Mission

STATEMENT

Backbone Press has been publishing diversely since 2012. We debut and support writers who are considered marginalized voices and whose work may not be published elsewhere. Our press was started as a response to the bleak state of diversity in publishing. We believe, in art, but certainly the literary arts, every voice is essential. Without the political, protest, diasporic, voices of the poor, and even prison writing we have no distinctions. Our publications are necessary bridges, particularly in terms of generational, gender, and racial lines. In addition to informing, they engage us in broader cultural conversations.

WHO ARE WE?

Our authors are emerging & established poets. Works that appear in our chapbooks have been published in Prairie Schooner, Poetry Magazine, Poets.org, Tupelo Quarterly, Chicago Quarterly and elsewhere. Additionally, several of our authors have won national book awards, including: The APR Honickman Book Award and The Sexton Prize for Poetry.

WHY CHAPBOOKS?

To us, they are tiny, functional works of art carved from cultural experiences, myths, and truth seeking. A perfect fit for our publishing capacity and our readership. If you are interested in publishing with us, we strongly suggest you browse our catalogue or purchase examples of our publications prior to submitting a manuscript. Currently, we do not consider full-length book submissions or genres outside of poetry.