53rd State Press

Name

53rd State Press

Legal name

53rd State Press, Incorporated

Website

https://53rdstatepress.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

53rd State Press is a Brooklyn-based 501c3 nonprofit independent publisher of experimental and avant-garde theater and performance literature, serving playwrights, choreographers, academics, and contemporary drama readers nationally via direct bookshop and trade distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Literary Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Periodical Publishers (51312), Other Publishers (51319)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Monographs & University Press Publishing (MPAJABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Communications, Media Studies & Journalism (EDAGABAK)

Keywords

• Experimental theater publishing
• Performance literature
• Avant-garde plays
• Independent literary press
• Dance documentation pamphlets

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Direct sales of printed books and PDFs through their Shopify-powered bookshop. Individual titles range from $8 to $35. Print copies sold directly to consumers; PDFs available for select titles upon request.
2. Donations and Grants: As a 501c3 registered nonprofit in New York State, 53rd State Press relies on individual donations and government arts funding. Donations accepted through Fractured Atlas fiscal sponsor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

53rd State Press is an independent nonprofit literary press (501c3) that publishes experimental and avant-garde theater scripts, performance scores, dance documentation pamphlets, and dramatic literature by emerging artists. The press operates as a volunteer editorial collective and produces physical books (priced $8-$35) while also offering free accessible PDFs to reviewers, teachers, and readers with disabilities.

Product overview

53rd State Press is an independent publishing company specializing in contemporary theater and performance literature. The company operates a unified publishing platform with multiple product lines: its core catalog publishes plays, scripts, scores, graphic adaptations, and essays on theater and dance by emerging and experimental artists. In 2023, the company expanded by acquiring two imprints—3 Hole Press (focused on performance in book form for everyday life) and Plays Inverse Press (focused on dramatic literature based on literary merit). The company also maintains specialized series including Dance Pamphlets (documenting dance through various formats), an Opera Series, and The 53rd State Occasional (a periodical featuring curated conversations). All titles are distributed through the company's Shopify-powered bookshop and via Consortium/Ingram to trade channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 3 Hole Press: An imprint of 53rd State Press since 2023, publishing performance in book form and everyday life
• Plays Inverse Press

Quantifiable outcome

• Published multiple OBIE Award, Lambda Literary Award, and Doris Duke Impact Award winners

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• 3 Hole PresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2023, 3 Hole Press became an imprint of 53rd State Press. 3 Hole Press is a home for performance in book form and everyday life, publishing titles that expand notions of plays, scripts, and scores. Rachel Kauder Nalebuff serves as Director. All titles now available through 53rd State Press bookshop.
• Plays Inverse PresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2023, Plays Inverse Press became an imprint of 53rd State Press. Plays Inverse Press is an independent publisher of dramatic literature publishing plays and performance texts based on literary merit. Tyler Crumrine serves as Editor. All titles now available through 53rd State Press bookshop.
• Theatre Communications Group (TCG)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTCG represents 53rd State Press to the trade. Books are exclusively distributed to the book trade by Consortium Book Sales and Distribution, an Ingram Brand.
• Consortium Book Sales and Distribution (Ingram Brand)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distributor to the book trade. Bookstores and libraries can order directly from Consortium, where 53rd State titles are listed under TCG.
• Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP)minorOthers53rd State Press is a member of CLMP, a community of literary magazines and presses.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Theatre Communications Group (TCG): Major theater publisher and service organization that represents 53rd State Press to the trade; comparable as a publisher of dramatic literature and performance texts at broader scale and reach.
• New Directions Publishing: Established independent publisher of avant-garde literature, poetry, and translated works; comparable as a publisher of experimental literary and dramatic content, though at much larger scale and broader scope.
• Samuel French (now Concord Theatricals): Largest licensor and publisher of plays in North America, including experimental and contemporary works; comparable as a publisher of dramatic literature, though focused on production-oriented scripts rather than 53rd State's experimental performance-text focus.

Regional players

• Boo-Hooray: Independent NYC-based publisher and rare-book dealer specializing in artists' books, little magazines, and avant-garde ephemera; comparable in niche focus on experimental/avant-garde publishing with NYC arts overlap.

Direct peers

• Ugly Duckling Presse: Brooklyn-based nonprofit literary press publishing poetry, translation, performance texts, and artist's books; highly comparable as a small nonprofit experimental publisher with shared NYC avant-garde audience overlap.
• 3 Hole Press: Now an imprint of 53rd State Press, focused on 'performance in book form and everyday life'; comparable as a small experimental performance-text publisher with overlapping editorial sensibility.
• Plays Inverse Press: Now an imprint of 53rd State Press, but historically an independent publisher of dramatic literature based on literary merit — directly comparable as a small experimental play publisher.
• PAJ Publications / PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art: Long-running publisher of performance studies scholarship and avant-garde performance writing; directly comparable to 53rd State Press in mission and audience of experimental theater and performance studies readers.
• Sarabande Books: Small independent literary press publishing fiction, poetry, and essays by emerging writers; comparable in scale and nonprofit small-press model though focused more on literary writing than performance.

Emerging players

• Wave Books (formerly Wave Books / Chax Press lineage): Independent poetry publisher with overlap in experimental/avant-garde literary publishing and small-press nonprofit operations; comparable as a small nonprofit publisher of experimental literary and performance-adjacent work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/53rd-state-press

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 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 53rd State Press