Passages North
Passages North is a literary journal published by Northern Michigan University that releases annual print issues and weekly digital content, running four writing contests with $1,000 prizes to serve emerging and established writers of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersMarquette, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Passages North does
Passages North is a literary journal published by Northern Michigan University, a public state university located in Marquette, Michigan. The journal publishes poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction through annual print issues (at least 47 to date) and a companion website that releases new digital content on a weekly cadence. It serves emerging and established writers seeking publication venues and recognition, as well as readers of contemporary American literature.
The journal's primary commercial activity is administered through four annual writing contests: the Neutrino Short-Short Prize ($1,000 to winner), the Waasnode Fiction Prize ($1,000 to winner), the Elinor Benedict Poetry Prize, and the Ray Ventre Memorial Nonfiction Prize. Writers pay a $15 entry fee per submission (with free submissions accommodated near deadlines), and each paid entrant receives a copy of the print journal. Revenue is therefore generated through contest entry fees and supplementary print journal sales. The digital platform is built on Squarespace with no disclosed APIs, integrations, or proprietary technology layers.
As an academic publication operated within a government state entity, Passages North is funded primarily through university resources rather than external capital. There are no funding rounds, no venture or private equity involvement, and no M&A activity. The editorial leadership consists of Editor-in-Chief Jennifer A. Howard and multiple Managing Editors (Zoa Coudret, Andrew Walker, Dacia Price), supported by a small team of approximately 8 personnel. The journal's distribution is global via its website and social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest), with an email newsletter driving repeat engagement.
Passages North firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Passages North
- Legal name
- Northern Michigan University
- Website
- https://passagesnorth.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Passages North is a literary journal published by Northern Michigan University that releases annual print issues and weekly digital content, running four writing contests with $1,000 prizes to serve emerging and established writers of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Passages North industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Literary Journal
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (513120), Periodical Publishers (51312), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Literary & Classics Publishing (MPAJAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed) (MPAJABAC), Humanities & Arts Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAE)
Keywords
Where Passages North is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Marquette
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Passages North business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Contest Entry Fees: Writers pay entry fees to participate in writing contests. Entry fee is $15 per submission, with free submissions accommodated near deadlines. Each paid entrant receives a copy of the print journal.
- Print Journal Sales: Physical print copies of Passages North are sold to readers and contest entrants, distributed through the website and potentially direct sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Writing contest submission fee |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Passages North product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Passages North is a literary journal that publishes poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction through annual print issues and a companion website that posts weekly bonus content. The journal also runs annual writing contests — the Neutrino Short-Short Prize, Waasnode Fiction Prize, Elinor Benedict Poetry Prize, and Ray Ventre Memorial Nonfiction Prize — that award cash prizes (notably $1,000 for major contests) and publication to winning writers. The journal is operated by Northern Michigan University and is sold through the website and distributed to paid contest entrants.
Product overview
Passages North is a literary journal operated as a single unified offering publishing poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The publication operates through print issues (such as Issue 46, Issue 47) distributed to subscribers and paid contest entrants, supplemented by a companion website that publishes weekly bonus content including individual poems, short stories, interviews with judges, and contest announcements. The journal also administers multiple annual writing contests—the Neutrino Short-Short Prize, Waasnode Fiction Prize, Elinor Benedict Poetry Prize, and Ray Ventre Memorial Nonfiction Prize—that award cash prizes and publication opportunities to winning writers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Waasnode Fiction Prize: Annual fiction writing prize awarded by Passages North
- Neutrino Short-Short Prize
- Elinor Benedict Poetry Prize
- Ray Ventre Memorial Nonfiction Prize
Products and services
- Passages North Literary Journal A literary journal publishing poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction through annual print issues and digital bonus content on its website, affiliated with Northern Michigan University and targeting writers and readers of contemporary literature.
- Neutrino Short-Short Prize Annual short-short fiction and prose writing contest awarding $1,000 and publication in Passages North to the winning writer. Entry fee $15 per submission.
- Waasnode Fiction Prize Annual fiction writing contest awarding $1,000 and publication in Passages North to the winning story. Entry fee $15 per submission.
- Elinor Benedict Poetry Prize Annual poetry contest awarding publication in Passages North to the winning poet. Entry fee $15 per submission.
- Ray Ventre Memorial Nonfiction Prize Annual creative nonfiction contest awarding publication in Passages North to the winning essay. Entry fee $15 per submission.
Companies that use Passages North
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Passages North technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Passages North partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Passages North competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Granta: Internationally renowned literary magazine publishing fiction, nonfiction, and poetry through themed issues. Operates at greater scale and international reach than Passages North, but shares the curated literary-magazine model.
- The Paris Review: One of the most prestigious American literary journals publishing fiction, poetry, and nonfiction through quarterly issues and the Aga Khan Prize for Fiction. Operates at far greater scale than Passages North but shares the same core model of curating literary work through contests and editorial selection.
Direct peers
- One Story: Literary magazine publishing a single short story per issue, with subscription model and annual contests including the One Story Award. Comparable in single-genre literary publishing and contest-driven submission engagement.
- Tin House: Renowned literary magazine publishing fiction, poetry, and nonfiction through print issues and online content, including the Tin House Summer Workshop. Comparable in editorial scope and contest-driven contributor engagement to Passages North.
- The Sewanee Review: Quarterly literary journal affiliated with the University of the South, publishing fiction, poetry, and essays with a long publication history. Comparable in university affiliation, print format, and literary-magazine mission.
- The Kenyon Review: Long-established literary journal affiliated with Kenyon College, publishing fiction, poetry, and essays through print issues and online content. Shares Passages North's model of a university-based literary journal with contest-driven submission cycles.
- The Georgia Review: University-affiliated literary journal (University of Georgia) publishing poetry, fiction, and essays through quarterly issues. Highly comparable in structure, mission, and academic affiliation to Passages North.
- American Short Fiction: Literary journal publishing short fiction exclusively through print and online issues, with annual contests. Comparable in format and contest-driven contributor model to Passages North, though narrower in genre focus.
- Ploughshares: Literary journal publishing fiction, poetry, and nonfiction on a recurring basis, with the Ploughshares Emerging Writers Contest and regular guest-edited issues. Closely comparable to Passages North in format, contest structure, and audience of emerging writers.
Emerging players
- Narrative Magazine: Online-first literary magazine publishing fiction, nonfiction, and poetry with paid submission model and contests. Comparable in contest-driven revenue model and digital-first publishing approach, though focused on online distribution.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Passages North social profiles
Digital presencePassages North financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Passages North leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Passages North funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Passages North 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 Passages North
What does Passages North do?
Passages North is a literary journal that publishes poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction through annual print issues and a companion website that posts weekly bonus content. The journal also runs annual writing contests — the Neutrino Short-Short Prize, Waasnode Fiction Prize, Elinor Benedict Poetry Prize, and Ray Ventre Memorial Nonfiction Prize — that award cash prizes (notably $1,000 for major contests) and publication to winning writers. The journal is operated by Northern Michigan University and is sold through the website and distributed to paid contest entrants.
Is Passages North a public or private company?
Passages North is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Passages North founded?
Passages North was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Passages North based?
Passages North is headquartered in Marquette, United States, in the North America region.
How does Passages North make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Contest Entry Fees are the primary driver. The others are print Journal Sales.
Who are Passages North's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Granta and The Paris Review. Direct peers are One Story, Tin House, The Sewanee Review, The Kenyon Review, The Georgia Review, American Short Fiction and Ploughshares. Narrative Magazine is listed as an emerging player.
Does Passages North have an API?
No public API is recorded for Passages North.
What industry is Passages North in?
Passages North's product category is Literary Journal. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAC, Literary & Classics Publishing, with a secondary code of MPAJABAC, Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed). Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 2721.