The press's mission statement: "BOA Editions, Ltd., a not-for-profit publisher of poetry and other literary works, fosters readership and appreciation of contemporary literature. By identifying, cultivating, and publishing both new and established poets and selecting authors of unique literary talent, BOA brings high quality literature to the public."[2][3]
According to the University of Rochester, “BOA itself won the 2001 New York State Governor's Arts Award for overall artistic excellence, the only New York State not-for-profit literary publisher in 38 years ever to receive such an honor.[10] The University of Rochester’s Rare Books and Special Collections Library owns the BOA archives from 1996-2005, and Yale University's Beinecke Library, the first collection of BOA archives, from 1976-1995.[11] The press was featured in Publishers Weekly on the occasion of their 35th anniversary,[12] featured by the Poetry Society of America on their 40th anniversary,[13] and one of their titles, Not for Specialists: New and Selected Poems, by W. D. Snodgrass, landed on The New York Times Bestseller list[14]
The press has received grants from Literature Program of the New York State Council on the Arts; the Literature Program of the National Endowment for the Arts;[15] the Sonia Raiziss Giop Charitable Foundation; the Lannan Foundation;[16] the Mary S. Mulligan Charitable Trust; the County of Monroe, NY; the Rochester Area Community Foundation; the Ames-Amzalak Memorial Trust in memory of Henry Ames, Semon Amzalak and Dan Amzalak; and the Steeple-Jack Fund.[17]
Awards given by BOA Editions include the A. Poulin, Jr. Prize, for a poet's first collection of poetry[18] and the Isabella Gardner Poetry Award.[19]
