Who will listen?

One that I've already whinged about, I know, but the size of walking guides is really starting to annoy me. I find it absolutley incredible that publishers of such guides don't give more thought to the size. You know who your market is... think it through, you idiots!

95% of guides out there are sized the same as you average tradeback novel (approx 19.5 x 12.5 cm) - now granted that isn't exactly massive, but it's still too big! Some guides are even tagged as 'compact' and are still no smaller! Now I appreciate that as guides, they're going to have maps and photographs, so it would be impractical to make them the size of, for instance, Collin's little Gem books, but they could still be smaller. For me, the perfect size for any book that you'd want to take out with you would be 16.5 X 10.5 cm

Stop whinging, start printing. Do you not know a business opportunity when you see one?

On the other hand, maybe the lady doth protest too much.....

Pocket Mountains Central Highlands is 15x10.5

Cicerone's Walking on Dartmoor is  11.5x17

Discovery walking guides are 21x12

National trail guides are 13x21

They all fit into the pocket on my Paramo windproof smock, Montane Venture jacket, and Paramo Velez smock. 

Personally I particularly like the Discovery one's as they are spiral bound and you can fold them right over and put them back in your pocket open at the relevant page.

If just on a day walk I tend to just photocopy the relevant bit and take that.

Hey, Dandy, thanks for the links - so they do exist. Why can't all publishers follow suit.

Glyn, that would be a wonderful size for guide books.

Husky, not necessarily for a map pocket, just handy...

Agree with the OP's point although Cicerone stuff for example is sized perfectly.

Why others don't follow their example is a total mystery. 

 I suspect Paddy will be along shortly.....

In reality you don't really need a guidebook at all do you?

A map and a bit of nous should do it.

Many of them contain fundamental errors anyway.

For what it's worth...

I just received an edited guidebook manuscript for checking, and it's all printed double-spaced, single-sided, on A4 sheets of paper, weighing close to a kilo!

But don't worry... it'll be 'designed' down to a nice pocket-sized book probably weighing around 200g.

By the way... if you want to check the 'inside story' concerning the production of guidebooks, you might check out my mini-blog at Stanfords.

Part 1

Part 2

OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com 

I notice VG don't seem to be offering a CD with the new North York Moors guidebook. I wonder if this is anything to do with licencing since it looks like that book includes OS map extracts rather than Harveys like the last few guides... ?

<wanders off muttering about OS's ridiculous attitude to electronic data provision....    >

Paddy Dillon wrote (see)

I suspect he might... and I suspect he might agree that Cicerone books are the perfect size for guidebooks! You don't want them too big or too small... you want them just the right size. I've been away over the weekend getting pictures for a couple of guidebooks, hanging on a forecast that said the sun would shine ever so briefly. Of course, I'll want those pictures to be seen on a decent sized piece of paper, but don't worry, coz both books will still fit in your pockets.

Thanks. I'll go read it now.

 [edit] Ah-ha!