Columbia Global Reports

What Columbia Global Reports does

Columbia Global Reports is a nonprofit publishing imprint of Columbia University, founded in 2015 and led by Director Nicholas Lemann (former Dean of Columbia Journalism School). The organization commissions authors to produce original nonfiction works of reporting and research from around the world, published in a novella-length format designed to deliver substantive global reporting in a few hours of reading time. CGR typically publishes six titles per year across topics including geopolitics, internet policy, economic policy, criminal justice, and journalism; recent and notable authors include Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Harvard Law Professor John Coates, NPR correspondent Emily Feng, and Fordham Law Professor Olivier Sylvain. The organization celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025 with the launch of the Forerunners sub-brand, republishing four historically significant works originally published over a century ago.

The business operates on three revenue streams: one-time book sales priced between $15.99 and $18.00 through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and independent bookstores via Bookshop.org; an $85 annual subscription that mails six paperbacks directly to subscribers in advance of publication; and tax-deductible donations routed through Columbia University's giving platform. Marketing is conducted through the CGR website, an email newsletter, social media across Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky, author events at partner bookstores (Politics and Prose, Harvard Book Store, Solid State Books) and universities (Columbia Law School), and earned media coverage in outlets including the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and NPR. Distribution is global via the named retail channels and the direct-to-consumer subscription mailer.

CGR is wholly owned by The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, has no external investors, no funding rounds, no acquisitions, no disclosed headcount, and no proprietary technology platform, API, or AI capabilities. The catalog includes a sub-brand podcast (Underreported with Nicholas Lemann) and the Forerunners anniversary series. The imprint has received third-party recognition including NPR Best Book of 2020 (Ghosting the News), Washington Post 50 Notable Works of Nonfiction 2020, and a Publishers Weekly Starred Review for Miseducation in 2021.

Name

Columbia Global Reports

Legal name

The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York

Website

https://globalreports.columbia.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Columbia Global Reports is a nonprofit publishing imprint of Columbia University that publishes approximately six original nonfiction books per year on global issues, distributing them through retail channels, an $85 annual subscription, and donations to general readers, educators, and policy professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonfiction Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Monographs & University Press Publishing (MPAJABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJAAAA), Interdisciplinary & Multidisciplinary Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAI)

Keywords

• Nonfiction book publishing
• Global affairs reporting
• Novella-length nonfiction
• Book subscription service
• Columbia University imprint

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Individual sales of novella-length nonfiction books through major retail channels including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and independent bookstores via Bookshop.org. Books priced at $15.99-$18.00.
2. Subscription: $85 annual subscription includes six paperbacks mailed directly to subscribers in advance of publication. Delivers recurring revenue and customer retention.
3. Donations: Nonprofit accepting donations to support publishing of global reporting and original nonfiction works.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Columbia Global Reports is a nonprofit publishing imprint of Columbia University that commissions authors to produce original, novella-length nonfiction works of reporting and research on global issues, publishing approximately six titles per year. It sells these books individually through major retail channels and offers an $85 annual subscription that delivers six paperbacks by mail, supplemented by donations supporting its publishing mission.

Product overview

Columbia Global Reports is a nonprofit publishing imprint of Columbia University that operates as a single product offering (book publishing) with a subscription service. The core publishing program produces original nonfiction books of reporting and research in novella-length format, with approximately six titles published annually covering global issues. Additionally, the Forerunners series, launched for the organization's tenth anniversary, republications significant historical works. The subscription service ($85/year) provides six paperbacks mailed in advance of publication. The publication portfolio includes individual titles across diverse topics including geopolitics (The Triangle of Power, The Robe and the Sword), technology and internet policy (Reclaiming the Internet), social issues (Miseducation, What's Prison For?, Losing Big), economic policy (The Problem of Twelve, The Fed Unbound, Why Flying Is Miserable), journalism (Ghosting the News), and political theory (In Defense of Partisanship, Remaking the State).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Forerunners Series: A special series celebrating the 10th anniversary, featuring republications of significant historical works originally published over a century ago, with new introductions
• Underreported with Nicholas Lemann

Quantifiable outcome

• Published works from prominent figures including Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Fordham Law Professor Olivier Sylvain, NPR correspondent Emily Feng

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and ongoing.

• FRONTLINE (PBS)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 November 2021FRONTLINE partnered with Columbia Global Reports and The GroundTruth Project for the virtual event launching Miseducation by Katie Worth, an investigative report on climate change education.
• The GroundTruth ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 November 2021GroundTruth partnered with Columbia Global Reports and FRONTLINE for the virtual event launching Miseducation, combining investigative journalism efforts.
• Columbia UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColumbia Global Reports is a nonprofit publishing imprint of Columbia University. The imprint operates under the university's academic umbrella, with Nicholas Lemann serving as Director and drawing on Columbia's journalism school resources.
• Politics and Prose BookstoreongoingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner bookstore hosting author events including Emily Feng and other CGR authors for readings and discussions that drive book sales.
• Harvard Book StoreongoingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner bookstore hosting multiple CGR author events including John Coates, Katie Worth, Ganesh Sitaraman, and Julian Zelizer.
• Solid State BooksongoingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWashington DC bookstore hosting CGR author Olivier Sylvain for discussion of Reclaiming the Internet.
• Columbia Law SchoolongoingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLaw School partners with CGR for book events including The Problem of Twelve launch and Why Flying Is Miserable discussion, providing venue and academic audience.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Book of the Month: Subscription book club delivering curated nonfiction and fiction titles to members on a recurring schedule — directly comparable to CGR's $85 annual subscription and direct-to-doorstep distribution model.
• OR Books: Independent publisher of short, topical nonfiction on politics, media, and global affairs at trade pricing; comparable to CGR in format length, subject matter, and reliance on high-profile contributing authors.
• The Atavist: Publishes long-form, novella-length nonfiction and journalism as both a magazine and individual books, using a similar concise-yet-substantive format targeting engaged general readers — closely aligned with CGR's novella-length nonfiction model.

Broad incumbents

• Princeton University Press: Elite university press publishing accessible scholarly nonfiction on politics, economics, and global affairs — competing for the same serious nonfiction readers and course adoption as CGR, but at greater scale and longer format.
• Harvard University Press: Prestigious university press with deep catalog in public policy, economics, and global affairs — competes for faculty authors, course adoptions, and trade nonfiction readers that CGR also targets.
• Yale University Press: University press with strong trade nonfiction list on politics, current affairs, and global issues — peer institution with overlapping audience of educated readers and similar nonprofit publishing model.
• Columbia University Press: Sibling Columbia University imprint publishing scholarly monographs and trade-academic nonfiction across global affairs, policy, and journalism — overlapping editorial territory and audience, with CGR occupying a shorter-form niche within the same institutional umbrella.

Emerging players

• A Public Space: Nonprofit literary publisher producing a literary journal and short nonfiction books; comparable to CGR as a nonprofit imprint with an editorial mission and concise, curated publishing output.
• Seven Stories Press: Independent publisher of socially conscious nonfiction and fiction with a progressive editorial stance; comparable to CGR in short-form nonfiction, topical current affairs focus, and author-driven marketing.
• Haymarket Books: Nonprofit radical publisher of politics, economics, and global affairs titles — comparable to CGR's nonprofit funding model and topical nonfiction focus, with a more ideologically defined list.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ColumbiaGR
• Facebookfacebook.com/columbiaglobalreports
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/columbia-global-reports
• Instagraminstagram.com/ColumbiaGR

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Columbia Global Reports