Rain Taxi
Rain Taxi is a Minneapolis-based 501(c)(3) founded in 1996 that publishes the quarterly Rain Taxi Review of Books and produces literary events, serving readers, writers, small press publishers, and independent booksellers nationally through print distribution and community programming.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Rain Taxi does
Rain Taxi is a Minneapolis-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) literary organization founded in 1996 that publishes the quarterly print and online journal Rain Taxi Review of Books, focusing on aesthetically adventurous fiction, poetry, nonfiction, art, and graphic novels. The organization operates a multi-platform portfolio centered on its flagship print journal (12,000 copies distributed quarterly through 150+ independent bookstores nationwide and direct mail), a companion Online Edition with unique content launched in 1999, chapbook series (Brainstorm Series, OHM Editions), limited-edition broadsides featuring established authors, and a small merchandise line. Revenue comes from individual memberships tiered at $25/$100/$250, institutional and international subscriptions, print and e-newsletter advertising, merchandise and back-issue sales, and grants from foundations and public funders including the McKnight Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and Minnesota State Arts Board.
Beyond publishing, Rain Taxi operates a substantial live literary events portfolio including the Rain Taxi Reading Series (350+ authors hosted since 1998), the annual Twin Cities Book Festival (26th edition in 2026, drawing 6,000-7,000 attendees at Union Depot in Saint Paul), the Twin Cities Literary Calendar, and the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport program (38 stores, 4,000+ participants in 2026). The organization is led by Editor and Executive Director Eric Lorberer with a small core staff of approximately 5-10 people supplemented by reviewers, proofreaders, interns, and a volunteer board of directors. Its customer base spans readers, writers, small press publishers, independent booksellers, educators, and advertisers across the United States with limited international subscription reach.
The underlying technology stack is conventional web and email publishing rather than proprietary systems; distribution is a hybrid of free print pickup at independent bookstores plus paid mail subscriptions and online membership commerce. The business model combines earned revenue (memberships, subscriptions, ads, merchandise) with diversified institutional grant funding, and the organization's competitive position rests on a 30-year editorial reputation (including a 2000 Utne Independent Press Award and repeated City Pages recognition) and deep embedding in the Twin Cities literary community rather than on technology differentiation.
Rain Taxi firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rain Taxi
- Legal name
- Rain Taxi
- Website
- https://raintaxi.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Rain Taxi is a Minneapolis-based 501(c)(3) founded in 1996 that publishes the quarterly Rain Taxi Review of Books and produces literary events, serving readers, writers, small press publishers, and independent booksellers nationally through print distribution and community programming.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Rain Taxi is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rain Taxi business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Individual memberships at $25/year (Dear Reader), $100/year (Editor's Circle), and $250/year (Taxi Driver) tiers provide home delivery of quarterly print issues and various perks including membership cards, donor recognition, event discounts, and VIP access.
- Subscriptions: Institutional subscriptions at $25/year domestic; international subscriptions at $35-70/year for Canada/Mexico and $65-90/year for overseas. Student subscriptions available at $16/year.
- Advertising: Print advertising with national circulation of 12,000 copies; e-newsletter advertising to 6,800 recipients at $150; Twin Cities Literary Calendar banner ads at $50/week.
- Product Sales: Sales of chapbooks, broadsides, t-shirts, and Brain Cozy merchandise. Back issues available for $5 per issue plus shipping.
- Back Issue Sales: Sale of print back issues at $5 per issue with shipping charges of $4 domestic, $8 international.
- Merchandise: T-shirts priced at $20-25 plus shipping; Brain Cozy hats at $10 plus $3 shipping.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | $25/year Dear Reader membership with home delivery of four print issues, membership card, and year-end donor recognition |
| Subscription | Annual | $100/year Editor's Circle membership with all Dear Reader benefits plus first alerts, discounts, and access to members-only sales |
| Subscription | Annual | $250/year Taxi Driver membership with all lower tier benefits plus gift membership, reserved seats, and VIP party invitations |
| Subscription | Annual | $25/year domestic institutional subscription for libraries and literary centers |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | $35-70/year Canada/Mexico international subscription |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | $65-90/year overseas international subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | $16/year student subscription rate |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | $5 per back issue plus shipping |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Print advertising at $150 for 1/4 page ad (2026 rate card) |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | E-Newsletter advertising: $150 |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Twin Cities Literary Calendar Banner Ad: $50 per week |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | T-shirts at $20-25 plus shipping |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Brain Cozy hats at $10 plus $3 shipping |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Rain Taxi product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rain Taxi is a nonprofit literary organization that publishes a quarterly print and online literary review (Rain Taxi Review of Books) featuring book reviews, essays, interviews, and critical commentary championing aesthetically adventurous and innovative literature. The organization produces original chapbooks and broadsides, hosts literary events including the annual Twin Cities Book Festival and the Rain Taxi Reading Series, and maintains the Twin Cities Literary Calendar as a community service. Memberships, institutional subscriptions, advertising, merchandise sales, and foundation grants sustain the organization's operations.
Product overview
Rain Taxi is a nonprofit literary organization offering a multi-platform portfolio centered on its award-winning quarterly print journal, Rain Taxi Review of Books (Volume 31, Issue #122, Summer 2026), and accompanying Online Edition with unique content. The organization serves the literary community through the annual Twin Cities Book Festival (26th year), the Rain Taxi Reading Series (350+ authors since 1998), the Twin Cities Literary Calendar, and the annual Independent Bookstore Passport. Rain Taxi also publishes original creative works via chapbooks (Brainstorm Series, OHM Editions) and broadsides, and supports readers through membership subscriptions at various tiers. Print issues appear quarterly in March, June, September, and December, distributed in over 150 locations nationwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Brainstorm Series: Chapbook series featuring innovative and original creative works
- OHM Editions
- Twin Cities Literary Calendar
- Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport
- Rain Taxi Reading Series
- Twin Cities Book Festival
Products and services
- Rain Taxi Review of Books (Print Edition) Rain Taxi's flagship quarterly print journal featuring book reviews, interviews, essays, and critical reflections on fiction, poetry, nonfiction, art, and graphic novels. Distributed in over 150 locations nationwide and shipped to members.
- Online Edition Companion online publication with unique content posted quarterly after each print issue, featuring additional reviews, interviews, and essays not found in the print edition.
- Twin Cities Book Festival Annual one-day literary festival celebrating the regional literary community, featuring author readings, conversations, and a book fair with publishers, booksellers, and arts organizations. Drawing 6,000-7,000 attendees.
- Rain Taxi Reading Series Live literary events program featuring innovative authors in poetry, fiction, memoir, and comics, held at diverse venues across the Twin Cities.
- Twin Cities Literary Calendar Comprehensive online calendar listing literary events throughout the Twin Cities region, including readings, book clubs, lectures, and multi-genre events.
- Memberships and Subscriptions Individual memberships ($25-$250/year) and institutional/international subscriptions providing home delivery of quarterly print issues, with membership benefits including event discounts, donor recognition, and VIP access.
- Chapbooks (Brainstorm Series, OHM Editions) Original chapbook publications featuring innovative and original creative works, produced through the Brainstorm Series and OHM Editions.
- Broadsides Limited edition poetry broadsides featuring work by notable authors including Carolyn Forché, Michael Ondaatje, Adrian Matejka, Paul Auster, George Saunders, Salman Rushdie, and Dara Wier.
- Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport Annual pocket-sized passport celebrating Independent Bookstore Day, encouraging readers to visit participating bookstores and collect stamps for discounts and prizes.
- Brain Cozy (Merchandise) Knit beanie merchandise item sold to support Rain Taxi, priced at $10 plus $3 shipping in the U.S.
- Rain Taxi T-Shirts Branded t-shirts in multiple editions (Ice-Breaker Edition at $25 plus shipping; Typography Edition at $20 plus shipping), sold to support Rain Taxi.
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly 1,000 writers have contributed to Rain Taxi since 1996
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Rain Taxi
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Rain Taxi technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Rain Taxi partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Twin Cities Independent BookstorescoreOver 38 independent bookstores in the Twin Cities participate in the annual Bookstore Passport program and distribute Rain Taxi publications. Rain Taxi maintains distribution relationships with 150+ bookstores nationwide.
- Union Depot (Saint Paul)coreUnion Depot in Saint Paul serves as the venue for the annual Twin Cities Book Festival, hosting thousands of attendees for literary events and the book fair.
- Various Event VenuesminorRain Taxi Reading Series events are held at diverse venues including art galleries, bookstores, and large theaters throughout the Twin Cities.
- Chapbook and Broadsheet Publishers/AuthorsminorRain Taxi collaborates with authors and publishers to produce chapbooks through the Brainstorm Series, OHM Editions, and special projects, as well as broadsides featuring established authors like Carolyn Forché, Michael Ondaatje, and George Saunders.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Rain Taxi competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- McSweeney's: Independent literary publisher producing a quarterly literary journal and original books. Shares Rain Taxi's independent nonprofit-aligned ethos, focus on innovative literature, and print-centric publishing model.
- The Believer: Literary magazine publishing criticism, interviews, and essays on books and culture. Direct peer to Rain Taxi in mission, format, and reader base; similarly nonprofit-adjacent and award-winning.
- Electric Literature: Nonprofit digital literary publisher producing criticism, fiction, and essays. Directly comparable to Rain Taxi in nonprofit model, focus on literary coverage, and mission-driven editorial approach, though more digitally native.
- The Paris Review: Long-running literary quarterly publishing reviews, essays, and interviews. Directly comparable to Rain Taxi Review of Books as a print-first literary magazine with a strong reputation among writers and literary readers.
- Granta: Quarterly literary magazine featuring fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and criticism. Comparable to Rain Taxi in curatorial editorial model and audience of literary enthusiasts, with similar print-and-events structure.
Broad incumbents
- Library Journal: Trade publication for librarians and library professionals that includes book reviews. Comparable to Rain Taxi as an institutional subscriber, with overlapping book-review product but a fundamentally different business model and audience.
- Publishers Weekly: Major trade publication covering the book publishing industry. Overlapping with Rain Taxi in book review and literary coverage, but serves a much broader industry audience rather than a literary enthusiast niche.
- Kirkus Reviews: Long-established book review publication serving trade and consumer audiences. Comparable to Rain Taxi as a book review outlet, but operates at significantly larger scale as a paid-review service with broader industry reach.
Others
- Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP): Industry support organization for independent literary publishers. Directly relevant to Rain Taxi as a partner funder (Amazon Literary Partners) and as the membership association that supports the small-press literary magazine ecosystem Rain Taxi operates within.
- AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs): National nonprofit supporting writers, writing programs, and literary publishing. Comparable to Rain Taxi in mission alignment with literary community-building and as a convening platform for literary editors, writers, and presses.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rain Taxi social profiles
Digital presenceRain Taxi financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rain Taxi leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Rain Taxi funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rain Taxi 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 Rain Taxi
What does Rain Taxi do?
Rain Taxi is a nonprofit literary organization that publishes a quarterly print and online literary review (Rain Taxi Review of Books) featuring book reviews, essays, interviews, and critical commentary championing aesthetically adventurous and innovative literature. The organization produces original chapbooks and broadsides, hosts literary events including the annual Twin Cities Book Festival and the Rain Taxi Reading Series, and maintains the Twin Cities Literary Calendar as a community service. Memberships, institutional subscriptions, advertising, merchandise sales, and foundation grants sustain the organization's operations.
Is Rain Taxi a public or private company?
Rain Taxi is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Rain Taxi founded?
Rain Taxi was founded in 1996.
Where is Rain Taxi based?
Rain Taxi is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rain Taxi make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are subscriptions, advertising, product Sales, back Issue Sales and merchandise.
Who are Rain Taxi's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are McSweeney's, The Believer, Electric Literature, The Paris Review and Granta. Broad incumbents are Library Journal, Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews. Others are Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP) and AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs).
Does Rain Taxi have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rain Taxi.