Catapult

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.

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

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

• Literary book publishing
• Narrative nonfiction publishing
• Independent literary imprint
• Literary fiction publishing
• Translated fiction publisher

Headquarters

HQ city

Buffalo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core 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.

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Counterpoint PresscoreOthersPart of the Catapult Book Group family of imprints. Counterpoint Press is an associated independent publisher under the Catapult publishing umbrella.
• Soft Skull PresscoreOthersPart of the Catapult Book Group family of imprints. Soft Skull Press is an associated independent publisher under the Catapult publishing umbrella.
• Hawthorne BookscoreOthersPart of the Catapult Book Group family of imprints. Hawthorne Books is an associated independent publisher under the Catapult publishing umbrella.
• AmazoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary online retail distribution channel for Catapult books including hardcover, paperback, and ebook sales.
• Barnes & NoblecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor online and physical bookstore retail distribution partner for Catapult publications.
• Bookshop.orgminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndependent bookstore-supporting online retailer partner for Catapult book distribution.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct 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

• Xx.com/CatapultStory
• Facebookfacebook.com/catapultstories
• Instagraminstagram.com/catapult/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catapultbooks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Catapult