Hawthorne Books
Hawthorne Books is an independent literary press founded in 2001 in Portland, Oregon, publishing American literary fiction and narrative nonfiction, now operating as an imprint within the Catapult Book Group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Hawthorne Books does
Hawthorne Books is an independent literary press founded in 2001 in Portland, Oregon, specializing in American literary fiction and narrative nonfiction, with selective international titles. The press publishes novels, memoirs, personal essays, and collections, applying a curatorial model that targets writing that might be overlooked by larger publishing houses. Its operational infrastructure consists of a small team (1-10 employees) with a listed address at 20 Jay St. #704, Brooklyn, NY 11201, and a catalog of titles that have been consistently shortlisted for respected literary awards (including PEN/Faulkner, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award, Oregon Book Award, and Miles Franklin longlist) since 2002. One title, The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch, was adapted into a major motion picture directed by Kristen Stewart.
The company's revenue model is book sales, with paperback editions priced at $15.95 to $20.95 and ebook editions at $9.99 to $13.99, sold on a one-time, perpetual-license basis. Distribution spans Amazon (global e-commerce), independent bookstores (regional retail), and the Catapult Book Group catalog (global e-commerce), while marketing is conducted through organic social media (Twitter, Facebook), email newsletter, and Catapult catalog placements. In 2017, Hawthorne was acquired by Catapult and now operates as an imprint within the Catapult Book Group alongside Counterpoint Press and Soft Skull Press, gaining shared distribution and cross-promotion across multiple literary imprints.
Hawthorne Books firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hawthorne Books
- Legal name
- Hawthorne Books
- Website
- https://hawthornebooks.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Hawthorne Books is an independent literary press founded in 2001 in Portland, Oregon, publishing American literary fiction and narrative nonfiction, now operating as an imprint within the Catapult Book Group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hawthorne Books industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Literary Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Literary & Classics Publishing (MPAJAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Biography, Memoir & Narrative Nonfiction Publishing (MPAJAAAI)
Keywords
Where Hawthorne Books is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Hawthorne Books business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Paperback editions of published books |
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Hawthorne Books product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hawthorne Books is an independent literary press that publishes literary fiction and narrative nonfiction, including novels, memoirs, personal essays, and collections. The press focuses on finding superb writing that may be overlooked by larger publishing houses and gives it careful, collaborative editorial attention. Titles are released in paperback and ebook formats and distributed through Amazon, independent bookstores, and the Catapult Book Group network.
Product overview
Hawthorne Books is an independent literary press and book publisher. The company publishes literary fiction and nonfiction works including novels, memoirs, personal essays, and collections. The publishing program specializes in finding and supporting literary writing that might be overlooked by larger houses. Now part of the Catapult Book Group, Hawthorne maintains its commitment to authors through careful editing and publication of quality literary works.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Shared Life of Egan and Lucian A literary fiction novel published by Hawthorne Books for individual readers of literary fiction.
- Frederick Douglass: A Novel A literary fiction novel about Frederick Douglass published by Hawthorne Books for individual readers of literary fiction.
- Madison House A novel by Peter Donahue chronicling turn-of-the-century Seattle's transformation from frontier outpost to metropolis, published by Hawthorne Books.
- The Tsar's Dwarf A literary fiction novel published by Hawthorne Books for individual readers.
- The Cantor's Daughter A literary fiction novel published by Hawthorne Books for individual readers.
- God Clobbers Us All A novel by Poe Ballantine set against the decaying halls of a San Diego rest home in the 1970s, published by Hawthorne Books.
- Joy Ride: A Bike Odyssey from Alaska to Argentina A memoir by Kristen Jokinen about a two-year cycling adventure covering 18,000 miles from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina, published by Hawthorne Books.
- Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead A memoir by Frank Meeink chronicling his descent into America's Nazi underground and his ultimate triumph over hatred and addiction, published by Hawthorne Books.
- Love and Terror on the Howling Plains of Nowhere A true crime memoir by Poe Ballantine investigating a shocking murder in Chadron, Nebraska, published by Hawthorne Books.
- The Chronology of Water: A Memoir A memoir by Lidia Yuknavitch about survival, self-expression, and the pursuit of beauty, adapted into a major motion picture directed by Kristen Stewart, published by Hawthorne Books.
Companies that use Hawthorne Books
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Hawthorne Books technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Hawthorne Books partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Catapult Book GroupcoreHawthorne Books is now part of Catapult Book Group, which includes Catapult, Counterpoint Press, and Soft Skull Press imprints. This partnership allows cross-promotion and shared distribution channels across multiple literary imprints.
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Hawthorne Books competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Soft Skull Press: Sister Catapult imprint focused on literary nonfiction and counterculture-adjacent titles; comparable business model, size, and distribution footprint to Hawthorne.
- Akashic Books: Independent literary publisher known for noir and literary fiction series; comparable independent-press scale and curatorial niche to Hawthorne.
- Tin House Books: Independent literary press publishing literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry; directly comparable niche and curation-led model to Hawthorne.
- Milkweed Editions: Independent literary publisher focused on fiction, nonfiction, and poetry with award recognition; closely comparable editorial mission to Hawthorne.
- Graywolf Press: Nonprofit literary publisher of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry with national award-winning titles; one of the most direct comparables to Hawthorne's literary ambitions.
- Counterpoint Press: Sister imprint within the Catapult Book Group publishing literary nonfiction and fiction; directly comparable in catalog scope, distribution, and trade positioning to Hawthorne Books.
- Coffee House Press: Independent nonprofit literary press publishing innovative fiction, poetry, and essays; directly comparable editorial positioning and mid-sized independent press profile.
- McSweeney's: Independent literary publisher producing fiction, nonfiction, and poetry with strong author-recruitment brand; directly comparable as a small literary press with cultural cachet.
Emerging players
- Restless Books: Independent publisher focused on international literary fiction and nonfiction in translation; partial overlap with Hawthorne's international-titles sourcing angle.
- Dzanc Books: Independent literary nonprofit publishing literary fiction and poetry; comparable editorial niche but smaller scale and distribution reach than Hawthorne.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Hawthorne Books social profiles
Digital presenceHawthorne Books financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hawthorne Books leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Hawthorne Books funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hawthorne Books 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 Hawthorne Books
What does Hawthorne Books do?
Hawthorne Books is an independent literary press that publishes literary fiction and narrative nonfiction, including novels, memoirs, personal essays, and collections. The press focuses on finding superb writing that may be overlooked by larger publishing houses and gives it careful, collaborative editorial attention. Titles are released in paperback and ebook formats and distributed through Amazon, independent bookstores, and the Catapult Book Group network.
Is Hawthorne Books a public or private company?
Hawthorne Books is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Hawthorne Books founded?
Hawthorne Books was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Hawthorne Books based?
Hawthorne Books is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Hawthorne Books's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Soft Skull Press, Akashic Books, Tin House Books, Milkweed Editions, Graywolf Press, Counterpoint Press, Coffee House Press and McSweeney's. Emerging players are Restless Books and Dzanc Books.
Does Hawthorne Books have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hawthorne Books.
What industry is Hawthorne Books in?
Hawthorne Books's product category is Literary Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAC, Literary & Classics Publishing, with a secondary code of MPAJAAAI, Biography, Memoir & Narrative Nonfiction Publishing. Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.