What Atmosphere Press does

Atmosphere Press is a privately held, author-first hybrid book publishing company founded in 2015 by Dr. Nick Courtright and headquartered in Austin, Texas, operating as a remote-first organization with team members across the United States and internationally. The company offers a tiered suite of publishing packages (Essential at $2,100, Premium at $3,200, Flagship at $4,300, and an invite-only Enterprise tier at $9,100-$9,900) under which authors pay upfront fees in three installments tied to production milestones while retaining 100% rights and 90% of net royalties. Its core service stack spans professional developmental editing (delivered by staff with MFA/PhD credentials), cover and interior book design, global print and ebook distribution via Ingram Content Group and Kindle Direct Publishing, and promotional support ranging from NetGalley campaigns to paid advertising; it also publishes a literary journal (Atmo), runs an annual Costa Rica writing residency, and maintains a 70,000-80,000 subscriber newsletter.

The company serves debut authors, experienced authors seeking ownership of their rights, niche or specialized storytellers rejected by traditional publishers, and poets, and has published over 1,000 books since founding, with authors in more than 20 countries and tens of thousands of books sold across six continents. Atmosphere is 100% independently owned with no external investors or private equity backing, and revenue derives from one-time publishing package sales (with price increases of roughly 10% per year) plus optional add-on services such as audiobooks, author websites, children's book illustration, and merchandise. The technology stack is not proprietary and consists primarily of standard publishing and distribution integrations with Ingram and KDP, with AI tools used only in manuscript submission review.

Name

Atmosphere Press

Legal name

Atmosphere Press

Website

https://atmospherepress.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Atmosphere Press is a privately held, Austin-based hybrid book publisher offering tiered publishing packages (Essential to Enterprise) where authors retain 100% rights and 90% royalties; it serves debut and experienced authors globally with professional editing, design, and distribution via Ingram and Kindle Direct Publishing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hybrid Book Publishing Services

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Cover Design, Illustration & Book Interior Design Services (MPAJAJAH)

Keywords

• Hybrid book publishing
• Book publishing services
• Book editorial services
• Book cover design
• Global book distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Publishing Package Sales: Authors pay upfront investment for hybrid publishing services including editorial, design, production, and distribution. Authors retain 100% rights and earn 90% net royalties. Company takes 10% royalty on sales.
2. Additional Services: Optional add-on services including audiobook production, custom author websites, children's book illustration, merchandise bundles, and back-of-book strategy meetings available for self-published or already-published authors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Atmosphere Press is an author-first hybrid book publisher that sells tiered publishing packages (Essential, Premium, Flagship, and the invite-only Enterprise) to individual authors. Packages bundle professional editorial services, custom cover and interior design, global print and ebook distribution through Ingram and Kindle Direct Publishing, ISBN assignment, and publicity support, while authors retain 100% of rights and earn 90% of net royalties. The company also sells à la carte services (audiobook production, illustration, author websites, merchandise) and runs the annual Playa Flamingo Writing Residency in Costa Rica.

Product overview

Atmosphere Press is an author-first hybrid book publishing company offering a tiered suite of publishing packages (Essential, Premium, Flagship, and Enterprise) alongside professional editorial services, award-winning book design (cover and interior), global distribution through Ingram and Kindle Direct Publishing, and dynamic publicity support. The company also provides a range of tools including a Publishing Timeline Calculator, Publishing Cost Calculator, Book Title Generator, and Ready to Publish Quiz. Additional offerings include a Playa Flamingo Writing Residency in Costa Rica, a literary journal (Atmo), an Author Connect networking program, a podcast, free book giveaway, and a la carte services for self-publishers. The core offering centers on their four publishing packages that build upon each other, from the Essential foundation ($2,100) through the invite-only Enterprise package ($9,900), with each level adding more promotional and production features.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hybrid Publishing Package Tiered end-to-end book publishing service for individual authors that bundles professional editorial (developmental editing, proofreading), custom cover and interior design, ISBN assignment, global print and ebook distribution through Ingram and Kindle Direct Publishing, and publicity. Authors retain 100% of rights and earn 90% of net royalties; fees are paid in three installments tied to production milestones.
• À la Carte Publishing Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Tens of thousands of books sold
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ingram Content GroupcoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary wholesale distribution partner ensuring physical book availability in bookstores and libraries globally through print-on-demand technology
• Kindle Direct PublishingcoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital distribution partner for ebook production and global distribution ensuring availability on Amazon worldwide
• International Book Publishers AssociationminorOthersIndustry association membership supporting industry standards and networking
• The Authors GuildminorOthersAuthor advocacy organization membership supporting writer rights and interests
• Kirkus ReviewsminorOthersPartnership providing Kirkus Star reviews for Atmosphere authors in Flagship and higher packages
• Better Business BureauminorOthersA+ Accredited Business status demonstrating ethical business practices and reliability
• World Literacy FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable partner receiving donations to support global literacy initiatives
• Inside Books ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner receiving donations to provide books to incarcerated individuals
• Writer's DigestminorOthersIndustry publication partnership/membership for industry visibility and resources
• Writing MagazineminorOthersIndustry publication partnership/membership
• Winning WritersminorOthersPartnership with contest/award organization; Atmosphere author Daniel Victor won North Street Book Prize
• The Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP)minorOthersMajor literary organization membership supporting writing community
• Independent Book ReviewminorOthersIndustry publication partnership for book reviews and visibility
• The Writer MagazineminorOthersIndustry publication partnership/membership

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• She Writes Press: Hybrid book publisher (sister imprint to SparkPress) that provides editorial, design, and distribution services to authors who pay an upfront investment while retaining rights and earning higher royalties. Operates the same selective-acceptance, author-invested hybrid model that defines Atmosphere Press.
• BookBaby: Hybrid/self-publishing services company offering tiered packages of editorial, design, illustration, audiobook production, and distribution to independent authors. Closely comparable business model with package pricing, à la carte add-ons, and global distribution through Ingram.
• Greenleaf Book Group: Austin, Texas-based hybrid book publisher offering editorial, design, marketing, and distribution services to authors on a fee-and-royalty model. Direct geographic and operating-model peer; both target authors who want traditional-quality output without Big 5 trade publishing contracts.
• Koehler Books: Hybrid book publisher offering author-paid publishing packages including editorial, cover/interior design, distribution, and marketing. Operates a similar tiered package structure and selective manuscript acceptance model targeting authors seeking a middle path between self-publishing and traditional publishing.
• SparkPress: Hybrid book publisher (parent of She Writes Press) offering author-invested publishing packages with editorial, design, marketing, and Ingram distribution. Closely comparable tiered hybrid publishing model with similar author contract terms.
• Archway Publishing: Hybrid self-publishing imprint operated by Simon & Schuster, offering paid publishing packages with editorial, design, marketing, and distribution services. Backed by a Big 5 publisher, giving it stronger distribution and bookseller relationships than Atmosphere Press.
• Beaver's Pond Press: Independent hybrid publisher offering author-paid editorial, design, illustration, and distribution packages for fiction and nonfiction authors. Direct comparable in tiered hybrid publishing model and author-investment contract structure.

Emerging players

• Lulu Press: Self-publishing platform offering print-on-demand, ebook distribution, and à la carte editorial/design services. Less selective than Atmosphere Press and primarily platform-driven rather than curated, but competes for the same end-author customer with adjacent services.
• Reedsy: Marketplace and content platform connecting authors with vetted freelance editors, designers, and marketers, plus book promotion tools. Competes with Atmosphere Press for authors' production spend, though via a marketplace model rather than bundled publishing packages.

Broad incumbents

• HarperCollins Publishers: One of the Big 5 traditional publishers; competes with Atmosphere Press for author manuscripts at the top of the funnel (selecting commercially viable projects) while also housing its own hybrid imprint (Broadside Books) and digital services that overlap with Atmosphere's offering at a much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/atmospherepress
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_GbtP2XDqcrWLEY7U4o7sw
• Facebookfacebook.com/atmospherepress
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/atmosphere-press
• Instagraminstagram.com/atmospherepress
• TikToktiktok.com/@atmosphere_press

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Atmosphere Press