Comma Press
Comma Press is a Manchester-based not-for-profit publisher and development agency that publishes international short fiction anthologies, runs writer and translator training programmes, and coordinates the Northern Fiction Alliance of independent Northern England presses.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersManchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Comma Press does
Comma Press is a not-for-profit publisher and literature development agency founded in 2003 in Manchester, structured as a private company limited by guarantee without share capital. It specialises in short fiction from the UK and internationally, publishing single-author collections, city-based anthologies under the 'Reading the City' series, advocacy-driven volumes including the 'Refugee Tales' series, interdisciplinary commissions pairing researchers with authors (e.g., Beta-Life), and the annual BBC National Short Story Award anthology in partnership with BookTrust. Award recognition includes the Shirley Jackson Award (2008, The New Uncanny) and the English PEN Translates Award (2020, The Book of Ramallah).
The business operates through two primary revenue streams: book sales (paperbacks priced £6.99-£17.99 plus e-books on Kindle, iBooks, Kobo, and Google Play) distributed via Combined Book Services (UK/RoW), Independent Publishers Group (North America), Compass IPS (UK/Ireland), Michael Geoghegan (Europe), and Ward International (Middle East); and fees from short story courses, the National Creative Writing Industry Day, and the Translating the North translator conference. Direct sales through commapress.co.uk carry a 10% discount. The organisation is VAT-exempt.
Beyond publishing, Comma Press functions as a development agency delivering courses, conferences, seminars, and mentorship programmes for writers, translators, and independent publishers. It founded and coordinates the Northern Fiction Alliance, a coalition of independent presses across Northern England providing CPD seminars, mentoring, and rights delegations. The company is funded in part by Arts Council England and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and operates with 11-50 employees led by founder and CEO Ra Page, Editor-at-Large Orsola Casagrande, and a small editorial team.
Comma Press firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Comma Press
- Legal name
- Comma Press
- Website
- https://commapress.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Comma Press is a Manchester-based not-for-profit publisher and development agency that publishes international short fiction anthologies, runs writer and translator training programmes, and coordinates the Northern Fiction Alliance of independent Northern England presses.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Comma Press industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), All Other Publishers (513199)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Politics, Current Affairs & Social Commentary Publishing (MPAJAAAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Publishing Networks & Multi-Author Publications (MPACAIAG), Humanities & Arts Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAE)
Keywords
Where Comma Press is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Comma Press business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Comma Press generates revenue through the sale of published books including anthologies, single-author collections, and translated fiction. Books are sold through their e-commerce website (commapress.co.uk) with approximately 10% discount, and through trade distribution channels including Combined Book Services (UK/World) and Independent Publishers Group (North America).
- Course and Event Fees: Revenue generated from short story courses hosted in cities across England and online, the annual National Creative Writing Industry Day, and Translating the North conference for translators. Courses are booked through Eventbrite with payment terms as specified in their Course Terms and Conditions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Direct website orders receive 10% discount |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels6 records
Comma Press product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Comma Press is a not-for-profit publisher and development agency that publishes short fiction in print and e-book formats, including city-based translated anthologies (Reading the City series), the Refugee Tales anthology series, BBC National Short Story Award collections, and themed anthologies in SF, horror, and political/resistance fiction. In parallel, it delivers creative writing courses, the National Creative Writing Industry Day, the Translating the North translator conference, and coordinates the Northern Fiction Alliance coalition of independent northern publishers.
Product overview
Comma Press is a not-for-profit publisher and literature development agency specializing in short fiction. The core publishing portfolio centers on anthology series including the Reading the City series (city-based anthologies featuring translated fiction from cities worldwide), the Refugee Tales series (anthologies with anonymous refugee stories), the BBC National Short Story Award collections, speculative fiction titles (such as Beta-Life and The New Uncanny), and themed anthologies (Europa28, The American Way, Conradology). Beyond publishing, Comma offers writer development services through creative writing courses, the annual National Creative Writing Industry Day, and the Translating the North conference for translators. The Northern Fiction Alliance coordinates publisher development across Northern England. Comma publishes primarily in paperback and trade paperback formats, with eBook availability on Kindle, iBooks, Kobo, and Google Play.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Reading the City Series Series of city-based anthologies featuring short fiction from authors native to cities worldwide, exploring urban life through translated literary works; intended for readers of literary and translated fiction.
- Refugee Tales Series Campaign and anthology series modelled on Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, with authors retelling anonymous stories of refugees who experienced indefinite detention in the UK; all profits support Gatwick Detainee Welfare Group and Kent Refugee Help.
- BBC National Short Story Award 2026 Annual collection of shortlisted stories for the BBC National Short Story Award, published in partnership with BookTrust.
- The New Uncanny Horror anthology edited by Sarah Eyre and Ra Page featuring 14 authors interpreting the uncanny in the 21st century; winner of the Shirley Jackson Award 2008.
- Beta-Life Science fiction anthology edited by Ra Page and Martyn Amos featuring 38 scientists and authors imagining life and artificial life in 2070.
- Europa28 Anthology of writing by women on the future of Europe, featuring 28 writers, artists, scientists, and entrepreneurs; edited by Sophie Hughes and Chris Cleave.
- The American Way Anthology of stories about invasion edited by Ra Page and Orsola Casagrande, exploring the human costs of US military interventions globally.
- Conradology Anthology celebrating Joseph Conrad's work, featuring fiction and non-fiction by 14 authors and critics, commissioned for Joseph Conrad Year 2017.
- The Book of Ramallah City anthology in the Reading the City series, edited by Maya Abu Al-Hayat, featuring 10 Palestinian writers; winner of the English PEN Translates Award 2020.
- The Book of Tokyo City anthology in the Reading the City series, edited by Jim Hinks, Masashi Matsuie, and Michael Emmerich, featuring 10 Japanese writers; published with Japan Foundation support.
- The Book of Shanghai City anthology in the Reading the City series, edited by Dai Congrong and Dr Jin Li, featuring 9 Chinese writers exploring contemporary Shanghai.
- The Book of Beijing City anthology in the Reading the City series, edited by Bingbing Shi, featuring 10 Chinese writers exploring contemporary Beijing.
- The Book of Riga City anthology in the Reading the City series, edited by Becca Parkinson and Eva Eglaja-Kristsone, featuring 10 Latvian writers; supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.
- The Book of Barcelona City anthology in the Reading the City series, edited by Zoe Turner and Manel Ollé, featuring 10 writers from Barcelona.
- The Book of Jakarta City anthology in the Reading the City series, edited by Maesy Ang and Teddy W. Kusuma, featuring 10 Indonesian writers; published with British Council support.
- The Book of Sheffield City anthology in the Reading the City series, edited by Catherine Taylor, featuring 10 Sheffield writers including Margaret Drabble and Johny Pitts; selected as Sheffield Libraries' BIG CITY READ 2020.
- Short Story Courses Through-the-year creative writing Short Story Courses hosted in cities across England and online, providing career development opportunities for aspiring writers; available to UK customers only per Course Terms and Conditions.
- National Creative Writing Industry Day Annual event offering aspiring writers advice, knowledge and skills from key industry professionals.
- Translating the North Conference Career development conference for translators featuring workshops, talks and networking, part of Comma Press's translator support programmes.
Quantifiable outcome
- Winner of Shirley Jackson Award 2008 for The New Uncanny
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Comma Press
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Comma Press technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Comma Press partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.
- Northern Fiction AlliancecoreComma Press founded and coordinates the Northern Fiction Alliance, a joint promotional initiative offering development opportunities to all creative publishers across the North of England. The coalition provides CPD seminars, mentoring, and rights delegations.
- Hay FestivalmajorCollaboration on Europa28 anthology - Writing by Women on the Future of Europe, co-published with Hay Festival and Wom@rts.
- Japan FoundationsupportingProvided support for the publication of The Book of Tokyo.
- British CouncilsupportingProvided support for the publication of The Book of Jakarta.
- Ministry of Culture of the Republic of LatviasupportingProvided support for the publication of The Book of Riga alongside The Latvian Writers Union.
- Latvian Writers UnionsupportingPartnered with Comma Press for the publication of The Book of Riga.
- Polish Cultural InstitutesupportingCommissioned support for Conradology as part of Joseph Conrad Year 2017.
- Polish Book InstitutesupportingCommissioned support for Conradology as part of Joseph Conrad Year 2017.
- British CouncilsupportingProvided support for Conradology as part of Joseph Conrad Year 2017.
- TRUCE (Training and Research in Unconventional Computation in Europe)supportingSupported the Beta-Life anthology bringing together scientists and authors to explore artificial life and unconventional computing.
- Manchester Metropolitan UniversitysupportingPartnership organisation for programmes and projects. Comma Press works with the university on various literary initiatives.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Comma Press competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- And Other Stories: UK independent publisher of literary fiction in translation. Closely comparable to Comma Press in mission (championing translated and marginalised voices), scale (small staff, not-for-profit ethos) and anthology-adjacent editorial model.
- Tilted Axis Press: UK independent publisher focused on translated fiction from under-represented cultures. Direct peer in scale, mission and translated-fiction editorial focus, often compared to Comma Press within UK small-press commentary.
- Charco Press: UK independent publisher of Latin American literature in translation. Comparable to Comma Press in city/cultural-anchored translated-fiction publishing and in relying on cultural-institute co-funding for selected titles.
- Peirene Press: UK independent publisher specialising in European literary fiction in translation. Comparable in translation-led editorial focus, short novella length and small-press operating model.
- Fitzcarraldo Editions: UK independent publisher of literary fiction and non-fiction, with a strong translation list and an emphasis on essayistic and formally ambitious work. Comparable in literary positioning, prize profile and independent-press scale.
- Pushkin Press: UK independent publisher with a translated-fiction backbone and international distribution. Comparable in translated literary fiction, multi-language author base and trade-channel reach.
- Granta Books: UK publisher of literary fiction, non-fiction and anthologies, with a strong international and translated list. Comparable in editorial focus on international literary voices and anthology-led publishing.
- Galley Beggar Press: UK small press focused on literary fiction and translation, including short fiction and novellas. Comparable in scale, literary-fiction editorial focus and independent-press operations.
- Jacaranda Books: UK independent publisher focused on voices from the global majority and under-represented communities. Comparable to Comma Press's mission of championing marginalised and diverse voices in UK literary publishing.
Broad incumbents
- Faber & Faber: Major UK literary publisher with a long-running list in literary fiction, poetry and non-fiction. Comparable as a UK literary home for serious fiction, but at a significantly larger scale and as part of a broad trade portfolio rather than a specialised niche.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Comma Press social profiles
Digital presenceComma Press financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Comma Press leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Comma Press funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Comma Press M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Comma Press
What does Comma Press do?
Comma Press is a not-for-profit publisher and development agency that publishes short fiction in print and e-book formats, including city-based translated anthologies (Reading the City series), the Refugee Tales anthology series, BBC National Short Story Award collections, and themed anthologies in SF, horror, and political/resistance fiction. In parallel, it delivers creative writing courses, the National Creative Writing Industry Day, the Translating the North translator conference, and coordinates the Northern Fiction Alliance coalition of independent northern publishers.
Is Comma Press a public or private company?
Comma Press is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Comma Press founded?
Comma Press was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Comma Press based?
Comma Press is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Comma Press make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are course and Event Fees.
Who are Comma Press's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are And Other Stories, Tilted Axis Press, Charco Press, Peirene Press, Fitzcarraldo Editions, Pushkin Press, Granta Books, Galley Beggar Press and Jacaranda Books. Faber & Faber is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Comma Press have an API?
No public API is recorded for Comma Press.
What industry is Comma Press in?
Comma Press's product category is Independent Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAM, Politics, Current Affairs & Social Commentary Publishing, with a secondary code of MPACAIAG, Publishing Networks & Multi-Author Publications. Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.