Publish or Perish

By Megan Drennan

In the belly of Hell's Kitchen, just south of the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the Cupcake Cafe whips up baked wonders. Sunflowers and pansies, once mere sugar and coloring, lace the signature cupcakes that later today will be delivered to restaurants and homes across Manhattan.

An air of pride and independence fills this small, crowded space. Behind glass counters, the sales clerks smile confidently, knowing their wares are unusual, satisfying, and in demand.

The same could be said for the staff members of the New Press who frequent this neighborhood bakery. A not-for-profit publisher, the New Press is an anomaly in the multimillion-dollar textbook business. Fourteen full-time employees and a handful of interns run its $2.9 million-a-year operations from the sixth floor of a...