Button Poetry
Button Poetry is a Minneapolis-based independent poetry publisher and online retailer founded in 2011, selling poetry books, chapbooks, signed editions, merchandise, and writing workshops directly to consumers via its own e-commerce site, YouTube storefront, indie bookstores, and Patreon.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Button Poetry does
Button Poetry, founded in 2011 and headquartered in Minneapolis, operates as an independent poetry publishing house and direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer. Its primary output is a catalog of poetry books and chapbooks released under the "Button Books" imprint, distributed in paperback, signed paperback, e-book, and audiobook formats through the company's own storefront at buttonpoetry.com, a YouTube storefront, and select independent bookstores. The business also retails branded merchandise (t-shirts, hoodies, posters) and sells paid writing workshops, with supplemental recurring revenue from Patreon.
Button Poetry firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Button Poetry
- Legal name
- Button Poetry
- Website
- https://buttonpoetry.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Button Poetry is a Minneapolis-based independent poetry publisher and online retailer founded in 2011, selling poetry books, chapbooks, signed editions, merchandise, and writing workshops directly to consumers via its own e-commerce site, YouTube storefront, indie bookstores, and Patreon.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Button Poetry industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Poetry Publishing
- NAICS
- Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Humor, Gift & Specialty Format Books (Journals, Coloring, etc.) (MPAJAAAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Poetry Workshops (EDAMAMAB), Spoken-Word Poetry Slams (MPAGACAF), Spoken Word & Performance Poetry Workshops (EDAMAMAM)
Keywords
Where Button Poetry is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Button Poetry business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Primary revenue from selling poetry books, chapbooks, and full-length collections directly through their e-commerce website. Products available in paperback, signed paperback, e-book, and audiobook formats.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, and posters featuring poet names and poetry quotes.
- Writing Workshops: Revenue from paid writing workshop offerings for aspiring poets.
- Patreon Support: Ongoing community support through Patreon platform for dedicated followers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Standard book pricing - paperback and e-book formats |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Signed editions at premium pricing |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Writing workshop offerings |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Button Poetry product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Button Poetry is a poetry publishing company that publishes and directly sells contemporary spoken word and literary poetry collections, chapbooks, e-books, and audiobooks through its own e-commerce website. It also sells branded merchandise and offers paid writing workshops, while building audience through YouTube poetry performance videos, video contests, and social media channels.
Product overview
Button Poetry is a poetry publishing company that operates primarily as an online retail platform for poetry books, chapbooks, audiobooks, e-books, and merchandise. The company publishes diverse voices in poetry through multiple product lines including Button Books (their primary publishing imprint), Other Books (curated selections from other publishers), chapbook contest winners, and merchandise. Their core offerings consist of poetry books and chapbooks available in paperback, signed paperback, e-book, and audiobook formats, complemented by writing workshops, video content, and branded merchandise including t-shirts and hoodies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- My Dear Cult Leader Poetry collection by Aly Acevedo examining cyclic violences through figures of the cult leader and personal narratives of trauma and survival.
- Pink Elephant Critically-acclaimed poetry collection by Rachel Camacho about survival and recovery from abusive home environments.
- without the frills Poetry collection by Gigi Bella exploring Hollywood and the TV/film industry in New Mexico from a Chicana perspective.
- good luck in the real world Chapbook by Adrienne Novy exploring mental health recovery, hospitalization, and healing through the lens of pop culture.
- Coin Laundry at Midnight Chapbook by Carson Wolfe exploring identity in the aftermath of teen parenthood and urban poverty.
- Fat Girl Finishing School Poetry collection by Rachel Wiley spanning body image, love, loss, and feminism, celebrating self-love and intersectionality.
- I'd Rather Be Destroyed Chapbook by Zach Goldberg exploring self-destruction, modern Jewish identity, and managing mental health.
- About Time Poetry collection by Neil Hilborn balancing devastation and perseverance while exploring mental health struggles.
- The Future
- The Future: Limited Edition
- Our Numbered Days
- Composition
- You Better Be Lightning
- She
- , said the shotgun to the head.
- The Dead Emcee Scrolls: The Lost Teachings of Hip Hop
- Neil Hilborn 'The Future' Hoodie
- Neil Hilborn 'Clatter' Unisex T-Shirt
- T-Shirt Combo Deal
- Writing Workshops
Quantifiable outcome
- 150M+ combined video views across platform
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Button Poetry
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Button Poetry technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Button Poetry partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Button Poetry competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Write Bloody Publishing: Independent spoken word and poetry press publishing collections from performance poets. Direct competitor in the same niche with overlapping author profiles, distribution channels, and tour-driven promotion model.
- Ugly Duckling Presse: Independent nonprofit literary publisher with poetry, fiction, and translation lists. Comparable as a small indie poetry press, though with a more avant-garde/experimental focus and chapbook-driven model.
Broad incumbents
- Milkweed Editions: Independent nonprofit literary publisher of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Comparable as an indie press with a strong poetry list, but operates across broader literary categories with a different funding model.
- Graywolf Press: Major independent literary publisher with a significant poetry catalog. Comparable as an indie press with award-winning poetry titles, though broader in scope than Button's spoken word focus.
- Haymarket Books: Independent progressive publisher with poetry and political literature lists. Comparable as an indie press publishing politically engaged voices, including poetry collections.
- Akashic Books: Independent literary publisher with a diverse catalog. Comparable as an indie press with poetry titles, though broader in genre focus and based in Brooklyn.
- Tin House Books: Independent literary publisher known for fiction and poetry. Comparable indie press with award-winning poetry titles, though with broader literary scope and workshop programming.
- Penguin Random House: Largest trade publisher with extensive poetry imprints. Comparable as a poetry publisher at scale, though operating across many genres with mass-market distribution rather than community-led discovery.
- Copper Canyon Press: One of the largest poetry-only publishers in the US. Directly comparable as a dedicated poetry press, though with a more traditional literary poetry focus than Button's spoken word orientation.
Others
- Poetry Foundation: Nonprofit literary organization supporting poets and publishing Poetry magazine. Comparable as a poetry ecosystem enabler rather than direct competitor; serves as a buyer and promoter of contemporary poetry that overlaps with Button's audience.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Button Poetry social profiles
Digital presenceButton Poetry financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Button Poetry leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Button Poetry funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Button Poetry 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 Button Poetry
What does Button Poetry do?
Button Poetry is a poetry publishing company that publishes and directly sells contemporary spoken word and literary poetry collections, chapbooks, e-books, and audiobooks through its own e-commerce website. It also sells branded merchandise and offers paid writing workshops, while building audience through YouTube poetry performance videos, video contests, and social media channels.
Is Button Poetry a public or private company?
Button Poetry is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Button Poetry founded?
Button Poetry was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Button Poetry based?
Button Poetry is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Button Poetry make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales, writing Workshops and patreon Support.
Who are Button Poetry's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Write Bloody Publishing and Ugly Duckling Presse. Broad incumbents are Milkweed Editions, Graywolf Press, Haymarket Books, Akashic Books, Tin House Books, Penguin Random House and Copper Canyon Press. Poetry Foundation is listed as an others.
Does Button Poetry have an API?
No public API is recorded for Button Poetry.
What industry is Button Poetry in?
Button Poetry's product category is Poetry Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAN, Humor, Gift & Specialty Format Books (Journals, Coloring, etc.), with a secondary code of EDAMAMAB, Poetry Workshops. Its NAICS code is 5131.