Catapult
Catapult (Black Balloon Publishing, LLC) is a privately held, Brooklyn-based literary trade publisher operating the Catapult Book Group across four imprints — Catapult Books, Counterpoint Press, Soft Skull Press, and Hawthorne Books — publishing literary fiction and artful narrative nonfiction, with distribution through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and Apple Books.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersBuffalo, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Catapult does
Catapult (legal entity Black Balloon Publishing, LLC) is a privately held, US-based literary trade publisher operating as Catapult Book Group from headquarters at 20 Jay Street #704, Brooklyn, New York, with 51-100 employees and founded in 2015. The company publishes literary fiction and artful narrative nonfiction under four imprints — Catapult Books, Counterpoint Press, Soft Skull Press, and the recently acquired Hawthorne Books (closed 2025-11-21) — and operates an associated online Catapult Magazine and email newsletter. Editorial positioning is organized around the proprietary 'Perception Box' concept, with a stated commitment to diverse, historically underrepresented voices, debut and established literary authors, translated international literature, and craft books for writers.
The underlying operating model is content acquisition, editorial development, and multi-format distribution. Books are sold in hardcover ($26-$28), paperback ($16.95-$17.95), and ebook ($11.99-$14.99) editions through direct website sales and third-party retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and Apple Books, with a separate direct academic desk and exam copy program for educational institutions. A second revenue stream comes from subsidiary rights licensing — foreign translation, film/TV adaptation, and other permissions — administered through the Permissions department. Marketing relies on organic social (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram), an email newsletter, and PR earned through major literary prizes and best-of lists (Man Booker International Prize, Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, National Book Critics Circle Award recognition, TIME/NPR/New Yorker Best Books, Reese's Book Club, and national bestseller status for multiple titles).
No proprietary technology platform, APIs, SDKs, AI/ML capabilities, or patents are disclosed; the core technology is described simply as a 'Book publishing platform' with no enumerated proprietary features. The company is privately held with no external institutional investor, private equity backing, or parent company disclosed in the source data, and there is no recorded funding history. Customer concentration is structural rather than named: the business depends on major e-commerce and bookstore retailers for distribution, while end customers are individual literary fiction and narrative nonfiction readers served via a horizontal segmentation approach.
Catapult firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Catapult
- Legal name
- Black Balloon Publishing, LLC
- Website
- https://catapult.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Catapult (Black Balloon Publishing, LLC) is a privately held, Brooklyn-based literary trade publisher operating the Catapult Book Group across four imprints — Catapult Books, Counterpoint Press, Soft Skull Press, and Hawthorne Books — publishing literary fiction and artful narrative nonfiction, with distribution through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and Apple Books.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Catapult industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Literary Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (51313)
- 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 industry
- Biography, Memoir & Narrative Nonfiction Publishing (MPAJAAAI)
Keywords
Where Catapult is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Buffalo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Catapult business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Revenue from selling published books in multiple formats including hardcover, paperback, and ebook editions directly to consumers through online retailers and their website.
- Rights & Permissions: Revenue from licensing subsidiary rights including foreign translation rights, film/TV adaptation rights, and other subsidiary rights as indicated on their website.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Hardcover editions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels3 records
Catapult product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Catapult publishes literary fiction and artful narrative nonfiction across multiple imprints (Catapult Books, Counterpoint Press, Soft Skull Press, Hawthorne Books), releasing titles in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats. The publisher curates a catalog that emphasizes diverse, historically underrepresented voices and stories that challenge assumptions under its signature Perception Box editorial vision. Distribution is handled through major online retailers, independent bookstores, and direct sales, with subsidiary rights licensing for foreign translations and film/TV adaptations.
Product overview
Catapult (d/b/a Black Balloon Publishing, LLC) operates as a literary book publisher under the Catapult Book Group umbrella, encompassing its primary imprint Catapult Books plus three sub-brands: Counterpoint Press, Soft Skull Press, and Hawthorne Books. The company publishes literary fiction and narrative nonfiction, with a catalog that includes award-winning works, debut novels, translated international literature, and craft books for writers. The company also operates Catapult Magazine and offers a newsletter subscription service. All imprints are distributed through major retail channels including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and independent bookstores.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Catapult Books: The main publishing imprint of Black Balloon Publishing, LLC publishing literary fiction and narrative nonfiction.
Companies that use Catapult
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Catapult technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Catapult partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Counterpoint PresscorePart of the Catapult Book Group family of imprints. Counterpoint Press is an associated independent publisher under the Catapult publishing umbrella.
- Soft Skull PresscorePart of the Catapult Book Group family of imprints. Soft Skull Press is an associated independent publisher under the Catapult publishing umbrella.
- Hawthorne BookscorePart of the Catapult Book Group family of imprints. Hawthorne Books is an associated independent publisher under the Catapult publishing umbrella.
- AmazoncorePrimary online retail distribution channel for Catapult books including hardcover, paperback, and ebook sales.
- Barnes & NoblecoreMajor online and physical bookstore retail distribution partner for Catapult publications.
- Bookshop.orgminorIndependent bookstore-supporting online retailer partner for Catapult book distribution.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Catapult competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Graywolf Press: Independent literary publisher focused on literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from diverse voices. Closely comparable to Catapult in mission, scale, and award-winning catalog approach.
- Tin House Books: Independent literary publisher of literary fiction and nonfiction with an emphasis on diverse voices and craft. Directly comparable in genre focus, author-first editorial approach, and indie press positioning.
- Coffee House Press: Independent nonprofit literary publisher based in Minneapolis known for literary fiction, poetry, and translated works. Direct peer in mission, translated-international focus, and award-winning catalog.
- Milkweed Editions: Independent literary nonprofit publisher focused on fiction, nonfiction, and poetry with an emphasis on environmental and social justice themes. Comparable in literary mission and independent press scale.
- Soho Press: Independent publisher of literary and commercial fiction and nonfiction under multiple imprints. Closely comparable multi-imprint indie model and literary fiction focus.
- Akashic Books: Independent publisher specializing in literary fiction, noir, and diverse urban voices. Comparable as an indie press with a distinctive editorial vision for underrepresented voices.
- Europa Editions: Independent publisher known for literary fiction and international translated works. Direct peer in translated literature emphasis and award-winning literary catalog.
- Beacon Press: Independent nonprofit publisher of literary nonfiction, social justice, and progressive titles. Comparable in independent press model and emphasis on underrepresented perspectives.
- Restless Books: Independent publisher specializing in translated international literature and underrepresented voices. Directly comparable in translated literature niche and diverse voices mission.
Broad incumbents
- Grove Atlantic: Established independent publisher (Grove Press imprint) with broad literary fiction and nonfiction catalog. Wider portfolio and longer history but overlapping indie literary positioning and award-winning catalog.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Catapult social profiles
Digital presenceCatapult financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Catapult leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Catapult subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Catapult funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Catapult M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Catapult
What does Catapult do?
Catapult publishes literary fiction and artful narrative nonfiction across multiple imprints (Catapult Books, Counterpoint Press, Soft Skull Press, Hawthorne Books), releasing titles in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats. The publisher curates a catalog that emphasizes diverse, historically underrepresented voices and stories that challenge assumptions under its signature Perception Box editorial vision. Distribution is handled through major online retailers, independent bookstores, and direct sales, with subsidiary rights licensing for foreign translations and film/TV adaptations.
Is Catapult a public or private company?
Catapult is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Catapult founded?
Catapult was founded in 2015. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Catapult based?
Catapult is headquartered in Buffalo, United States, in the North America region.
How does Catapult make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are rights & Permissions.
Who are Catapult's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Graywolf Press, Tin House Books, Coffee House Press, Milkweed Editions, Soho Press, Akashic Books, Europa Editions, Beacon Press and Restless Books. Grove Atlantic is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Catapult have an API?
No public API is recorded for Catapult.
What industry is Catapult in?
Catapult's product category is Literary Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAB, Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.), with a secondary code of MPAJAAAI, Biography, Memoir & Narrative Nonfiction Publishing. Its NAICS code is 51313 and its SIC code is 2731.