Abalone Mountain Press

What Abalone Mountain Press does

Abalone Mountain Press is a Diné woman-owned independent publishing house founded in 2019 by poet and zinester Amber McCrary (MFA, Mills College), headquartered in Tuba City, Arizona on Diné Bikéyah (Navajo Nation) territory with a secondary community presence in Phoenix on Akimel O'odham land. The press publishes poetry collections, chapbooks, anthologies, zines, and activity books exclusively by Indigenous authors and artists - notably Lakota, Diné, and other tribal nation writers - with content spanning identity, Two Spirit/queer experience, disability justice, grief, and Indigenous futurism. Core products include full-length collections (The Trickster Riots, Desert Teeth), anthologies (The Languages of Our Love, The DINÉ Artisans & Authors Capacity Building Institute Anthology), chapbooks (My Body is an Ill-Fitting Costume), and a catalog of themed zines (D.A.N.G!, Rez Dog Zine, Hummingbird Heart, Portals of Indigenous Futurism). Limited edition Riso art prints are co-produced with Pachanga Press, and a 16-page coloring book (Plants & Animals of Diné Bikéyah) extends into educational formats. Pricing is unit-based: $15-$20 for books, $7-$12 for zines, $9-$18 for chapbooks, $4-$20 for merchandise and prints, with sliding-scale options on select anthologies.

The business model is direct-to-consumer e-commerce via a Squarespace storefront with national shipping, supplemented by event-based sales at PHX Zine Fest, Native Holiday Market, Northern Arizona Book Festival, and book release parties at Palabras Bilingual Bookstore in Phoenix, plus digital distribution through Issuu. The go-to-market is community-led: a podcast featuring Indigenous writers, a monthly Natives-only Abalone Writing Circle in Phoenix, writing prompt giveaways, and institutional partnerships with Poetry Foundation, Indigenous Nations Poets (In-Na-Po), Pachanga Press, and the Museum of Northern Arizona. All revenue is transactional one-time purchase - no subscriptions, licensing, or institutional contracts are disclosed - and the press operates without external funding or parent company, remaining a solo founder venture. Recognition includes Phoenix Magazine's Great 48 (2021), Poetry Magazine feature (September 2022), and Native Change Maker designation (2022).

Name

Abalone Mountain Press

Legal name

Abalone Mountain Press

Website

https://abalonemountainpress.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Abalone Mountain Press is a Diné woman-owned independent publishing house founded in 2019 by Amber McCrary that publishes poetry, zines, chapbooks, anthologies, and art prints exclusively by Indigenous authors, selling direct-to-consumer through its online store, events, and Issuu.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), All Other Publishers (513199)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Author Website, Storefront & Direct-to-Reader Commerce (D2C Sales) (MPAJAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Self-Publishing & Author Platforms (BPAMAJAF), Creative Nonfiction & Memoir Workshops (EDAMAMAC)

Keywords

• Independent publishing house
• Indigenous literature
• Poetry collections
• Zine publishing
• Small press books

Headquarters

HQ city

Tuba City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: One-time sales of poetry collections, chapbooks, and anthologies published by the press. Products include full-length poetry books ($15-20), chapbooks ($18), and sliding scale anthologies.
2. Zine Sales: Sales of zines covering topics like Indigenous identity, disability justice, poetry, and cultural themes. Zines range from $7-$12.
3. Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including stickers ($4-5), Riso art prints ($20), mugs ($12), bookmarks ($3), and t-shirts.
4. Digital Products: Digital zines and publications available through Issuu platform, with some free digital copies with audio.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Abalone Mountain Press is a Diné woman-owned independent publishing house that publishes poetry collections, chapbooks, anthologies, zines, activity books, and limited-edition Riso art prints by Indigenous authors and artists. The press also produces a podcast featuring Indigenous writers, hosts monthly writing circles, and sells branded merchandise (stickers, mugs, bookmarks, t-shirts) through its e-commerce store and at cultural events.

Product overview

Abalone Mountain Press is a Diné woman-owned independent publishing house specializing in Indigenous literature and art. The company operates primarily as a small press offering published books including poetry collections (The Trickster Riots, Desert Teeth), anthologies (The Languages of Our Love, The DINÉ Artisans & Authors Capacity Building Institute Anthology), chapbooks (My Body is an Ill-Fitting Costume), and activity books (Plants & Animals of Diné Bikéyah Coloring Book). The press also produces zines including D.A.N.G! series, Portals of Indigenous Futurism, Hummingbird Heart, and disability justice zines. Supporting offerings include a podcast, writing circles, and writing prompt giveaways. The company also sells RISO art prints and branded merchandise. The company is an indigiqueer, trans, non-binary, Black Indigenous, and Indigenous feminist-friendly press.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Trickster Riots Full-length poetry collection by Lakota Two Spirit storyteller Taté Walker with illustrations by Ohíya Walker, exploring Iktómi the Spider trickster themes through a queer Indigenous lens for adult readers of contemporary Indigenous poetry.
• Desert Teeth by Boderra Joe Full-length poetry collection by Boderra Joe exploring grief, family, identity, and love from the perspective of a Diné person from Twin Lakes, New Mexico, aimed at readers of contemporary Indigenous poetry.
• My Body is an Ill-Fitting Costume Chapbook Chapbook by Diné writer Rachael Johnson featuring poetry confronting trauma, ancestral trauma, racism, and sexual assault, accompanied by intimate photography, aimed at adult readers of Indigenous poetry.
• The Languages of Our Love: An Indigenous Love and Sex Anthology Anthology of poems, fiction, and non-fiction pieces from Indigenous contributors gathered during an Abalone Mountain Circle Writing Workshop, exploring themes of Indigenous love and sex, aimed at adult Native readers seeking stories about relationships and identity.
• The Diné Artisans & Authors Capacity Building Institute Anthology Poetry anthology co-edited by Shaina Nez and Amber McCrary featuring Diné voices and experiences about home and identity, offered with sliding scale pricing to support accessibility for the Diné community.
• Plants & Animals of Diné Bikéyah Coloring Book 16-page activity coloring book featuring contemporary Diné artists and animals and plants written in Diné, including four crayons in Navajo colors, aimed at Diné children, families, and educators for cultural learning.
• Rez Dog Zine Zine exploring Rez dogs and their importance in Native communities, centered on the creator's dog Sandy adopted from Coconino Humane Society, aimed at animal lovers and Native community readers.
• D.A.N.G! (Daydreaming, Awkward, Native, Girl) Zine Series Three-volume zine series by Amber McCrary exploring Indigenous heartbreak, love, and identity from a young Native woman's perspective, each volume accompanied by a music playlist, aimed at young Indigenous readers.
• Portals of Indigenous Futurism Zine Handmade anthology zine of Indigenous Futurism featuring short story, poem, comic, and collages by Chanti Jung, Julie Fiveash, Sierra Edd, and Amber McCrary, made with mixed media, ink, translucent paper, and wax thread, aimed at Indigenous Futurism enthusiasts.
• Hummingbird Heart Zine Zine by Kinsale Drake (poetry) and Alice Mao (illustrations) exploring inversion of the cishet white male gaze, alienation, desire, loneliness, and queerness, available in Pink and Lilac editions, aimed at queer readers.
• The Asdzáá Beat Zine Zine about Native love, the Sonoran desert, and Indigenous corn featuring poems and collages about plants and love, aimed at readers interested in Indigenous relationships to land and food.
• The Angsty Asdzáá Zine Zine featuring poems and collages about Indigenous liberation, feminism, the body, and angst, produced in a typewriter copy-paste aesthetic, aimed at readers of feminist Indigenous zine literature.
• The Future Lives In Our Bodies: Indigeneity and Disability Justice Zine Digital zine created in partnership with Indigenous Nations Poets (In-Na-Po) exploring disability justice for Indigenous communities, part of the Academy of American Poets' Poetry Coalition's 2022 programming.
• RISO Art Prints Limited-edition Riso art prints featuring Indigenous art and designs, including the Juniper Daze Series, Sunflower Series 'Indigenous Joy', Pink Cloud Indigenous Joy, and Star Woman designs, produced in collaboration with Pachanga Press for art collectors and Indigenous art enthusiasts.
• Branded Merchandise Stickers, bookmarks, mugs, t-shirts, and other branded merchandise featuring Abalone Mountain Press designs and Indigenous-themed artwork, aimed at fans of the press and Indigenous art.

Quantifiable outcome

• Featured in Poetry Magazine September 2022 issue as part of interviews with Indigenous publishers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 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

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

• Indigenous Nations Poets (In-Na-Po)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for collaborative zine projects including 'The Future Lives In Our Bodies: Indigeneity and Disability Justice Zine'. The partnership created a poetry and disability justice zine as part of the Academy of American Poets' Poetry Coalition's 2022 programming.
• Poetry FoundationflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured in Poetry Magazine September 2022 issue in an interview with Indigenous publishers conducted by Poetry Foundation editors.
• Palabras Bilingual BookstoreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venue for book release parties including The Trickster Riots release. Book release party held at Palabras Bilingual Bookstore in Phoenix.
• Northern Arizona Book FestivalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration on fundraiser readings and featured readings at the Museum of Northern Arizona during the Northern Arizona Book Festival.
• Museum of Northern ArizonaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for poetry readings and exhibit space during Northern Arizona Book Festival. Poetry displayed on campus garden with audio recordings.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Theytus Books: Indigenous-owned Canadian publisher focused on Indigenous authors and voices. Directly comparable as a mission-driven Indigenous literary press publishing poetry, fiction, and anthologies, with similar small-scale operations and community-driven GTM.
• Birchbark Books & Novelties: Independent Indigenous-focused bookstore and small publisher co-founded by Louise Erdrich. Comparable as a community-rooted Native literary brand combining retail, publishing, and cultural programming for Indigenous audiences.
• Tolsun Books: Small independent poetry press that published Amber McCrary's own chapbook 'Electric Deserts!'. Directly comparable as a niche poetry-focused small press with similar chapbook/collection product formats and community-driven ethos.
• Pachanga Press: Indigenous-focused small press and design studio that collaborates with Abalone Mountain Press on Riso art prints. Comparable as a small Indigenous-owned publisher combining print design, art prints, and literary publishing.
• Native Realities Publishing: Indigenous-owned publisher specializing in comics, art books, and children's literature by Native creators. Comparable as an Indigenous-led small press combining literary and visual publishing with mission-aligned brand positioning.
• Cinco Puntos Press: Independent literary press publishing diverse voices with a focus on borderland and Indigenous stories. Comparable as a mission-driven small literary press publishing poetry, fiction, and children's books with regional Southwest ties.

Broad incumbents

• Lee & Low Books: Established multicultural children's book publisher with a strong commitment to diverse and Indigenous authors. Comparable as a larger publisher operating in the same inclusive-publishing category, but at significantly greater scale.
• Write Bloody Publishing: Independent poetry publisher with broad distribution through major retailers. Comparable as a poetry-focused small press, but operates at meaningfully larger scale and broader market than an Indigenous-only mission press.

Emerging players

• Wave's World Press: Small Indigenous-affiliated press publishing poetry and literature by Native writers. Comparable as an emerging community-driven literary press with overlapping author communities and similar micro-press economics.
• Akili Press: Black literary small press publishing poetry and prose from underrepresented voices. Comparable as a mission-driven micro-press serving an under-represented community, with similar workshop, anthology, and chapbook formats.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/abalonemountainpress

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Abalone Mountain Press