Iris G. Press was begun in 2004 with these ideas and ideals that still remain:

• There is excellent poetry that goes unread. Some of this poetry is being written by largely unknown, but extremely talented people who live both inside and outside the mainstream. Those poets may live in Washington, D.C., Stewartstown, Pennsylvania, Portland, Oregon, or East Saint Louis, Illinois.  In addition to this geographical variety, there are also great poems that are being written within all the various schools and styles of poetry. In the same way that intelligence, talent, beauty, and love come in various shapes and sizes, good poetry does not have a single, satisfying flavor.
• Despite the proliferation of poetry readings and the ascendance of poetry slams in all parts of the country, we still love being able to hold a sheet of paper or a book in our hands. The solitary reading and re-reading of a poem that moves us remains our primary source of joy and poetry pleasure.
• The primacy of ego is generally a bad thing. Poetry that is written, performed, and offered to others as a way of saying, "Look at me. Aren't I wonderful?," has the wrong focus. The art is the center; it is the poem that matters most, not the poet, not the performer. Therefore Iris G. Press is a collective that is not concerned with egos, money, fame, or the “I.” All proceeds are funneled back into publishing more poetry.