The American Scholar
The American Scholar is a quarterly literary magazine of public affairs, literature, science, history, and culture, published by the Phi Beta Kappa Society since 1932 and serving approximately 25,000 paid subscribers — primarily educated general readers and Phi Beta Kappa members.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1932
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What The American Scholar does
The American Scholar is a quarterly literary magazine of public affairs, literature, science, history, and culture, published continuously by the Phi Beta Kappa Society since 1932 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. The publication was named after Ralph Waldo Emerson's 1837 address to the Phi Beta Kappa Society at Harvard and is structured as a nonprofit flagship of the honor society, which covers the majority of operating expenses. Content spans essays, fiction, poetry, and book reviews from established and emerging authors, with web-exclusive essays published between print issues and a Daily Scholar blog network of recurring columns including Asturias Days, Deep in the Heart, Portrait of the Artist, Measure by Measure, and Detroit Summer.
The product portfolio combines a print quarterly magazine with two podcasts (Smarty Pants for literary discussions, Read Me a Poem for poetry readings), web-exclusive essays, and a Puzzle Bundle merchandise line tied to the magazine's artist features. Technology infrastructure is light: a website content management system and the Submittable platform for editorial submissions, with no disclosed AI, mobile applications, or proprietary technology assets. Distribution runs through the magazine's own website subscription storefront, telephone subscription line, direct office sales, and newsstand distribution via Disticor Magazine Distribution Services, with a separate donor/reader mailing list rented occasionally to selected organizations.
Revenue is generated through a recurring subscription model at $29/year for print plus digital access and $9.99/year for digital-only access, supplemented by advertising (print and digital, including targeting nearly 300 college and university presidents among the readership), newsstand and back-issue unit sales at $8.95–$9 each, puzzle bundle merchandise, and reader donations. The audience of approximately 25,000 paid subscribers is augmented by 45,000 e-newsletter recipients and 1 million annual unique website visitors, with more than half of subscribers being Phi Beta Kappa members. The publication has won five National Magazine Awards and been nominated sixteen times.
The American Scholar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The American Scholar
- Legal name
- The American Scholar
- Website
- https://theamericanscholar.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1932
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The American Scholar is a quarterly literary magazine of public affairs, literature, science, history, and culture, published by the Phi Beta Kappa Society since 1932 and serving approximately 25,000 paid subscribers — primarily educated general readers and Phi Beta Kappa members.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The American Scholar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Literary and Cultural Magazine
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (51312), Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Interdisciplinary & Multidisciplinary Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Social Sciences Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAD), Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing (MPAJABAK)
Keywords
Where The American Scholar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The American Scholar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Print Subscriptions: Annual print subscription providing physical magazine delivery plus complete digital access
- Digital Subscriptions: Annual digital-only access to the website and online content
- Print and Digital Advertising: Advertising opportunities in print magazine and digital platforms targeting educated readership including nearly 300 college presidents
- Donations: Philanthropic support from readers, supplementing Phi Beta Kappa funding
- Newsstand Sales: Individual issue sales at newsstands and through the Scholar office
- Puzzle Bundles: Annual subscription combined with puzzles featuring artwork from the magazine's Portrait of the Artist series
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Print + Digital Access |
| Subscription | Annual | Digital Only Access |
| Subscription | Annual | Puzzle Bundle with 1-Year Subscription |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Puzzle Bundle with 2-Year Subscription |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Back Issues |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
The American Scholar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The American Scholar is a quarterly literary magazine published by the Phi Beta Kappa Society, offering print and digital subscriptions covering essays, fiction, poetry, book reviews, and cultural commentary. Beyond the flagship magazine, it produces the Smarty Pants and Read Me a Poem podcasts, the Daily Scholar blog, web-exclusive content, and themed art puzzles tied to its Portrait of the Artist series. Revenue comes from annual subscriptions, newsstand sales, advertising, donations, and bundled print/digital + puzzle offerings.
Product overview
The American Scholar is a quarterly literary and cultural magazine published by the Phi Beta Kappa Society since 1932, offering both print and digital subscriptions. The core products include print subscriptions ($29/year), digital access ($9.99/year), and combined print/digital bundles with puzzle products. The publication features several content brands: the quarterly print magazine with essays, fiction, poetry, and book reviews; the Smarty Pants Podcast for author interviews and cultural discussions; the Read Me a Poem audio series; and the Daily Scholar blog network with recurring columns on topics ranging from music to urban life. Web-exclusive content is available through the Web Only section. The magazine publishes quarterly issues (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) with archived issues available from 2004 to present.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Smarty Pants Podcast: Podcast series featuring interviews and literary discussions
- Daily Scholar
Products and services
- Print Subscription Annual print subscription to The American Scholar quarterly magazine, including complete digital access to the website content, priced at $29 per year.
- Digital Access Subscription Annual digital-only subscription providing access to The American Scholar's full online archive and digital content, priced at $9.99 per year.
- Puzzle Bundle (Portrait of the Artist) Standalone art puzzle featuring artwork from The American Scholar's Portrait of the Artist series, available for $29 with free shipping, with a limited-time bundle also available paired with 1-year ($39) or 2-year ($49) subscriptions.
- Individual Back Issues Single print copies of past issues of The American Scholar, available at $8.95 via newsstand or $9 from the Scholar office.
- Smarty Pants Podcast Weekly podcast featuring literary discussions, author interviews, and cultural commentary from The American Scholar, available via the publication's podcasts section.
- Read Me a Poem Poetry podcast/audio series featuring poems read aloud by voice actors, including works by classic poets, distributed via The American Scholar's audio channels.
- Daily Scholar Daily blog content network featuring recurring columns including Sound Mind (educational podcasts), Asturias Days (Spanish language and culture), Deep in the Heart (personal essays), Detroit Summer (urban life), Portrait of the Artist (artist interviews), and Measure by Measure (classical music).
- Web Exclusive Content Online-exclusive essays, articles, lists, and poetry features available via the Web Only section of The American Scholar's website, published between quarterly print issues.
Quantifiable outcome
- Multiple essays and articles selected for Best American anthologies
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The American Scholar
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The American Scholar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
The American Scholar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Phi Beta Kappa SocietycoreThe American Scholar is published by the Phi Beta Kappa Society since 1932. The Society generously pays most of the magazine's bills and provides institutional support. The magazine is inspired by Ralph Waldo Emerson's famous 1837 speech delivered to the Society at Harvard College.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The American Scholar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Granta: Granta is a quarterly literary and cultural magazine publishing essays, fiction, and reportage. It matches The American Scholar's quarterly cadence, mix of literary and public-affairs content, and global educated readership.
- The Atlantic: The Atlantic is a long-running magazine covering literature, public affairs, science, and culture. It directly competes with The American Scholar for the same educated, intellectually engaged reader audience, though at a larger scale and with broader mass-market reach.
- The Sewanee Review: The Sewanee Review is one of the oldest continuously published literary quarterlies in the U.S. It shares The American Scholar's quarterly cadence, literary essay and poetry focus, and subscription-based distribution to educated literary readers.
- Commentary Magazine: Commentary is a monthly magazine of public affairs, literature, and culture with roots in the academic-intellectual community. It targets a similar educated, ideologically engaged reader base and competes for the same essay-driven subscription audience as The American Scholar.
- The Paris Review: The Paris Review is a quarterly literary magazine famous for author interviews, essays, fiction, and poetry. It shares The American Scholar's quarterly frequency, literary-editorial DNA, and subscription-driven reader base of educated literary enthusiasts.
- The Yale Review: The Yale Review is a long-established literary quarterly published by Yale University. It closely mirrors The American Scholar's university-affiliated publication model, literary essay focus, and quarterly distribution to an educated intellectual audience.
- The New Atlantis: The New Atlantis is a quarterly journal on technology, culture, and intellectual life. It overlaps with The American Scholar's interdisciplinary approach to science, culture, and public affairs and targets a similar educated, intellectually curious readership.
- Virginia Quarterly Review: VQR is a quarterly literary and public-affairs journal published by the University of Virginia. It closely mirrors The American Scholar's quarterly cadence, literary essay focus, and university-affiliated editorial positioning.
- Harper's Magazine: Harper's is a monthly literary and public-affairs magazine with a similar mix of essays, fiction, poetry, and cultural commentary. It targets the same educated reader demographic and operates a comparable subscription + advertising + newsstand revenue model.
Broad incumbents
- The New Yorker: The New Yorker is a much larger weekly magazine covering literature, culture, and public affairs. It overlaps directly with The American Scholar's content categories but operates at greater scale, higher frequency, and with broader commercial reach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The American Scholar social profiles
Digital presenceThe American Scholar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The American Scholar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
The American Scholar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The American Scholar M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The American Scholar
What does The American Scholar do?
The American Scholar is a quarterly literary magazine published by the Phi Beta Kappa Society, offering print and digital subscriptions covering essays, fiction, poetry, book reviews, and cultural commentary. Beyond the flagship magazine, it produces the Smarty Pants and Read Me a Poem podcasts, the Daily Scholar blog, web-exclusive content, and themed art puzzles tied to its Portrait of the Artist series. Revenue comes from annual subscriptions, newsstand sales, advertising, donations, and bundled print/digital + puzzle offerings.
Is The American Scholar a public or private company?
The American Scholar is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The American Scholar founded?
The American Scholar was founded in 1932. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The American Scholar based?
The American Scholar is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does The American Scholar make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Print Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are digital Subscriptions, print and Digital Advertising, donations, newsstand Sales and puzzle Bundles.
Who are The American Scholar's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Granta, The Atlantic, The Sewanee Review, Commentary Magazine, The Paris Review, The Yale Review, The New Atlantis, Virginia Quarterly Review and Harper's Magazine. The New Yorker is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The American Scholar have an API?
No public API is recorded for The American Scholar.
What industry is The American Scholar in?
The American Scholar's product category is Literary and Cultural Magazine. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGAFAI, Interdisciplinary & Multidisciplinary Scholarly Publishing, with a secondary code of EDAGAFAD, Social Sciences Scholarly Publishing. Its NAICS code is 51312 and its SIC code is 2721.