About

At Hard Ball Press, we are committed to preserving and elevating the voices of working people. Those who build, teach, care, and labor, yet whose narratives are too often relegated to the margins. Founded in Brooklyn, New York, we collaborate with richly diverse communities spanning generations, ethnicities, religions, genders, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Whether confronting wage theft, racism, sexism, union busting, or the daily fight for dignity and respect, we join in their struggle for a better life and a better world.

Our publishing mission is rooted in the conviction that storytelling is not merely a form of documentation but a force for collective transformation. By offering narratives in multiple languages, we break down barriers that have long silenced working-class voices, ensuring their experiences are accessible, understood, and valued. Whether it is a warehouse worker advocating for fair wages, an educator navigating systemic neglect, or a refugee forging a new beginning, each story underscores the resilience and complexity of the human experience.

Inequality is not an abstract concept but lived daily by millions. At Hard Ball Press, we do not simply record these realities; we confront them. Through literature, we seek to foster awareness, inspire dialogue, and challenge the structures that sustain injustice. This is more than publishing, it is an act of defiance, a commitment to justice, and a tribute to the dignity of labor.

Close-up of dirty, blackened hands clasped together, showing signs of dirt and wear.
Group of diverse students standing with their arms around each other in front of a blackboard in a classroom.
A person wearing a traditional hat walking on a grassy path in a rice paddy field, carrying bundles of harvested rice on a pole across their shoulders, with their reflection visible in the water below.
Two children near a brick building: one child climbing into a doorway, and two children sitting and standing outside.

Meet Our Team

  • Black-and-white portrait of an elderly man with glasses and gray hair, wearing a dark shirt.

    Timothy Sheard

    Founder, Author, Publisher, Mentor, and Activist

  • Black and white portrait of a young woman with dark hair styled in a layered cut, wearing a blazer and a top, smiling softly at the camera.

    Tithi Paul

    Digital Strategy and Associate Editor

  • Black and white close-up portrait of a smiling woman with long wavy hair, wearing earrings and a decorative necklace.

    Cynthia Hernandez

    Marketing

  • A smiling young man with glasses, wearing a puffy jacket, a chain necklace, and a backpack, outdoors near a decorative fence, on a sunny day.

    Matthew Tallon

    Book Design Editor and Associate Art Director

  • Black and white portrait of a man with medium-length wavy hair, wearing a dark shirt, looking at the camera with a slight smile against a dark background.

    Matthew Sheard

    Associate Editorial Director and Author