Publisher Highlight: North Atlantic Books

Collage North Atlantic Books covers and logo

When founding a press in 1974 in Vermont, Richard Grossinger and Lindy Hough claimed the name North Atlantic Books (NAB). They then promptly moved to the Pacific coast and began operating the press out of Berkeley, where they are registered as a not-for-profit. Committed to social justice and community engagement, the press puts its money where its mouth is and pays their “annual Shuumi Land Tax to the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust for their continued work in the rematriation of the land upon which we live and work.”[1] They also contribute to initiatives like the Prisoners Literature Project and Alameda County Community Food Bank, among others.[2]

No longer a two-person operation, the North Atlantic Books is run by a diverse board of directors.[3] Now under that diverse board, the House has been publishing poetry and memoirs as well as books on social justice, health and yoga, anthropology, and spiritual growth. The literature which the House shepherds often tackle topics such as grief, climate change, and wellness.

In addition to their main lines, North Atlantic Books has developed a series of imprints, including Blue Snake Books, one of the largest publishers of internal and historical martial-arts books in the world.

Readers can find out more about the press and their publications through the press’ website or on their Instagram page.

Recent Titles

 

Note

[1] “Who We Are,” North Atlantic Books, accessed March 17, 2026, https://www.northatlanticbooks.com/who-we-are/.

[2] Wendy Werris, “North Atlantic Books Transforms with the Times,” PublishersWeekly.Com, September 28, 2012, https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/54169-north-atlantic-books-transforms-with-the-times.html.

[3] Anisse Gross, “With New Leaders, North Atlantic Books Looks Ahead,” PublishersWeekly.Com, April 10, 2015, https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/66228-with-new-leaders-north-atlantic-books-looks-ahead.html.


Publisher Highlight: Desert Palm Press

Collage of Desert Palm Press Covers with logo, 2026

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.


Publisher Highlight: Black Mask Studios

Collage of Black Mask covers with logo

Black Mask Studios, based in Los Angeles, saw its start in 2012 with the publication of the kickstarter-funded Occupy Comics anthology under leadership of Steve Niles, Brett Gurewitz, and Matt Pizzolo. The three started the publishing house with experiences ranging from punk rock (Bad Religion), to horror comics (30 Days of Night) and film, and business (HALO 8 Entertainment), to name only a few of their efforts. Each with roots in various punk scenes, the three wanted to bring their experiences to start a house that could introduce punk rock values into comics and emphasize the involvement of comics in counterculture.[1]

Since their founding, Black Mask has contributed to the comics scene with some influential titles including Black (Kwanza Osajyefo and Jamal Igle, 2016), Godkiller (Matteo Pizzolo and Anna Muckcracker Wieszczyk, 2016), and Calexit (Matteo Pizzolo and Amancay Nahuelpan, started 2018). As fitting with punk values, the stories frequently explore push-back against cruelty (Liberator, Matt Miner, Javier Aranda Sanchez, Joaquin Pereyra, and Crank; 2014) and government corruption (Clandestino, Amancay Nahuelpan, 2018), and self-expression (Alice In Leatherland, Iolanda Zanfardino and Elisa Romboli, 2022).

Readers can follow Black Mask on their website or their Facebook page.

Titles at UC Berkeley

For more in the UC Libraries

To find additional titles, take a look at the UC Library Advanced Search with a limit to publisher (sample). Note, however, that some of Black Mask Studio’s titles are released in collaboration with Simon and Shuster.

Notes

[1] Borys Kit, “‘John Wick’ Filmmaker Chad Stahelski Tackling California Rebellion Comic ‘Calexit’ (Exclusive),” The Hollywood Reporter, July 23, 2025, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/john-wick-filmmaker-chad-stahelski-calexit-1236326587/; Scott Thill, “Black Mask Studios’ ‘Old Punks’ Occupy Comics, Creators Rights,” Tags, Wired, March 20, 2012, https://www.wired.com/2012/03/black-mask-studios-occupy-comics/; Steve Foxe, “Black Mask Studios Founders Talk Creator Rights, Punk Ethics and a Very Busy 2015,” Paste Magazine, March 25, 2015, https://www.pastemagazine.com/comics/black-mask-studios-founders-talk-creator-rights-pu.


Publisher Highlight: Aunt Lute Books

collage banner for Aunt Lute Books

Founded in 1982, Aunt Lute Books has spent forty years contributing to the shape of literature across the continent. Their books–novels, poetry, essays, as well as an array of non-fiction works–are consistently on lists of must-read titles and taught across the world. Those influential books from the self-described “intersectional, feminist press” include Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza (first published in 1987) and The Cancer Journals (1980).

Aunt Lute Books is considered a Bay Area establishment, but Barb Wieser and Joan Pinkvoss initially established it in Iowa City. Four years later, the Press moved to San Francisco to partner with the small lesbian press Spinsters Ink. The two would separate again in 1990, when Aunt Lute Books would begin operation under the newly founded Ant Lute Foundation. Spinster Ink, still a lesbian press, would eventually move away from the coast. Perhaps amusingly, Spinsters Ink would eventually move away from SF, while Aunt Lute continues in the city.

To this day, the House continues to print “literature that voices the perspectives of women from a broad range of communities.” Readers can find out some information about the House through their webpage and Instagram page.

Recent Titles

More in the UC Libraries

You can find Aunt Lute Book’s publications across the UC Library system in just about every edition. To find their books specifically at UC Berkeley, readers can use the UC Library Search with a focus on “UC Berkeley catalog” and a limit by publisher (click here for the search).

Notes

[1] “About Us,” Aunt Lute Books, accessed February 9, 2026, https://www.auntlute.com/about-us.


Publisher Highlight: Atopon Books

collage of Atopon logo with book covers

With its first books appearing in 2023, Atopon Books is a newer press based out of Santa Monica. This not-for-profit press focuses on “poetry and literary fiction,” releasing new literary publications as well as releasing new editions of classic novels. Building its catalog, the Atopon is more interested in literature that “demystif[ies] moral as well as aesthetic concern[s]” than in worrying about genre distinctions.[1]

Atopon Books does have a Facebook page, but this Literatures Librarian does not and cannot say what’s on it.

Recent Titles

For more at UC Berkeley

You can find additional titles at UC Berkeley’s Libraries through our UC Library Search with a publisher limit.

Notes

[1] Atopon Books. “About Us.” Accessed February 9, 2026. https://www.atoponbooks.com/about-us.


Publisher Highlight: Fieldmouse Press

Founded in 2019, the comics publisher Fieldmouse Press is based out of Grass Valley in California. Their House focuses on introspective text, exploring inner-emotions and personal experiences. Ranging from micro-comics to full volumes, works like Feather (Cohen, 2024), explore the act of creation and development. a rootbound plant needs space to grow (Zhu, 2025) examines the idea of love. A Scientific Study of Transsexuality (Woodiwiss, 2025), in turn, explores the sensual beauty of the trans body through the medium of a fictional scientific journal.[1]

To produce these phenomenal works, Fieldmouse sometimes runs Kickstarts to raise the funds to publish. Readers can find more information about the House’s book releases as well as their campaigns on their Instagram page.

Titles at UC Berkeley

Additional Titles in the UC System

Readers can find additional titles from Fieldmouse Press through our UC Library Search by limiting results with a publisher search.

Notes

[1] “Two Apple Problem: What ‘Show, Don’t Tell’ Means in Graphic Narratives,” Literary Hub, accessed February 3, 2026, https://lithub.com/two-apple-problem-what-show-dont-tell-means-in-graphic-narratives/; Longtime Comics Critics Announce FIELDMOUSE PRESS, a New Nonprofit Publisher, accessed November 25, 2025, https://www.comicsbeat.com/fieldmouse-press-announcement/; MariNaomi, “Leela Corman on Victory Parade, Genocide and Transgressive Art: ‘This Is My Corner Of Humanity’s Coffin To Carry,’” The Comics Journal, April 1, 2024, https://www.tcj.com/leela-corman-on-victory-parade-genocide-and-transgressive-art-this-is-my-corner-of-humanitys-coffin-to-carry/; Arpad Okay, “Graphic Novel Review: FLEA Is Fearless, Flawed, Dirty, and Excellent,” The Beat, September 10, 2025, https://www.comicsbeat.com/review-flea/; “About,” Fieldmouse Press, accessed February 2, 2026, https://www.fieldmouse.press/about.


Publisher Highlight: Angel City Press

Collage of Angel City Press covers

Founded in 1992 in Los Angeles by Scott McAuley and Paddy Calistro, Angel City Press (https://acp.lapl.org/) focuses on non-fiction with an emphasis on Southern California’s space, history, art, and music.[1] Under their leadership, the press published more than 100 volumes including Hollywood du Jour (1993, link to UC Library Search).

In 2023, the co-founders decided to retire and donated the press and its catalog to the Los Angeles Public Library.[2] Under the LAPL, the press publishes seven books a year on diverse topics, but each focused on the LA area. Between the volumes, the books offer not only an exploration of the LA area, but an amazing look into some of the LAPL’s collections, drawing on images, illustrations, and more.

Readers can find information about their new releases and book talks on Angel City Press’ Instagram page. The press also posts phenomenal historical photographs and other LA-related ephemera from LA Public Library’s special collections (About the collections). For more digitized material, check out TESSA, the digital collections of the Los Angeles Public Library.

Titles About the Literary Scene

More Titles at the UCs

UC Berkeley’s Doe and Bancroft Libraries as well as UC Los Angeles collect heavily from across Angel City Press’ topical coverage. You can find most of their catalog through the UC Library Search.

Notes

[1] Angel City Press at Los Angeles Public Library. “Our Story.” Accessed January 28, 2026. https://acp.lapl.org/about-us/.

[2] “Our Story,” Angel City Press at Los Angeles Public Library, accessed January 28, 2026, https://acp.lapl.org/about-us/; Jim Ruland, “The L.A. Public Library Is Getting into Book Publishing. Why It Makes Total Sense,” Books, Los Angeles Times, January 8, 2024, https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2024-01-08/the-l-a-public-library-is-getting-into-book-publishing-why-it-makes-total-sense.


Publisher Highlight: Omnidawn Publishing

Banner for Omnidawn

Founded in 2001, Omnidawn Publishing Inc. (https://www.omnidawn.com/) is a nonprofit, independent press based in Richmond, CA. Ken Keegan & Rusty Morrison founded the press to support their belief in the value of literature and stance that it would be a privilege to participate in the development and release of “lively, culturally pertinent, emotionally and intellectually engaging” material. The House focuses on poetry, both original and in translation.

A quarter century old, Omnidawn has a history of supporting and expanding the community of writers. Now headed by Rusty Morrison & Laura Joakimson, the two have renewed that commitment with an added focus on “becoming a more modernized, resilient and sustainable press.”[1] Part of that includes celebrating authors from different backgrounds, socio-economic status, sexuality, and physicality. Another aspect focuses on providing a yearly writing prize for first-time poets or poets with only one book already published.[2]

Omnidawn holds book readings, participates in festivals, and hosts poetry month events. You can find out more about their community events through their Instagram (link) and other social media accounts. This is also one of the many publishers that include works by our own, UNC Berkeley community members – so make sure to keep an eye on them!

Select Titles at UC Berkeley

Additional Titles

Not only does UC Berkeley’s Doe and Bancroft Libraries heavily collect from Omnidawn, but UCLA and UC Davis do as well. You can find the hundred-plus titles and their locations through our UC Library Search with a publisher limitation. Be aware that Omnidawn works with the University of Chicago Press for distribution (U of Chicago page).

Notes

[1] “Our Mission,” Omnidawn, accessed January 5, 2026, https://www.omnidawn.com/our-mission/.

[2] John Maher, “Fresh Off a National Book Award Win, Omnidawn Looks Toward the Holidays,” Publishers Weekly, December 4, 2023, https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/93821-fresh-off-a-national-book-award-win-omnidawn-looks-toward-the-holidays.html.


Publisher Highlight: Unnamed Press

banner for unnamed press

In 2015, Publishers Weekly declared that Unnamed Books was “Creating Home For Contemporary Authors.”[1] At that point, the small, LA-based publisher was still only getting off the ground. In the early 2010s, Chris Heiser and Olivia Taylor Smith decided to go into independent publishing. In 2013, the two started with the name Ricochet Books, but USC had already claimed the name “Ricochet” in 2012. In 2014, they chose to rebrand as Unnamed Press, with the intention of providing a space for international literature. Their early titles included works like Deji Olukotun’s Nigerians in Space and Rocío Cerón’s Diorama.[2]

Since then, the press has expanded to become “general interest.”[2] In 2024, that included the creation of their Smith & Taylor Classics imprint with titles such as Vernon Lee’s Hauntings: And Other Stories. To continue pushing literature and providing spaces for experimental literature, in 2025 the press started a poetry line. That line often includes audio components on vinyl (https://www.unnamedpress.com/vinyl) with titles such as Emma Ruth Rundle’s The Bella Vista: Poems.[3]

Readers can find out more about their titles on the website (https://www.unnamedpress.com/) or on their Instagram page (https://www.instagram.com/unnamedpress/).

Recent Titles

For additional titles at UC Berkeley

Readers can find more material through a publisher focus in our UC Library Search. Select titles are available for circulation in Doe’s Main Stacks while others are in our special collections in Bancroft (UC Library search limited to special collections). See individual catalog entries for location.

Notes

[1] Anisse Gross, “Unnamed Press Creating Home For Contemporary Authors,” PublishersWeekly.Com, February 27, 2015, https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/65736-unnamed-press-creating-home-for-contemporary-authors.html.

[2] Edward Nawotka, “LA’s Unnamed Press: Relatable Foreign Fiction, Unlikely Protagonists,” Publishing Perspectives, July 18, 2014, https://publishingperspectives.com/2014/07/las-unnamed-press-relatable-foreign-fiction-unlikely-protagonists/.

[3] “About,” Unnamed Press, accessed January 12, 2026, https://www.unnamedpress.com/about-1.

[4] Nathalie op de Beeck, “Unnamed Press Develops Cross-Media Poetry Line,” PublishersWeekly.Com, accessed January 12, 2026, https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/97014-unnamed-press-develops-cross-media-poetry-line.html.


Publisher Highlight: Seven Seas Entertainment

Seven Seas Entertainment logo

Seven Seas Entertainment (website) is a Los Angeles based publishing house. In 2004, Jason DeAngelis founded the House with the intention of providing English language translations of manga (i.e., Japanese comics/graphic novels). A fan of the genre and a translator thereof, they decided to fill a significant gap in the market.[1] Since then, the House has released thousands of titles translated into English as well as expanded into print editions of serialized web comics.

Over the last two decades, Seven Seas Entertainment has expanded with several imprints including:

Readers can find announcements about new releases and more on Seven Seas Entertainment’s Instagram page.

Select Titles at UC Berkeley

Additional Material

Readers can find more material through a publisher focus in our UC Library Search. Readers can also find limited titles from the imprint Seven Seas Ghost Ship (UC Library Search). Readers should be aware that the comics collection in Doe Library is in the PN section – and that there is another comic collection in the East Asian Library!

Notes

[1] Shannon Fay, “Seven Seas Entertainment » News » The Man Behind Seven Seas: Getting to Know Jason DeAngelis,” Go Manga, 2004-2014, https://www.gomanga.com/news/features_gomanga_012.php.

[2] Wikipedia, “Seven Seas Entertainment,” December 10, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Seven_Seas_Entertainment&oldid=1326781874.