Desert Palm Press

What Desert Palm Press does

Penlight Press is an independent, privately-held publishing company founded in 2006 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, operating in the consumer market under the trade names Desert Palm Press and Launchpoint Press. Both imprints focus on LGBTQ+ literature, particularly lesbian fiction, spanning genres including mystery, thriller, crime, paranormal, historical, sci-fi, fantasy, action/adventure, poetry, and memoir. The company works with a curated roster of 40+ authors across both imprints and has accumulated an award-recognized catalog spanning Rainbow Awards, Goldie Awards, and Lesfic Bard Awards from 2014 through 2026.

The company's core technology is a Squarespace-based e-commerce and content management platform supporting direct-to-consumer book sales through the integrated online bookstore at penlightpress.com/shop. Distribution is multi-channel: direct website sales serve as the primary funnel, while a partnership with Smashwords extends digital distribution to a global audience and participates in promotional events such as the 9th Annual Smashwords 2025 End of Year Sale. Unit pricing on individual titles ranges from $7.50 to $8.95, with promotional discount codes (10DPP for Desert Palm Press titles, 10LPP for Launchpoint Press titles) offering 10% off purchases.

The business model is direct-to-consumer publishing with revenue generated from one-time book sales. The go-to-market approach combines content marketing (author bios, monthly spotlights, podcast episodes on '2 Chicks Talk Writing'), community engagement (live author readings, Q&A events), conference participation (LCLC LesFic Writers' Retreat & Conference, Left Coast Lesbian Literary Conference), and email newsletter outreach. The primary customer segment is LGBTQ+ readers, particularly consumers of lesbian fiction, an underserved niche in mainstream publishing where the company addresses a documented gap in authentic representation and curated selection.

Name

Desert Palm Press

Legal name

Penlight Press

Website

https://desertpalmpress.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Penlight Press (operating as Desert Palm Press and Launchpoint Press) is an independent LGBTQ+ fiction publisher serving lesbian and broader queer readers through direct-to-consumer e-commerce, publishing 40+ authors across mystery, paranormal, sci-fi, fantasy, and historical genres.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313), Other Publishers (51319)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mass Market & Paperback Publishing (MPAJAAAD)

Keywords

• Independent book publishing
• LGBTQ fiction publishing
• Lesbian literature imprint
• Multi-genre fiction publisher
• Author-driven publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Sale of digital and physical copies of published works across multiple genres including mystery, paranormal, historical fiction, fantasy, and sci-fi. Revenue generated through direct e-commerce transactions on their website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Desert Palm Press operates as a specialized book imprint under Penlight Press, publishing LGBTQ+ fiction (with a strong focus on lesbian fiction) across multiple genres including mystery, thriller, crime, paranormal, historical, sci-fi, fantasy, action/adventure, poetry, and memoir. The imprint curates and distributes titles by a roster of 40+ authors, selling physical and digital books directly through its own e-commerce bookstore on penlightpress.com and through the Smashwords digital distribution platform.

Product overview

Desert Palm Press operates as a multi-imprint independent publishing company specializing in LGBTQ+ literature, particularly lesbian fiction. The company runs two distinct imprints: Desert Palm Press (DPP) as the primary imprint and Launchpoint Press (LPP) as a secondary imprint. Both imprints publish across multiple genres including mystery, thriller, crime, paranormal, historical, sci-fi, fantasy, and poetry. The company maintains an integrated online bookstore for both imprints and supports authors through events, author bios, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Desert Palm Press: An imprint of Penlight Press specializing in LGBTQ+ fiction and literature
• Launchpoint Press

Products and services

• Desert Palm Press Imprint Catalog

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SmashwordscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Desert Palm Press participates in Smashwords distribution platform, enabling wider digital book distribution to readers. The company actively participates in Smashwords promotional events including their annual End of Year Sale (9th Annual Smashwords 2025 End of Year Sale mentioned). This partnership expands reach beyond direct website sales.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bywater Books: Independent LGBTQ+ fiction publisher focused on lesbian and queer voices, with award-winning titles across mystery, romance, and literary fiction. Directly comparable in mission and catalog style.
• Bold Strokes Books: The largest independent LGBTQ+ book publisher, offering trade fiction across genres including mystery, romance, and speculative fiction. Directly comparable as a niche specialist with a curated author roster and direct-to-reader sales model.
• Bella Books: One of the longest-running lesbian fiction publishers, founded in 2001, with a deep catalog across genres including mystery, romance, and speculative fiction. Near-perfect overlap with Desert Palm Press in mission, audience, and pricing tier.
• JMS Books: LGBTQ+ romance and fiction publisher with a wide genre catalog and direct-to-consumer sales. Comparable niche focus, though heavier weighting toward shorter romance works.
• NineStar Press: Independent LGBTQ+ fiction publisher producing romance, speculative fiction, and genre fiction from diverse queer authors. Comparable as a small indie publisher with direct e-commerce distribution.
• Ylva Publishing: Independent publisher specializing in lesbian and queer fiction, headquartered in Germany but distributing globally in English. Highly comparable in niche focus, genre breadth, and direct-to-consumer positioning.
• Bedazzled Ink Publishing: Small independent publisher focused on lesbian fiction and literary fiction by women. Closely aligned niche audience and direct sales model.

Broad incumbents

• HarperCollins (Amistad, William Morrow): Major trade publisher with multiple imprints that publish LGBTQ+ and diverse fiction, including Lambda Literary Award winners. Represents the broad-incumbent competitive threat that encroaches on niche specialists.

Emerging players

• Less Than Three Press: Small LGBTQ+ fiction press with a strong digital and direct-sales focus, particularly in romance and YA. Smaller scale but directly comparable in niche and channel strategy.
• Supposed Crimes: Specialist publisher focused on LGBTQ+ mystery and crime fiction, including the Lambda Literary Award-winning 'Borderline' imprint. Comparable genre overlap and audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/desert-palm-press

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Desert Palm Press