Nightboat Books was founded in 2004 by Kazim Ali and Jennifer Chapis, with Ali serving as the press first publisher. The press published its first book, Fanny Howe’s The Lives of the Spirits/Glasstown: Where Something Got Broken in 2005. Stephen Motika became publisher in 2007. The press has gone on to publish more than 130 titles. The press has maintained offices throughout New York state: Beacon, Cold Spring, New York, and Callicoon. Since 2018, the press has been based in Brooklyn, NY.