Texas Review Press

What Texas Review Press does

TRP: The University Press of SHSU, formerly Texas Review Press, is a nonprofit university press founded in 1979 and housed at Sam Houston State University within the Texas State University System. The press publishes 24 to 30 titles per year across 12 book series spanning poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, innovative/hybrid prose, creative writing studies, regional Texas and Southern history, and limited-edition reprints. It also administers four annual literary prizes — the X.J. Kennedy Poetry Prize ($10,000 advance plus a Vermont Studio Center residency), the George Garrett Fiction Prize ($2,000), the Clay Reynolds Novella Prize ($1,000), and the Robert Phillips Chapbook Prize ($1,000) — and distributes three affiliated literary journals: The McNeese Review, Boudin, and The Measure.

The press operates on a nonprofit publishing model with no equity investors or external venture backing. Revenue is generated through three streams: (1) book sales distributed globally via the Texas A&M Press Texas Book Consortium, with ordering fulfilled through [email protected] and tamupress.com; (2) tax-deductible donations from individuals and institutions through the Friends of TRP program ($25–$500 tiers) and the TRP Publisher's Circle ($1,000 Supporter, $2,500 Patron, $5,000 Benefactor), plus an endowed-gifts program offering Endowed Book Series ($25,000+), Named Endowment Funds ($50,000+), and Endowed Imprints ($250,000+); and (3) contest entry fees. Acquisitions flow exclusively through the Submittable platform — no unsolicited manuscripts are accepted — with submissions gated by annual open reading periods (April), contest windows, and series-specific calls such as VersoFrontera (August–September).

The editorial team of approximately six is led by Director J. Bruce Fuller, with senior staff including Pete "PJ" Carlisle, Taylor Byas (Editor-at-Large), W. Scott Thomason, Karisma "Charlie" Tobin, and several assistant editors, many of whom are themselves published authors and MFA/PhD-holders. TRP maintains institutional memberships in the Texas A&M Press Texas Book Consortium, the Association of University Presses, and the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses. The press serves poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, experimental/avant-garde writers, creative writing scholars, and regional history enthusiasts, with recent author-driven recognition including National Book Award longlisting and Ambroggio, Maya Angelou, Chicago Review of Books, and Ohioana Book Awards.

Name

Texas Review Press

Legal name

TRP: The University Press of SHSU

Website

https://texasreviewpress.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TRP: The University Press of SHSU (formerly Texas Review Press) is a nonprofit university press at Sam Houston State University that publishes 24–30 poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and scholarly titles annually, distributes through Texas A&M Press, and serves literary writers, readers, and donors across regional and national markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313), Periodical Publishers (513120)

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

Interdisciplinary & Multidisciplinary Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAI)

Keywords

• Literary publishing
• University press
• Poetry collections
• Fiction publishing
• Literary prizes

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntsville

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Sale of published poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and scholarly titles through Texas A&M Press distribution network and direct bookstore orders
2. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and institutions through Friends of TRP and Publisher's Circle programs at various tier levels ($25-$5,000+)
3. Contest Entry Fees: Entry fees for literary contests including George Garrett Fiction Prize ($28), Clay Reynolds Novella Prize ($20), and other submission-based competitions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Texas Review Press (TRP: The University Press of SHSU) is a nonprofit university press that publishes poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and scholarship through 12 book series, 4 annual literary prizes, and 3 literary journals. The press acquires manuscripts via contests, open reading periods, and series submissions managed through the Submittable platform, and distributes published titles worldwide through the Texas A&M Press Texas Book Consortium.

Product overview

TRP: The University Press of SHSU (formerly Texas Review Press) is a nonprofit university press founded in 1979 and housed at Sam Houston State University. The press publishes quality poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and scholarship, currently releasing between 24 and 30 titles annually. Its product portfolio includes 12 distinct book series (21st Century Poets, TRP Chapbook Series, Con[text]ual, Creative Writing Studies, Huntsville History, Innovative Prose, The Margaret Lea Houston Series, The Sabine Series in Literature, The Signature Series, The Southern Poetry Anthology, The TRP Southern Poetry Breakthrough Series, and VersoFrontera), 4 literary prizes (X. J. Kennedy Poetry Prize, George Garrett Fiction Prize, Robert Phillips Chapbook Prize, and Clay Reynolds Novella Prize), 3 literary journals (Boudin, The McNeese Review, and The Measure), and annual Open Reading Periods. The press is a member of the Texas A&M Press Texas Book Consortium, the Association of University Presses, and the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 21st Century Poets
• The TRP Chapbook Series
• Con[text]ual
• Creative Writing Studies
• Huntsville History
• Innovative Prose
• The Margaret Lea Houston Series
• The Sabine Series in Literature
• The Signature Series
• The Southern Poetry Anthology
• The TRP Southern Poetry Breakthrough Series
• VersoFrontera
• X. J. Kennedy Poetry Prize
• The George Garrett Fiction Prize
• The Robert Phillips Chapbook Prize
• The Clay Reynolds Novella Prize
• The McNeese Review
• Boudin
• The Measure

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Texas Book Consortium / Texas A&M University PresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTRP is a member of the Texas A&M Press Texas Book Consortium, which handles worldwide distribution of all TRP titles. Books are available through the consortium's distribution network serving bookstores, libraries, and academic institutions globally.
• Association of University PressescoreOthersTRP maintains membership in the Association of University Presses, providing industry standards, networking, and professional development resources for university presses.
• Community of Literary Magazines and PressescoreOthersTRP holds membership in the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses, connecting with the broader literary publishing community.
• Sam Houston State UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerTRP is housed at Sam Houston State University and is part of the Texas State University System. The university provides institutional support, facilities, and access to the MFA Program in Creative Writing, Editing, & Publishing for TRP Fellows.
• Vermont Studio CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Vermont Studio Center provides the X.J. Kennedy Poetry Prize winner with a 3-week residency including private studio space, lodging, meals, and access to the Visiting Artists & Writers Program in northern Vermont.
• VersoFrontera Literature & Arts FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTRP collaborates with the VersoFrontera Literature & Arts Festival (established 2019) to publish the VersoFrontera series, seeking one debut full-length poetry collection per year by an emerging poet. The festival, based at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, TX, features approximately 32 writers annually.
• Basket Books & ArtminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal partnership with Basket Books & Art, celebrating creativity, literature, and the arts in the community.
• McNeese State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTRP distributes The McNeese Review (annual literary journal founded 1948) and Boudin (open access monthly publication) published by McNeese State University's College of Liberal Arts, Department of English and Foreign Languages, and MFA in Creative Writing. Funding provided by McNeese State University Foundation endowments.
• Our Lady of the Lake UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2022, the VersoFrontera Literature & Arts Festival occurs at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas. The university provides venue and support for the annual literary festival that collaborates with TRP on the VersoFrontera poetry series.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• BOA Editions: Nonprofit literary press publishing poetry, fiction, and translation, with a long-running chapbook/poetry series and multiple annual prizes. Comparable to TRP in mission, scale (small staff, dozens of titles/year), and nonprofit university/community-press structure.
• Four Way Books: Nonprofit literary press publishing poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction through series and prizes. Comparable to TRP in its small nonprofit structure, focus on emerging and established literary writers, and book-series-driven catalog.
• Coffee House Press: Nonprofit literary press publishing poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction with a curated series structure. Comparable to TRP in nonprofit status, editorial mission, and reliance on donor and grant support alongside book sales.
• Graywolf Press: Major nonprofit literary press publishing poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and essays. Comparable to TRP in its nonprofit status, breadth of literary genres, and use of editorial series, though significantly larger in output and brand recognition.
• Akashic Books: Independent literary publisher with strong series (Noir, Kayode) and regional/genre focus. Comparable to TRP in series-driven catalog and literary fiction/poetry mix, though more commercially oriented and Brooklyn-based.
• Copper Canyon Press: One of the largest and most prestigious nonprofit poetry publishers in the U.S., publishing full-length poetry collections and chapbooks. Highly comparable to TRP as a nonprofit literary press specializing in poetry with a series-based catalog and prize program.
• Tupelo Press: Independent nonprofit literary press specializing in poetry and literary fiction with multiple annual prizes (including a chapbook prize). Comparable to TRP in size, nonprofit model, prize-driven acquisition strategy, and poetry-centric catalog.

Broad incumbents

• LSU Press: Major university press with strong poetry, fiction, and Southern studies lists (including the LSU Poetry Series). Comparable to TRP in regional/academic orientation, but operates at materially larger scale with broader subject coverage.
• Milkweed Editions: Nonprofit literary publisher of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry with a strong mission-driven and donor-supported model. Comparable to TRP in its nonprofit structure and literary focus, though larger in scale and with broader thematic scope.
• University of Pittsburgh Press (Pitt Poetry Series): University press best known for its Pitt Poetry Series and literary nonfiction. Comparable to TRP as a university-affiliated press with a prestigious poetry series, but significantly larger output and broader distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VersoFrontera
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/texas-review-press

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 Texas Review Press