The Mythopoeic Society

What The Mythopoeic Society does

The Mythopoeic Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1967 by Glen GoodKnight, devoted to the study and celebration of mythopoeic literature with a particular focus on the Inklings (J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Owen Barfield). Headquartered in Altadena, California, with physical and digital archives hosted at Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) in Weatherford, Oklahoma, the Society operates with a small staff of 11-50 employees supported by a Council of Stewards and member volunteers. Its core offerings span three scholarly and literary publications—Mythlore (peer-reviewed journal), Mythprint (quarterly newsletter), and The Mythic Circle (fiction and poetry annual)—plus the Mythopoeic Press book publishing imprint. Programmatic activities include the annual or biennial in-person Mythcon conference (typically 100-150 attendees), the Online Mythopoeic Seminar (OMS) virtual event series launched in 2022, the prestigious Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards across Adult, Young Adult, and Children's literature, and the Mythopoeic Scholarship Awards for Inklings and Myth & Fantasy Studies.

The Society reaches its audience through a community-led go-to-market approach combining membership dues, tax-deductible donations across multiple dedicated funds, conference registration fees ($110-$135 for in-person, $20-$25 for virtual), publications sales, and merchandise. Distribution occurs through the proprietary MythSoc online store, Amazon for Mythopoeic Press titles, the SWOSU Digital Commons archive for historical materials, and multi-platform social media presence including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Discord, and Groups.io. Membership dues and donations constitute the core funding model, with multiple named funds including the Glen GoodKnight Starving Scholars Fund, Mike Foster Memorial Publications Assistance Fund, and an Endowment Fund supporting specific operational and scholarship purposes. Operations were temporarily disrupted by the January 2025 Altadena wildfires affecting the California publications facility, with Mythcon 54 relocated to Weatherford, Oklahoma for July 2026.

Name

The Mythopoeic Society

Legal name

The Mythopoeic Society

Website

https://mythsoc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Mythopoeic Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1967 that publishes scholarly journals (Mythlore, Mythprint), hosts the Mythcon conference and Online Mythopoeic Seminar, and presents the Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards for the study of Inklings and mythopoeic literature.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Altadena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues provide core operational funding for the non-profit organization, supporting publications, conferences, and administrative functions.
2. Conference Registration: Revenue from Mythcon registrations ($120 members, $135 non-members, $110 students), dealer tables, t-shirts, banquet tickets, and virtual attendance passes.
3. Publications Sales: Sales of periodicals (Mythlore subscriptions, Mythprint subscriptions, The Mythic Circle), Mythopoeic Press books, conference proceedings, program books, and back issues.
4. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions to General Fund, Glen GoodKnight Starving Scholars Fund, Mike Foster Memorial Publications Assistance Fund, or Endowment Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Mythopoeic Society publishes and disseminates scholarly and literary content on mythopoeic literature and the Inklings (J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, Owen Barfield). Its core offerings include the peer-reviewed journal Mythlore, the quarterly bulletin Mythprint, the literary annual The Mythic Circle, the Mythopoeic Press book imprint, the annual/biennial Mythcon conference, the Online Mythopoeic Seminar (OMS), the Mythopoeic Fantasy and Scholarship Awards, and discussion groups including the Elvish Linguistic Fellowship. All activities are funded by membership dues and donations.

Product overview

The Mythopoeic Society operates a platform of interconnected literary programs centered on the study and celebration of mythopoeic literature and Inklings scholarship. The core offerings consist of three major publications: Mythlore (a scholarly journal), Mythprint (a quarterly newsletter), and The Mythic Circle (a literary fiction/poetry annual), all supported by the Mythopoeic Press book publishing arm. The Society's programmatic activities include Mythcon, an annual/biennial in-person conference featuring academic papers and presentations; the Online Mythopoeic Seminar (OMS), a virtual conference held between Mythcons using Zoom and Discord; and the Mythopoeic Awards, which recognize excellence in fantasy literature and scholarship. Additional offerings include discussion groups, the Elvish Linguistic Fellowship, conference proceedings, program books, and an online store. The Society functions as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mythlore: Scholarly journal with articles on fantastic and mythic literature
• Mythprint
• Mythic Circle
• Mythopoeic Press
• Mythcon
• Online Mythopoeic Seminar (OMS)

Products and services

• Mythlore Scholarly refereed journal covering articles on fantastic and mythic literature, Inklings studies, and related fantasy scholarship. Published semi-annually, available by subscription to members.
• Mythprint Quarterly bulletin featuring Society activities, news, and book reviews (~300 book reviews archived). Now primarily an electronic publication, available by subscription.
• The Mythic Circle Literary annual publication containing fiction and poetry, with submissions open to members. Showcases creative work in the mythopoeic literary tradition.
• Mythopoeic Press Book publishing arm of the Society, publishing scholarly works on Inklings studies, fantasy literature, and related topics including proceedings and critical anthologies. Books are distributed via Amazon and the society's online store.
• Mythcon (Annual/Biennial Conference) Annual in-person conference (recently biennial) featuring papers, panels, readings, art shows, dealers' rooms, and formal banquet where Mythopoeic Awards are presented. Usually held late July or early August. Mythcon 54 (2026) registration: $120 members / $135 non-members / $110 students; virtual attendance $20-25; dealers' tables $50 full / $30 half.
• Online Mythopoeic Seminar (OMS) Virtual online conference held between Mythcons, using Zoom and Discord platforms. Provides additional paper presentation opportunities for accessibility for those unable to attend in person. Registration: $20 per person (up to 4 people).
• Mythopoeic Awards Annual literary and scholarship awards presented at Mythcon, including Fantasy Awards for Adult, Young Adult, and Children's Literature, plus Scholarship Awards for Inklings Studies and Myth and Fantasy Studies. Prestigious awards recognized in the fantasy literature community.
• MythSoc Store Online store for merchandise including periodicals, proceedings, program books, conference materials, Mythcon 54 t-shirts, and other Society publications. Located at mythsoc.org/store.htm.
• Discussion Groups Local discussion groups, correspondence circulars, and special interest groups including the Elvish Linguistic Fellowship focusing on Tolkien's invented languages. Provides community engagement for members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mythopoeic Awards recognized as premier awards for fantasy literature and Inklings scholarship

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWOSU Digital Commons serves as the official digital archive of the Mythopoeic Society, hosting the society's digital collections including periodicals, conference proceedings, and publications. The Mythopoeic Society Archives are physically located at SWOSU in Weatherford, Oklahoma.
• Stafford Air & Space MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe museum serves as the program venue for Mythcon 54 in Weatherford, Oklahoma. Named in honor of astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, it is considered one of the finest air and space museums in the central United States and is a Smithsonian Affiliate.
• Lucille's HotelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial hotel for Mythcon 54, offering special conference rate of $99.99 per night. Located at 3825 E Main St, Weatherford, Oklahoma 73096.
• Lucille's RoadhouseminorOthersCatering vendor for the Mythcon 54 banquet, providing buffet-style food including appetizers, entrees, desserts, and beverages with a cash bar.
• Ink 66minorOthersThird-party printer for Mythcon 54 commemorative t-shirts, featuring the Route 66 centennial emblem logo in royal blue or navy.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Walking Tree Publishers: Walking Tree Publishers specializes in academic books on Tolkien, the Inklings, and fantasy literature — directly competing with Mythopoeic Press in the same niche scholarly publishing market. Multiple recent Mythopoeic Award finalists are Walking Tree authors, evidencing direct overlap.
• The Tolkien Society: The Tolkien Society is a UK-based literary society devoted to the study and appreciation of J.R.R. Tolkien's works — the central figure in the Mythopoeic Society's Inklings focus. It publishes a refereed journal (Mallorn), runs annual conferences (Oxonmoot), administers the Tolkien Society Awards, and operates with a similar non-profit scholarly-society model, making it the closest direct peer.
• International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts (IAFA): IAFA is a scholarly organization dedicated to the study of the fantastic in literature, film, and art. It publishes the Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, runs an annual academic conference, and operates as a 501(c)(3) — closely paralleling the Mythopoeic Society's structure and mission in the broader fantasy scholarship space.
• The British Fantasy Society: The British Fantasy Society is a UK-based membership organization for fantasy enthusiasts and professionals, publishing Dark Horizons and other periodicals, running the British Fantasy Awards, and hosting conventions. Its membership-supported, publishing-plus-awards model closely mirrors the Mythopoeic Society's multi-product structure.
• World Fantasy Convention (World Fantasy Award): The World Fantasy Convention administers the prestigious World Fantasy Award for fantasy literature and runs an annual convention with academic programming. It directly competes with the Mythopoeic Awards as a peer recognition platform in the same genre, and its convention programming overlaps Mythcon's scholarly/fan blend.
• The C.S. Lewis Foundation: The C.S. Lewis Foundation promotes the legacy and writings of C.S. Lewis, one of the central Inklings figures. It runs educational programs, conferences, and publications, and shares the Mythopoeic Society's mission of advancing Inklings scholarship, making it a directly comparable subject-matter peer.

Others

• Marquette University (Tolkien manuscript collection): Marquette University holds the principal archive of J.R.R. Tolkien manuscripts and is a research destination for Inklings scholars — overlapping Mythopoeic Society's scholarly community but as an archive/host rather than a publishing society. Comparable as an institutional node in the Inklings studies ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Signum University (Mythgard Institute): Signum University offers graduate-level online programs and the Mythgard Institute, with coursework focused on Inklings, Tolkien, and fantasy literature. It represents an emerging digital-native competitor in the Inklings scholarship space, complementing or potentially competing with Mythlore and Mythopoeic Press for student and academic audiences.

Broad incumbents

• Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA): SFWA is the larger, established professional organization for science fiction and fantasy writers, administering the Nebula Awards and operating as a 501(c)(3). It overlaps MythSoc in genre focus and awards administration but operates at significantly greater scale with a broader genre mandate (sci-fi + fantasy).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mythsoc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCNqfndbQndcd7I0VIRBrf4Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/MythSoc
• Pinterestpinterest.com/mythsoc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 The Mythopoeic Society