What Finishing Line Press does

Finishing Line Press (FLP) is an independent, award-winning small press publisher founded in 1998 and headquartered in Georgetown, Kentucky. The press publishes poetry chapbooks, full-length poetry collections, short story anthologies, and novellas, serving emerging and established poets, writers, and playwrights — with a particular focus on amplifying diverse voices through programs such as the New Women's Voices Chapbook Competition, now in its 28th year. FLP operates as a traditional royalty-paying publisher (no author fees), selecting manuscripts via editorial review with response times of 3–6 months through Submittable and postal submissions.

FLP's underlying technology is intentionally lightweight: a WordPress-based e-commerce storefront (finishinglinepress.com/bookstore/) with shopping cart and pre-order capabilities, integrated with the Submittable platform for manuscript management. The catalog spans 205+ pages of titles, with paperbacks priced at $15.99–$27.99 depending on format (chapbook, full-length, special/color editions). Books are sold direct-to-consumer through FLP's online storefront and distributed nationally and internationally via Ingram Group. A Substack newsletter (@finishinglinepress) supports audience engagement.

The business is family-run and privately held, with leadership including Publisher Leah Huete de Maines, Director and Senior Editor Chris Kincaid, Business Manager Kevin Maines, Production Manager Ryan Kincaid, and Graphic Design Elizabeth Maines. FLP generates revenue from book sales (e-commerce and wholesale distribution), competition entry fees ($20 per New Women's Voices submission), and bulk author orders for events. The press holds membership in the Community of Literary Magazines & Presses (CLMP) and has accumulated a sustained record of author award recognition, including Pushcart Prize nominations, Independent Press Awards, Eric Hoffer Book Awards, Publishers Weekly BookLife Editor's Picks, and American Fiction Awards. No external funding rounds are disclosed.

Name

Finishing Line Press

Legal name

Finishing Line Press

Website

https://finishinglinepress.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Finishing Line Press is an award-winning independent small press publisher founded in 1998 in Georgetown, Kentucky, publishing poetry chapbooks and full-length collections for emerging and established poets and writers via direct e-commerce and Ingram Group distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), 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 industries

Mass Market & Paperback Publishing (MPAJAAAD), Trade Book Print-on-Demand (Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJANAA)

Keywords

• Poetry publishing
• Small press publishing
• Literary publishing
• Chapbook publishing
• Manuscript publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Georgetown

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Book sales (e-commerce and distribution): Finishing Line Press generates revenue through the direct sale of published literary works — poetry chapbooks, full-length poetry collections, short story anthologies, and novellas — via its own online bookstore and through national/international distribution via Ingram Group. Books are sold as physical paperbacks at price points of $17.99 (chapbook/standard), $22.99 (full-length), and $27.99 (special editions). The press is described as a traditional publisher paying authors in royalty payments.
2. Literary competition entry fees: FLP operates several annual competitions including the New Women's Voices Chapbook Competition ($20 entry fee), with prize money of $1,500 plus publication. General submissions are accepted year-round for a small fee. No reading fee is charged in November.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Finishing Line Press is an independent small press publisher that acquires, edits, produces, and sells poetry chapbooks, full-length poetry collections, short story anthologies, and novellas from emerging and established authors. Books are sold as physical paperbacks via the company's own online bookstore and through national/international wholesale distribution via Ingram Group, while manuscripts are sourced through open submissions and annual chapbook competitions including the New Women's Voices Chapbook Competition.

Product overview

Finishing Line Press (FLP) is an award-winning small press publisher offering poetry chapbooks, full-length poetry collections, and supporting emerging and established authors. The core products are poetry chapbooks and full-length collections, supplemented by several prestigious competitions and award programs including the New Women's Voices Chapbook Competition (28th year), Open Chapbook Competition, Donna Wolf-Palacio Poetry Prize, Ritzenhein Emerging Poet Award, and One Last Word Program. FLP provides editorial support, marketing, and community engagement for authors, with books distributed nationally and internationally through Ingram Group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Poetry Chapbooks
• Full-Length Poetry Collections

Quantifiable outcome

• Response time of 3-6 months for manuscript submissions
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Copper Canyon Press: One of the largest and most prominent poetry-only publishers in the United States, publishing both chapbooks and full-length collections. Like FLP, Copper Canyon focuses exclusively on poetry and literary works, serving overlapping author and reader communities, though with a higher public profile and broader institutional reach.
• Graywolf Press: Independent literary publisher focused on poetry, fiction, and nonfiction by both emerging and established authors. Overlaps with FLP on poetry publishing and on its mission to amplify diverse voices, but operates at significantly larger scale with broader distribution and major award recognition.
• BOA Editions: Long-established nonprofit poetry publisher (founded 1976) publishing full-length poetry collections and chapbooks. Directly comparable to FLP in editorial focus on poetry, royalty-paying model, and commitment to diverse voices, though with stronger institutional backing and broader distribution.
• Tupelo Press: Independent literary publisher specializing in poetry and literary fiction. Operates a similar royalty-paying model to FLP and runs annual poetry competitions (e.g., the Dorset Prize) that parallel FLP's New Women's Voices and Open Chapbook competitions in serving as acquisition channels.
• Coffee House Press: Minneapolis-based nonprofit literary publisher of poetry, fiction, and essays with a strong focus on diverse and risk-taking voices. Comparable to FLP in mission, scale, and editorial philosophy, though with stronger institutional funding and a more developed awards profile.
• Four Way Books: Independent literary publisher of poetry and literary fiction that runs annual book competitions (e.g., the Levis Prize, Intro Prize). Mirrors FLP's combination of publishing, competition-based author acquisition, and focus on emerging and diverse voices.
• Persea Books: Independent literary publisher of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction with a long-running commitment to diverse voices and a Lexi Rudnitsky poetry prize. Comparable to FLP in catalog breadth across literary genres and reliance on competitions for acquisition.
• Ahsahta Press: University-affiliated poetry publisher focused on diverse and innovative voices, publishing both chapbooks and full-length collections. Comparable to FLP in literary focus and editorial philosophy, though supported by Boise State University rather than operating as an independent small press.
• Black Lawrence Press: Independent literary press publishing poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction with a strong emphasis on diverse voices and annual chapbook/poetry competitions. Closely mirrors FLP's small-press, competition-driven, diverse-voices-focused model at similar scale.

Broad incumbents

• Milkweed Editions: Literary nonprofit publisher of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction with a mission-driven focus on diverse voices and a long-running publishing program. Comparable to FLP in mission but operates at meaningfully larger scale with stronger institutional backing and broader distribution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/flpress
• Facebookfacebook.com/finishinglinepress
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/finishing-line-press

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Finishing Line Press