University Press of Kansas

What University Press of Kansas does

University Press of Kansas (UPK) is a nonprofit academic publisher founded in 1946 and affiliated with the University of Kansas, headquartered at 2502 Westbrooke Circle in Lawrence, Kansas. The press publishes peer-reviewed scholarly books across American political history, constitutional studies, military history, Indigenous studies, and Kansas regional topics, maintaining named series including Congressional Leaders, Constitutional Thinking, and the Lyda Conley Series on Trailblazing Indigenous Futures. Sub-brands include Plainspoken Books (general-audience memoirs) and the America 250 commemorative publishing initiative for the U.S. 250th anniversary in 2026. The press also operates the Kansas Open Books open-access program in partnership with KU Libraries, supported by an NEH-Mellon Humanities grant.

The business operates through three primary revenue streams: physical book sales (hardcover/paperback via direct online sales, retail bookstores, and institutional channels), ebook sales (via the publisher website, Amazon, and VitalSource), and rights and permissions licensing (subsidiary rights, coursepacks, and electronic file requests). Distribution is fulfilled through Longleaf Services, with international sales handled via appointed agents and distributors. Books are priced at $21.99-$44.99 for paperbacks and $54.99-$99.99 for hardcovers, with seasonal promotions such as 40% off sitewide during summer sales and 50% off select collections tied to the America 250 program. The technology stack is described as a standard academic publishing platform with no proprietary features, APIs, or digital products beyond ebook delivery through third-party retailers.

Customer segments span academic scholars and students (primary), course adoption markets for political science and history programs, Kansas regional readers, and institutional buyers including libraries and West Point. Marketing channels include the company website, email newsletters, a blog with author posts, event appearances (including partnerships with the Dole Institute and independent bookstores), and catalog distribution. Notable partnerships include Longleaf Services for fulfillment, the Dirksen Congressional Center for archival collaborations, and the University of Kansas Libraries for open-access initiatives. Recognized awards include the Pritzker Military Museum & Library Literature Award (2020), Emerging Civil War Book Award (2020), Kansas Notable Books, and the NEH-Mellon Humanities grant (2020).

Name

University Press of Kansas

Legal name

University Press of Kansas

Website

https://kansaspress.ku.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

University Press of Kansas is a nonprofit academic publisher founded in 1946 and affiliated with the University of Kansas, producing peer-reviewed scholarly books in American political history, military history, constitutional studies, Indigenous studies, and Kansas regional topics for academics, students, libraries, and general readers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Monographs & University Press Publishing (MPAJABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Sciences Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAD), Open Access Scholarly Journals & Monographs (EDAGAFAJ), Social Sciences (Psychology, Sociology, Political Science) (EDAGABAD)

Keywords

• Academic book publishing
• Scholarly press
• University press
• Military history books
• Kansas regional studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Lawrence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Book Sales (Physical): Sale of printed academic books including hardcover and paperback editions through direct online orders, retailers, and wholesale distribution. Physical books are fulfilled by Longleaf Services.
2. eBook Sales: Digital editions of books sold through the publisher's website and third-party retailers including Amazon. Device-specific ebooks require direct purchase from retailers.
3. Rights and Permissions: Subsidiary rights licensing including permissions for coursepacks, electronic file requests, and subsidiary rights licensing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

University Press of Kansas is a nonprofit academic publisher that produces peer-reviewed scholarly books in hardcover, paperback, and ebook editions, focused on American political history, military history, constitutional studies, Indigenous studies, and Kansas regional topics. The press sells its titles directly through its own website (with fulfillment by Longleaf Services), to retail bookstores, to libraries and academic institutions, and via international distributors, and licenses subsidiary rights and coursepack permissions.

Product overview

University Press of Kansas is a university press publisher offering scholarly books, ebooks, and specialized imprints. The core offering consists of academic books across subjects including political science, American history, military history, Indigenous studies, and Kansas regional topics. Key sub-brands include Plainspoken Books (general interest memoirs) and the America 250 collection (founding anniversary publications). The press also runs Kansas Open Books (open access scholarship) and publishes multiple book series such as Congressional Leaders and Constitutional Thinking. Services include review copies, exam/desk copies for instructors, and coursepack permissions. Books are distributed through Longleaf Services for print and through Amazon and VitalSource for ebooks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Plainspoken Books: An imprint of University Press of Kansas publishing memoirs and personal narratives.
• America 250

Products and services

• Academic Books Scholarly and academic books covering political science, American history, military history, Indigenous studies, Kansas regional topics, and natural history, published in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats for scholars, students, instructors, and general readers.
• eBooks Digital ebook editions of published titles available through the University Press of Kansas website, Amazon, and VitalSource for academic ebook delivery to individual readers and institutions.
• Plainspoken Books Imprint An imprint of University Press of Kansas publishing accessible, non-fiction works for general audiences, including memoirs and narrative journalism such as Bill Kurtis's memoir Whirlwind.
• America 250 Publishing Program A commemorative publishing program marking America's 250th anniversary in 2026, featuring books exploring American history and founding principles for general and scholarly readers.
• Kansas Open Books Open access program making selected Kansas-related scholarship freely accessible online, developed in partnership with KU Libraries and supported by an NEH-Mellon Humanities grant.
• Congressional Leaders Series Specialist book series focused on congressional leadership, featuring autobiographies and studies of key legislative figures such as Everett Dirksen's The Education of a Senator.
• Constitutional Thinking Series Academic series examining constitutional law, separation of powers, and American political institutions, with titles such as The Constitution of Conflict.
• Lyda Conley Series on Trailblazing Indigenous Futures Book series focused on Indigenous history, rights, and cultural preservation, named after Lyda Conley, including titles such as Shokhí: A Kanza Relative, a Monument, and Rematriation.
• Review Copies Service Service providing academic review copies to instructors and scholars to evaluate UPK titles for course adoption or scholarly review.
• Exam and Desk Copies Service Service providing complimentary copies to instructors for classroom evaluation and course adoption of UPK titles.
• Coursepacks Permissions Service Permission service for instructors to create course packs using copyrighted excerpts from UPK published works, licensed via subsidiary rights and permissions.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Raven Book StoreminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 October 2020Partnership for 2020 election event series featuring virtual political book discussions with authors. The Raven Book Store is an independent bookstore in Lawrence, Kansas.
• University of Kansas LibrariescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2020Joint recipient of NEH-Mellon Humanities Kansas Open Book Program grant. Collaboration on the Kansas Open Books initiative to make selected titles freely accessible online.
• Longleaf ServicescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFulfillment partner for print format book orders. Handles order processing, shipping, and distribution for direct online orders placed through the University Press of Kansas website.
• Dirksen Congressional CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Center collaborated on the 30th anniversary edition of 'The Education of a Senator', providing access to Dirksen's personal papers and archives.
• Dole Institute of Politics (University of Kansas)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdward F. Reilly Jr. Endowment Fund supports public programming at the Dole Institute to explore civil discourse and bipartisanship.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Oxford University Press: The largest university press globally, publishing broadly across political science, history, and constitutional studies—represents the dominant competitive force in academic monograph publishing that UPK's series compete against.
• Cambridge University Press: Global academic publisher with extensive political science and history lists; competes with UPK for course adoptions and library acquisitions in the same subject categories.
• University of Chicago Press: One of the largest and most established U.S. university presses, publishing across political science, history, and humanities with a substantially bigger catalog and global distribution—relevant as a scale benchmark and aspirational peer.

Direct peers

• University of Nebraska Press: A fellow Plains/Midwest nonprofit university press with a strong catalog in history, Native American studies, and military history. Closely comparable in scope, regional academic affiliation, and series-driven publishing model.
• Indiana University Press: Mid-sized nonprofit university press publishing in political science, American history, and regional studies with an established series model and similar distribution economics to UPK.
• University of Oklahoma Press: Regional university press with deep strengths in Western American history, military history, and political science—directly overlapping UPK's core subject areas and similarly distributing through university-affiliated channels.
• University of Iowa Press: Big Ten-affiliated university press focused on humanities and regional scholarship with comparable scale, imprint structure, and dependence on academic and library sales.
• University of Wisconsin Press: Public-university-affiliated press with strengths in American history, political science, and regional studies; operates on a similar scale and model to UPK.
• Naval Institute Press: Specialty publisher in military history and naval affairs, directly comparable to UPK's military history list (e.g., Pritzker award-winning author David M. Glantz) and competing for the same institutional library market.

Emerging players

• Stackpole Books: Independent trade publisher with a strong military history and American history catalog—adjacent to UPK's subject focus and competing for similar author pipelines and library acquisitions budgets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kansas_press
• Facebookfacebook.com/kansaspress
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-press-of-kansas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University Press of Kansas