Copper Nickel
Copper Nickel is a non-profit literary journal owned by the University of Colorado Denver, publishing biannual print issues of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, interviews, and translations for individual subscribers and academic libraries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersDenver, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Copper Nickel does
Copper Nickel is a literary journal owned and operated by the University of Colorado Denver, a public state university. Founded by poet Jake Adam York, the journal was relaunched in Spring 2015 after a hiatus following his death in 2012. The journal publishes biannual print issues (Spring and Fall) containing poetry, fiction, nonfiction, interviews, criticism, symposium pieces, and translations, with a stated commitment to eclecticism and sociohistorical context. It has featured established and emerging writers including Pulitzer Prize winners and National Book Award finalists.
The journal's core product is the print edition, with individual issues priced at $12 (e.g., Fall 2025 Issue 41, 192 pages, ISBN 979-8-9995982-0-2). Copper Nickel distributes through its own website (copper-nickel.org) on a global basis, with sales to individual subscribers and academic institution libraries. A Submittable-powered platform handles manuscript submissions and subscription management. The journal also operates an annual Book Prize and awards Editors' Prizes in Poetry and Prose for outstanding submissions.
Copper Nickel is a non-profit, university-affiliated publication with no external investors, private equity, or venture capital involvement. It does not generate commercial revenue; its operations are funded through the University of Colorado Denver. Distribution occurs globally via direct website sales and print subscriptions, and marketing is conducted through the website, Facebook, Twitter, and email newsletters. The editorial team includes an Assistant Editor and a rotating cohort of interns drawn from the University of Colorado Denver's creative writing program.
Copper Nickel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Copper Nickel
- Legal name
- Copper Nickel
- Website
- https://copper-nickel.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Copper Nickel is a non-profit literary journal owned by the University of Colorado Denver, publishing biannual print issues of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, interviews, and translations for individual subscribers and academic libraries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Copper Nickel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Denver
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Copper Nickel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Print Journal Sales: Sale of print issues of the literary journal to individual subscribers and academic institutions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Individual print issue |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Print issue |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Copper Nickel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Copper Nickel is a literary journal published by the University of Colorado Denver that publishes biannual print issues (Spring and Fall) featuring poetry, fiction, nonfiction, interviews, criticism, symposium pieces, and translations from established and emerging writers. Distribution occurs through print subscriptions and individual issue sales to individual subscribers and academic institution libraries, with manuscript submissions managed via the Submittable platform.
Product overview
Copper Nickel is a literary journal published by the University of Colorado Denver that operates as a single, unified publication rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The journal produces biannual print issues (Spring and Fall) containing poetry, fiction, nonfiction, interviews, criticism, symposium pieces, and translations. The publication also manages a Submit/Subscribe Platform via Submittable for manuscript submissions and subscriptions, offers an annual Book Prize, and awards Editors' Prizes for exceptional poetry and prose.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Copper Nickel Literary Journal A biannual literary journal published by the University of Colorado Denver featuring poetry, fiction, nonfiction, interviews, criticism, symposium pieces, and translations from established and emerging writers. Distributed through print subscriptions and individual issue sales to individual subscribers and academic institution libraries.
Companies that use Copper Nickel
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Copper Nickel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Copper Nickel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Copper Nickel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AGNI: Literary journal affiliated with Boston University, publishing poetry, fiction, and essays with international contributors. Comparable to Copper Nickel as a university-published literary journal with similar format, content diversity, and editorial positioning.
- The Iowa Review: Literary journal affiliated with the University of Iowa's prestigious creative writing program, publishing fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Comparable to Copper Nickel as a public-university-affiliated literary journal with similar editorial scope and quarterly publication cadence.
- American Poetry Review: Bimonthly American poetry journal publishing established and emerging poets with broad literary scope. Comparable to Copper Nickel as a similarly formatted literary journal in the poetry/literary space with overlapping contributor pools.
- The Kenyon Review: Long-established literary journal affiliated with Kenyon College, publishing poetry, fiction, essays, and reviews. Shares Copper Nickel's structure as an academic-affiliated literary journal with similar content mix and subscription model.
- Ploughshares: Literary journal published since 1971 by Emerson College, publishing poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and essays on a quarterly basis with rotating guest editors. Directly comparable as a university-affiliated nonprofit literary journal with similar mission, format, and subscriber base to Copper Nickel.
- The Georgia Review: Quarterly literary journal published by the University of Georgia featuring essays, fiction, poetry, and reviews. Closely comparable to Copper Nickel as a public-university-affiliated literary journal with a similar content scope and subscriber base.
Broad incumbents
- Granta: Renowned literary magazine publishing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and reportage with a focus on contemporary writing. Comparable to Copper Nickel in literary mission and quarterly format, but operates as a larger commercial-leaning incumbent with broader international distribution.
- Tin House: Respected American literary magazine and book publisher featuring fiction, poetry, and essays, with an associated book prize. Comparable to Copper Nickel in literary scope and in operating a book prize, though at broader commercial scale.
- The Paris Review: One of the most prominent English-language literary magazines, publishing poetry, fiction, interviews, and essays since 1953. Comparable to Copper Nickel in format and genre mix, but operates at significantly larger scale and brand recognition as a broad literary incumbent.
Others
- Submittable: Online submission management platform used by literary journals, including Copper Nickel itself, to manage manuscript submissions and subscriptions. Adjacent enabling technology provider rather than a competitor — relevant as the platform Copper Nickel depends on for its contribution workflow.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Copper Nickel social profiles
Digital presenceCopper Nickel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Copper Nickel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Copper Nickel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Copper Nickel 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 Copper Nickel
What does Copper Nickel do?
Copper Nickel is a literary journal published by the University of Colorado Denver that publishes biannual print issues (Spring and Fall) featuring poetry, fiction, nonfiction, interviews, criticism, symposium pieces, and translations from established and emerging writers. Distribution occurs through print subscriptions and individual issue sales to individual subscribers and academic institution libraries, with manuscript submissions managed via the Submittable platform.
Is Copper Nickel a public or private company?
Copper Nickel is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Copper Nickel founded?
Copper Nickel was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Copper Nickel based?
Copper Nickel is headquartered in Denver, United States, in the North America region.
How does Copper Nickel make money?
One revenue line is on record: print Journal Sales.
Who are Copper Nickel's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AGNI, The Iowa Review, American Poetry Review, The Kenyon Review, Ploughshares and The Georgia Review. Broad incumbents are Granta, Tin House and The Paris Review. Submittable is listed as an others.
Does Copper Nickel have an API?
No public API is recorded for Copper Nickel.