University publisher lifts income 16%

EDINBURGH University Press has posted a 16 per cent rise in income to £2.7 million in the year to 31 July following strong sales in the UK and United States and rising orders from online retailer Amazon.

Pre-tax profits rose from 154,000 to 430,000 following "tight cost control" and were boosted by a growing contribution from the company's electronic books division.

Chief executive Timothy Wright said: "There are still challenging times ahead for academic publishers as the comprehensive spending review will lead to significant cuts, which will filter down to library budgets in the UK, while the international economic outlook remains uncertain.

"It is unlikely we will repeat the sort of margins achieved last year but we are confident that we can continue to invest and grow sales."