Jolly Fish Press
Jolly Fish Press is a private children's and young adult book imprint of North Star Editions, publishing diverse fiction across genres including LGBTQ+, multicultural, and social justice themes for young readers in North America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersMendota, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Jolly Fish Press does
Jolly Fish Press is a private book publishing imprint founded in 2011 and headquartered in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, operating as part of North Star Editions, a multi-imprint children's and young adult publishing group. The imprint publishes young adult, middle-grade, and children's fiction across a broad range of genres including action and adventure, coming-of-age, science fiction and fantasy, mystery, history, romance, paranormal, and sports, with a particular editorial emphasis on diverse, multicultural, LGBTQ+, social justice, and disability-themed storytelling. The visible catalog includes both standalone titles (such as Where the Light Shines In, Phyllis of the Forest, King Coyote, Lemon Drop Falls, and The Art of Running Away) and multi-volume series (Lighthouse, Harbor, Horizon, Maggie Sparks, Doggie Daycare, Unicorns of the Secret Stable, The Histronauts, Haunted States of America, and I Am America).
The imprint's core technology is standard book publishing infrastructure with no proprietary systems, APIs, or AI capabilities disclosed. Revenue is generated through one-time book sales distributed via North Star Editions' shared infrastructure across bookstores, libraries, educational institutions, online retailers, and direct ordering through the parent company's website with phone support. Marketing is conducted through North Star Editions' organic social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), the corporate website, and email newsletters. Jolly Fish Press has earned multiple industry recognitions between 2022 and 2023, including IPPY Awards (Gold, Silver, Bronze in Juvenile Fiction and Multicultural Fiction categories), Moonbeam Awards (Gold, Silver, Bronze across Pre-Teen Fiction categories), Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards (Gold and Finalist), Best Indie Book Awards, International Latino Book Awards, ALA Rainbow Book List selections, and starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Foreword Reviews.
The firm has 11-50 employees, is privately held with no disclosed funding, M&A activity, leadership changes, or external institutional investment, and operates as one of nine imprints under North Star Editions (alongside Apex, Focus Readers, Flux, Little Blue House, North Star Classroom, North Star Kids, North Star Library, and Press Box Books). Operating geographies are limited to North America (USA), with no global footprint claims in the source data.
Jolly Fish Press firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Jolly Fish Press
- Legal name
- North Star Editions
- Website
- https://jollyfishpress.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Jolly Fish Press is a private children's and young adult book imprint of North Star Editions, publishing diverse fiction across genres including LGBTQ+, multicultural, and social justice themes for young readers in North America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Jolly Fish Press industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's and Young Adult Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (51313)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Young Adult (YA) Publishing (MPAJAFAD)
Keywords
Where Jolly Fish Press is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mendota
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Jolly Fish Press business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Revenue is generated through the sale of physical and digital books to consumers, bookstores, libraries, and educational institutions. Titles are distributed through North Star Editions' ordering infrastructure.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Jolly Fish Press product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Jolly Fish Press is a children's and young adult book imprint that publishes physical and digital fiction titles across genres such as action/adventure, LGBTQ+, multicultural, social justice, paranormal, romance, sci-fi/fantasy, mystery, and sports. The imprint releases standalone picture books, chapter books, and multi-book series sets targeted at young readers, with notable award-winning titles recognized by IPPY, Moonbeam, Foreword INDIES, and ALA Rainbow Book List.
Product overview
Jolly Fish Press is an imprint of North Star Editions, a children's and young adult book publisher based in Mendota Heights, MN. The imprint publishes a diverse catalog of titles across multiple genres including Abuse/Mental Health/Disabilities, Action & Adventure, Activism/Prejudice & Social Justice, Adolescence/Coming of Age & Family, Animals, Comedy, Crime/Mystery/Thriller, Diversity & Multicultural, Dystopian, History & Education, LGBTQ+, Myths & Legends, Paranormal & Supernatural, Romance, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, and Sports & Recreation. Notable award-winning titles include The Art of Running Away, Daisy Woodworm Changes the World, Lemon Drop Falls, and Tia Lugo Speaks No Evil. The publishing catalog features both standalone titles and multi-book series such as Harbor, Horizon, Lighthouse, Doggie Daycare, Unicorns of the Secret Stable, The Histronauts, Haunted States of America, and I Am America.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Where the Light Shines In Fiction title published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint for children and young adult readers.
- Phyllis of the Forest Fiction title published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint for children and young adult readers.
- King Coyote Fiction title published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint for children and young adult readers.
- Little Rabbit Wants the Moon Children's fiction title published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint.
- Racing the Clouds Fiction title published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint for children and young adult readers.
- Lighthouse Series Multi-volume fiction book series published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint, targeted at children and young adult readers.
- The Cassette Tape Secret Children's/YA fiction title by Danielle Herzog published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint.
- Harbor Set 4 Set four of a multi-volume fiction book series published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint, targeted at children and young adult readers.
- Horizon Set 3 Set three of a multi-volume fiction book series published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint, targeted at children and young adult readers.
- Ghost Says Meow!: A Halloween Story Halloween-themed children's fiction title published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint.
- Maggie Sparks Set 2 Set two of a multi-volume fiction book series published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint, targeted at children and young adult readers.
- When You're a Boy Children's/YA fiction title by Blake Nuto published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint.
- Joey the Good Children's/YA fiction title published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint.
- A Swing for Samara Children's/YA fiction title published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint.
- Rain, Rain Children's/YA fiction title published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint.
- The Art of Running Away Award-winning children's/YA fiction title published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint, recognized across IPPY, Moonbeam, Best Indie Book Award, and ALA Rainbow Book List.
- Daisy Woodworm Changes the World Award-winning children's/YA fiction title published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint, recognized across Foreword INDIES, IPPY, and Moonbeam awards.
- Lemon Drop Falls Award-winning children's/YA fiction title published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint, recognized across Moonbeam, Foreword INDIES, and IPPY awards.
- Tia Lugo Speaks No Evil Award-winning children's/YA fiction title published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint, recognized across IPPY, International Latino Book Awards, and Moonbeam awards.
- The Bear and Her Book Children's fiction title published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint, recognized with starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Foreword Reviews.
- It Happened on Saturday Children's/YA fiction title published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint, recognized with a Kirkus Reviews starred review.
- The Most Important Animal of All Children's fiction title published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint, reviewed by Kirkus Reviews.
- We the Future Children's/YA fiction title published under the Jolly Fish Press imprint.
Companies that use Jolly Fish Press
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Jolly Fish Press technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Jolly Fish Press partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- North Star EditionscoreJolly Fish Press operates as an imprint of North Star Editions, sharing distribution, sales, marketing, and publishing infrastructure with multiple other imprints including Apex, Focus Readers, Flux, Little Blue House, North Star Classroom, North Star Kids, North Star Library, and Press Box Books.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Jolly Fish Press competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Sourcebooks: Larger independent publisher with a dedicated children's imprint (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky/Explore) publishing award-winning children's and YA titles across similar genres, leveraging broader portfolio scale.
- Scholastic: Dominant children's book publisher with unrivaled school and library channel reach, representing the structural competitor that limits indie children's publishers' share of institutional sales.
- Chronicle Books: Independent publisher with a meaningful children's book segment (including picture books and YA-adjacent titles), competing in the same retail and gift-channel distribution environment at greater scale.
- Lerner Publishing Group: Independent children's book publisher with multiple imprints (including Carolrhoda Books) covering diverse fiction and nonfiction, with stronger institutional/educational channel penetration than Jolly Fish Press.
Direct peers
- Holiday House: Long-standing independent children's book publisher offering picture books through YA titles, with similar catalog breadth and library/retail distribution mechanics.
- Albert Whitman & Company: Independent children's book publisher with a comparable focus on socially relevant and diverse titles for young readers, distributed through similar library and educational channels.
- Page Street Publishing: Independent publisher with a strong YA and middle-grade fiction catalog emphasizing diverse voices and award-worthy titles, distributed through comparable retail and library channels.
- Peachtree Publishers: Independent children's and YA book publisher with similar catalog breadth and award recognition, comparable in scale to Jolly Fish Press and serving libraries, schools, and bookstores through analogous distribution channels.
- Charlesbridge: Independent publisher of children's fiction and nonfiction across multiple genres including diverse and inclusive storytelling, with similar library/school distribution and editorial positioning.
Emerging players
- Lee & Low Books: Independent children's publisher explicitly focused on diversity and multicultural content, directly competing for the same library and school market that Jolly Fish Press's diverse-themed titles target.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Jolly Fish Press social profiles
Digital presenceJolly Fish Press financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Jolly Fish Press leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Jolly Fish Press funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Jolly Fish Press 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 Jolly Fish Press
What does Jolly Fish Press do?
Jolly Fish Press is a children's and young adult book imprint that publishes physical and digital fiction titles across genres such as action/adventure, LGBTQ+, multicultural, social justice, paranormal, romance, sci-fi/fantasy, mystery, and sports. The imprint releases standalone picture books, chapter books, and multi-book series sets targeted at young readers, with notable award-winning titles recognized by IPPY, Moonbeam, Foreword INDIES, and ALA Rainbow Book List.
Is Jolly Fish Press a public or private company?
Jolly Fish Press is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Jolly Fish Press founded?
Jolly Fish Press was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Jolly Fish Press based?
Jolly Fish Press is headquartered in Mendota, United States, in the North America region.
How does Jolly Fish Press make money?
One revenue line is on record: book Sales.
Who are Jolly Fish Press's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Sourcebooks, Scholastic, Chronicle Books and Lerner Publishing Group. Direct peers are Holiday House, Albert Whitman & Company, Page Street Publishing, Peachtree Publishers and Charlesbridge. Lee & Low Books is listed as an emerging player.
Does Jolly Fish Press have an API?
No public API is recorded for Jolly Fish Press.
What industry is Jolly Fish Press in?
Jolly Fish Press's product category is Children's and Young Adult Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAFAD, Young Adult (YA) Publishing. Its NAICS code is 51313 and its SIC code is 2731.