Founded in 2014, R. Lee Fitzsimmons established Desert Palm Press (DPP, webpage with Pen Light) in Watsonville, CA. At the time, Fitzsimmons was dissatisfied with the limited access LGBTQ+ community members generally–lesbians specifically–had to the publishing world. They created the Press in part to provide women with spaces to be heard. To this day, the Press seeks to present its readers with material that “accurately and respectfully” reflects lesbian and other LGBTQ+ community members’ lives.[1] To meet that goal, the Press publishes across multiple genres, ranging from romance and horror, speculative fiction, and biography. Last year, On January 1, 2025, Jodi Zeramby and Peggy Zeramby took over publishing duties for the Press.[2]
Desert Palm Press is an active participant in the Southern California writing scene. For multiple years, they have supported and/or participated in the Left Coast Literary Conference in Palm Springs. They also have an active Facebook page.
Recent Titles in UC Berkeley Library
More in the UC System
To find more books from Desert Palm Press in the UC Library System, take a look at the UC Library Search with a publisher limit to “Desert Palm Press” and a material type to book.
Notes
[1] R. Lee Fitzsimmons, “Scenes: Desert Palm Press An Interview with R. Lee Fitzsimmons,” American Book Review 43, no. 3 (2022): 195–96, Project MUSE, https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/17/article/884796.
[2] “Desert Palm Press About Us | Empower LGBTQ+ Voices — Discover More,” Penlight Press, accessed March 10, 2026, https://penlightpress.com/dpp-about.