The American Poets Project is published by The Library of America, a non-profit publisher founded in 1979. Books in The Library of America series, known for their distinctive black covers, are recognized by both scholars and the general public as the national edition of our country's literature. The series has won the National Book Critics Circle special award for "distinguished contributions to the enhancement of American literary and critical standards." It has also received the "Ambassador of Honor" title from the English-Speaking Union and the Carey- Thomas Award for Creative Publishing.

Volumes in The American Poets Project series are subject to the same rigorous editorial standards applied to volumes in the regular Library of America series.