Publishing industry veterans Chris Gruener and Keith Riegert have launched The Stable Book Group. Headquartered in Petaluma, Calif., and Brooklyn, N.Y., the collective merges four extant independent publishers—She Writes Press, Trafalgar Square Books, Ulysses Press, and VeloPress—with the newly established Galpón Press, coming in as a client, and Mountain Gazette Books, as a partner.
Gruener, the former VP of business development at Abrams Books and CEO and publisher of Cameron + Company, will serve as CEO, with Riegert, the CEO of Ulysses, serving as president. Brooke Warner, cofounder and publisher of She Writes Press, has been named COO, and Vimbly Group CEO Sam Lundin has been named chief strategy officer.
Staff work across all companies, allowing each LLC to share resources as needed, and editorial, production and accounting is all shared. Individuals will continue to helm each operation.
Chris Yeung, Vimbly founder and CTO at Perfect Bound, will serve as CTO. (Perfect Bound was cofounded by Riegert in 2022 to match printers with indie presses, and has since expanded its services. The company is financially backed by Vimbly.) The new company also includes Stable Studios, a division offering hybrid, design, and custom production services. Iain Morris, former creative director of entertainment and licensing at Abrams, will serve as VP and creative director of that division.
Riegert emphasized the company’s focus on maintaining independence while leveraging shared resources. “With The Stable, we’re bringing together some of the boldest independent publishers to create new opportunities for authors, booksellers, and readers alike,” he said. “Our mission is not just to preserve the independent publishing spirit—but to elevate it to new heights through collaboration and shared resources.”
Gruener added: “Our vision combines the strength of proven category leaders with forward-thinking marketing and production strategies to create value and opportunity for our authors and partners alike.”
Brooklyn-based Ulysses Press will continue its focus on lifestyle, pop culture, and self-help titles, while VeloPress maintains its position as an endurance sports publisher specializing in cycling, running, triathlon, and other fitness books. Vermont-based equestrian and craft publishing company Trafalgar Square Books will continue to operate under VP and publisher Martha Cook.
She Writes, which has published 1,200 books since its founding in 2012, brings its hybrid publishing model to the group. Joining the veteran publishers are Galpón Press, a new imprint founded and led by industry veteran Michael Jacobs, and Mountain Gazette Books, a new book division launched by Mountain Gazette publisher Mike Rogge.
“The best innovation in publishing comes from creative industry insiders who honor tradition but aren’t afraid to shake things up,” Warner said. “The breadth of our team's experience, combined with the scope of our imprints and business models, positions us for both agility and growth.”
