Michigan State University Press

What Michigan State University Press does

Michigan State University Press (MSU Press) is a scholarly book and academic journal publisher operating as an institutional division of Michigan State University, a public land-grant university headquartered in East Lansing, Michigan. The press publishes approximately 80-100 new book titles annually across humanities and social sciences — including history, literature, African studies, Great Lakes studies, rhetoric, and creative nonfiction — alongside seven peer-reviewed journals: Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction, Rhetoric & Public Affairs, Rhetoric, Politics & Culture, QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking, CR: The New Centennial Review, and Journal of West African History.

The press monetizes through three primary revenue streams: one-time book sales (print paperback/hardcover and EPUB/PDF eBooks) via its Supadu-powered e-commerce storefront and through wholesale to Amazon and Barnes & Noble; recurring journal subscriptions in print and electronic formats (individual subscriptions $40-$50, institutional $135 U.S. / $159 international, student $26-$31); and content licensing including open-access initiatives such as Read Michigan, the BTAA Open Books Initiative, and JSTOR Path to Open. Distribution is layered through Project MUSE, JSTOR, the Scholarly Publishing Collective, and Fulcrum for institutional and OA reach.

Go-to-market centers on direct-to-consumer website sales, conference attendance (SHEAR, AWP, ASEH, RSA, SSML, Midwestern History Conference), seasonal Spring/Fall catalogs dating to 2017, email newsletters, and submission-management workflows (Duosuma). Primary customer segments are academic scholars and researchers, university and institutional libraries, students, and general readers interested in regional Michigan content. The organization is led by Director Elizabeth Demers and operates without disclosed venture capital, private equity, or outside investment, functioning as a mission-aligned arm of the university rather than a commercially independent entity.

Name

Michigan State University Press

Legal name

Michigan State University Press

Website

https://msupress.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Michigan State University Press is an academic book and journal publisher operating as a division of Michigan State University, publishing 80-100 scholarly titles annually and seven peer-reviewed journals across humanities and social sciences, serving researchers, university libraries, and general readers through direct, retail, and institutional channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAJABAJ

Research Monographs & University Press Publishing

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Educational & Academic Publishing (Textbooks, Scholarly, STM)

SECONDARYMPAJABAC

Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Educational & Academic Publishing (Textbooks, Scholarly, STM)

SECONDARYEDAGAFAJ

Open Access Scholarly Journals & Monographs

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Academic & Scholarly Publishing (Journals, Monographs)

SECONDARYMPAJABAK

Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Educational & Academic Publishing (Textbooks, Scholarly, STM)

Keywords

• Scholarly book publishing
• Academic journal publishing
• University press monographs
• Open access publishing
• Peer-reviewed humanities

Headquarters

HQ city

East Lansing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Sale of print books (paperback, hardcover) and eBooks (EPUB, PDF) directly through the press website and through major retail channels including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
2. Journal Subscriptions: Annual and multi-year subscriptions for academic journals in print and/or electronic formats, serving individuals, students, and institutions.
3. Licensing: Licensing of MSU Press content for various uses including the Read Michigan Program and other open access initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Michigan State University Press publishes 80-100 new scholarly books annually and operates seven peer-reviewed academic journals across the humanities and social sciences, available in paperback, hardcover, EPUB, PDF, and subscription-based electronic formats. It also runs open access publishing programs (Read Michigan, Big Ten Academic Alliance Open Books, JSTOR Path to Open) and administers annual nonfiction essay prizes. Distribution is handled through the press website, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and aggregators such as Project MUSE, JSTOR, and Fulcrum.

Product overview

Michigan State University Press is an academic book and journal publisher operating as a division of Michigan State University. Its product portfolio centers on scholarly books (publishing 80-100 new titles annually across history, literature, African studies, Great Lakes studies, rhetoric, and science/technology) and peer-reviewed journals including Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction, Rhetoric & Public Affairs, Rhetoric, Politics & Culture, Journal of West African History, QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking, and CR: The New Centennial Review. The press also operates Open Access Programs through Read Michigan, the Big Ten Academic Alliance Open Books Initiative, JSTOR Path to Open, and individual author OA projects. Complementary offerings include the annual Fourth Genre Steinberg Memorial Essay Prize and Fourth Genre Multimedia Essay Prize, seasonal catalogs, and direct book ordering via its Supadu-powered e-commerce platform with distribution through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Academic Books (General Catalog) Scholarly and general-interest books published across disciplines including history, literature, African studies, Great Lakes studies, rhetoric, science, and technology; press publishes approximately 80-100 new book titles annually in paperback, hardcover, EPUB, and PDF formats.
• Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction Literary journal publishing notable, innovative nonfiction including personal essays, memoirs, literary journalism, and creative nonfiction; published biannually and available by individual, student, and institutional subscription via Project MUSE.
• Rhetoric & Public Affairs Peer-reviewed scholarly journal examining rhetoric in public life, politics, and civic discourse; available by individual, student, and institutional subscription.
• Rhetoric, Politics & Culture Peer-reviewed journal inviting original scholarship that examines rhetoric as a phenomenon across political and cultural contexts; available by subscription.
• Journal of West African History Peer-reviewed scholarly journal dedicated to the study of West African history, founded at Michigan State University; available by subscription.
• QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking Academic journal bringing together scholars, activists, public intellectuals, artists, and policy makers to discuss LGBTQ themes; published three times annually and available by subscription.
• CR: The New Centennial Review Journal publishing articles on topics related to the intersection of ethnic studies, cultural studies, and historical inquiry; available by subscription.
• Open Access Programs Open access publishing initiatives providing free or embargoed public access to MSU Press books, including Read Michigan (statewide e-book access for Michigan residents, with 22,862 total views since 2021 and 4,766 MSU Press book views), the BTAA Open Books Initiative (gender and sexuality studies, Indigenous North America, and emerging African, Asian, Hispanic American, health disparities, and environmental collections), and JSTOR Path to Open (three-year embargo open access for curated academic e-books).
• Fourth Genre Steinberg Memorial Essay Prize Annual essay prize awarding $1,000 and publication in Fourth Genre journal for outstanding nonfiction essays; submissions accepted January 1 through March 15 annually.
• Fourth Genre Multimedia Essay Prize Annual multimedia essay prize awarding $500 and publication on the Fourth Genre website for video, audio, photo, graphic, or interactive essays.
• Ecological Rhetorics Book Series Scholarly book series publishing monographs at the intersection of ecological and rhetorical studies, building on the press's established strengths in rhetoric and environmental humanities.
• Book Ordering and Course Adoption Services Direct purchasing of books in paperback, hardcover, EPUB, and PDF formats through the MSU Press e-commerce store (msupress.org), with additional availability through Amazon and Barnes & Noble, plus review copies and desk and exam copy programs for instructors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Read Michigan program has generated 22,862 total views since 2021
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Read Michigan ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021A cooperative effort between the Library of Michigan and the presses of Michigan State University, University of Michigan, and Wayne State University. Provides free e-book access to Michigan residents, with MSU Press books having been viewed 4,766 times since the program's inception in 2021.
• Big Ten Academic Alliance Open Books InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSU Press participates in the BTAA Open Books Initiative featuring collections in gender and sexuality studies and Indigenous North America, with additional collections in development for African, Asian, and Hispanic American identities, health disparities, and environmental topics.
• JSTOR Path to Open ProgramminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMSU Press participates in JSTOR's Path to Open program, which opens carefully curated academic e-books after a three-year embargo period.
• FulcrumcoreTechnology or IntegrationOpen access publishing platform where MSU Press OA titles are hosted and distributed, part of the Big Ten Academic Alliance infrastructure.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Penn State University Press: Public Big Ten peer press with comparable journal and monograph programs including rhetoric/communication journals, providing direct editorial and distribution parallels.
• Indiana University Press: Mid-tier US university press publishing approximately 80-100 books annually across African studies, music, folklore, and regional humanities — overlapping closely with MSU Press's African studies and rhetoric strengths.
• University of Michigan Press: A fellow Michigan-based university press publishing scholarly books and journals across humanities, social sciences, and regional topics. Direct comparator as co-participant in the Read Michigan program with overlapping subject focus on Great Lakes and Michigan studies.
• Ohio State University Press: Public Big Ten university press with similar monograph output in literary nonfiction, rhetoric, and poetry — overlapping journal/monograph categories with MSU Press.
• Purdue University Press: Big Ten public university press with comparable scale and a focus on engineering, technology, and humanities monographs. Overlap with MSU Press's science/technology and humanities list.
• University of Illinois Press: Established Big Ten–region university press with comparable journal and monograph output in rhetoric, American studies, and regional history. Direct scale and mission comparator in the same BTAA ecosystem.
• Wayne State University Press: Michigan-based university press also participating in Read Michigan with strong lists in regional history, Jewish studies, and Great Lakes topics. Highly comparable in scale, mission, and institutional operating model.
• University of Wisconsin Press: Big Ten regional press publishing regional history, poetry, and rhetoric journals. Highly comparable operating model with overlapping subject specializations.

Broad incumbents

• Cornell University Press: Larger, established university press with substantially broader catalog and stronger brand recognition; serves as a higher-end benchmark in scholarly publishing while operating in overlapping humanities fields.
• University of Nebraska Press: Mid-to-large public-university press with broad humanities list including regional history, Native American studies, and prairie/regional topics. Comparable scale and mission with overlapping nonfiction and poetry strengths.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MSUPress
• Facebookfacebook.com/MSUPress
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/michigan-state-university-press

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Michigan State University Press