Blue Star Press
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Founder | Peter Licalzi, Camden Hendricks |
| Headquarters | Bend , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Peter Licalzi (CEO) |
| Products | Books, games, gift items |
| Website | bluestarpress |
Blue Star Press is a U.S.-based publisher that specializes in adult nonfiction, children’s literature, games, and gift items. Operating under two distinct imprints—Blue Star Press and Paige Tate & Co.—the company is headquartered in Bend, Oregon.
History
Established in 2015 by CEO Peter Licalzi and Camden Hendricks initially as Blue Star Coloring, the firm has produced over 200 published works, including multiple titles that have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. In 2019, Blue Star Press entered into a multi-year agreement with Penguin Random House Publisher Services to handle sales and distribution for both its new releases and backlist catalog. Publishers Weekly acknowledged the company as one of the fastest expanding independent publishers in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Books and Games
Blue Star Press curates a diverse range of creative how-to guides, arts and crafts manuals, health and wellness publications, coloring books, nonfiction works, children’s titles, and gift books. Its publications are released under the imprints Blue Star Press and Paige Tate & Co. Additionally, in 2024, the company acquired Sasquatch Books and its children’s imprint Little Bigfoot from Penguin Random House.
Notable bestsellers include Tabitha Paige’s Our Big Book of Words and Our Little Adventures; Korie Herold’s Mom's Story and Dad's Story; Sarah Simon’s Watercolor Workbook; as well as Diana Licalzi and Kerry Benson’s Mocktail Party. The publisher places strong emphasis on developing author brands and creating enduring series.
The company’s game offerings include Millennial Lotería—a contemporary adaptation of traditional Mexican bingo—Tragos, a Latino-themed party card game, and Get Loud, a bilingual competitive guessing game.
In 2023, Dennis McGregor’s children’s book You Stole My Name was honored as one of Kirkus Review’s top indie books. That same year, Blue Star Press received several design accolades from PubWest: Gold for The Artist's Drawing Book and Bronze awards for both Watercolor Workbook and You Stole My Name. In 2024, Sasquatch Books earned PubWest recognition with Bronze for Feasts of Good Fortune and Gold for Field Notes From a Fungi Forager. The 2025 nomination for the Association for Recorded Sound Collections Awards went to The Sound of Seattle: 101 Songs that Shaped a City.
Blue Star Press also creates customized products for clients such as Whataburger, Mosh, and Canon. The company has been featured across various media outlets including The Today Show, ABC News, The New York Times, and USA Today. It has collaborated with prominent figures like NBC News Special Anchor Maria Shriver and Olympian Kara Goucher, working alongside approximately 45 independent artists at present.