville, NY.
• McSweeney'spartnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndependent nonprofit publisher founded by Dave Eggers in 1998. Grown from Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern into a distinctive publisher. Their titles are distributed through Stable Distribution.
• Amber BookspartnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK publisher specializing in history and non-fiction with beautifully packaged books. Distributed through Stable Distribution.
• She Writes PresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAward-winning hybrid publisher dedicated to amplifying women's voices. Joined The Stable Book Group in 2025 as a founding imprint. Led by Brooke Warner.
• Montague BookscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHybrid publishing imprint offering custom publishing packages for fiction and nonfiction authors. Part of The Stable Book Group ecosystem.
• Four In Hand PresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHybrid publishing imprint of Trafalgar Square Books for equestrian content. Serves riders and horse enthusiasts with training, memoir, and lifestyle titles.
• IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association)minorOthersProud member of the Independent Book Publishers Association, which sets industry standards for hybrid publishing.
• Independent Publishers CollectiveminorOthersMember of the Publishers Cooperative, supporting independent publishing community.
• Perfect BoundminorOthersPartner organization serving the independent publishing ecosystem.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Chronicle Books: Independent trade publisher known for design-led, gift-friendly books across cooking, art, children's, and lifestyle. Comparable because it maintains an independent trade identity while operating at scale through shared sales and distribution infrastructure, mirroring how The Stable Book Group aggregates independent imprints under a unified commercial platform.
• BookBaby: Hybrid and assisted self-publishing services company offering packages at various price points. Comparable because it competes directly with Montague Books and She Writes Press for authors willing to pay upfront for professional publishing services that include editorial, design, and distribution support.
• Quirk Books: Independent trade publisher with a focused, distinctive catalog (pop culture, genre fiction, humor, gift titles). Comparable as an independent imprint operating within Hachette distribution that depends on national retailer relationships to scale a niche catalog — a model parallel to several Stable imprints.
• Sourcebooks: Independent publisher that has expanded through acquisitions and operates hybrid publishing alongside trade. Comparable because Sourcebooks combines a trade catalog, a hybrid author-pay publishing program, and acquisition-driven growth — a model structurally similar to The Stable Book Group's mix of acquired legacy imprints plus hybrid author packages.
• Independent Publishers Group (IPG): Distribution and sales services provider for independent publishers, including warehousing, fulfillment, and national sales representation. Directly comparable to Stable Distribution — both serve independent publishers needing Big Five-class logistics and sales reach without owning that infrastructure themselves.
• Andrews McMeel Publishing: Independent publisher specializing in humor, gift, poetry, and pop-culture titles with strong retail and gift-channel presence. Comparable as a mid-sized independent publisher that relies on specialty sales channels and a distinctive catalog identity rather than Big Five scale.
• Skyhorse Publishing: Independent publisher built through acquisitions across trade, sports, outdoor, and reference categories. Directly comparable because Skyhorse's strategy of aggregating specialty imprints under a shared distribution and sales umbrella mirrors the operating logic of The Stable Book Group.
• Workman Publishing: Independent trade book publisher covering cookbooks, lifestyle, children's, calendars, and gift categories. Comparable because it operates a multi-category trade catalog with shared sales, marketing, and distribution infrastructure, similar in breadth and positioning to The Stable Book Group's Ulysses Press plus VeloPress plus gift-oriented imprints.

Broad incumbents

• Ingram Content Group: Largest book distribution and wholesale services provider in North America, serving publishers, retailers, and libraries. Comparable as a foundational distribution layer that The Stable Book Group's Stable Distribution explicitly bypasses or competes against for independent-publisher business, while remaining a complementary sales channel for Stable's titles.

Regional players

• Publishers Group Canada (PGC): Canadian distribution and sales services provider for independent publishers. Comparable in business model (distribution for indies) to Stable Distribution, but operates in Canada rather than the US, which is The Stable's primary market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/stablebookgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stable-book-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/stablebookgroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Stable Book Group