A Book?

[Matthew Hunt]

I have got selected for the Young Enterprise company in my school. One of our short-listed ideas for the company is a Golf Course Book (Probably on Irish Golf Courses) the Idea is some honest course reviews with Pictures and some other articles of interest. I have to prepare a short presentation on this Idea on Friday, but to be honest I don’t know the Market? If anyone can answer one or more questions

What’s the market like for books on Irish golf courses?

Are there any other areas you believe that the book could explore?

What’s the Price you would expect to pay for the book?

What’s the viable target market size for a golf course via the Internet, and how much could a reasonably good book without a ‘brand’ behind it expect to sell? (We would also plan to sell to ‘Pro Shops and touirist shops’)

How hard is getting publishing for such a book?

Any other info or advice greatly appreciated.

[John Mayhugh]

I don't have anything to offer on the publishing side but may be able to give you some advice on marketing aspects.

You really need to start out by defining the value that your book offers over other alternatives.  What makes it unique (e.g. great detail about a smaller area, architectural analysis or history)?  Why would people want to buy it? 

After you do that, then you can talk about potential unit sales, prices, methods of distributing, etc.  You could certainly get a rough idea of market price level and unit sales by comparing sales of other books on sites like Amazon.

My first thought is that you will have a tough time with a book concept that actually would stand out.

Feel free to email me if I can help with any specifics.

[Phil_the_Author]

Where will you get the photographs?

Good quality photos are quite expensive. For example, I know of several renowned golf course photographers who get between $5-15,000 for the cover photograph alone.

This is one major area where you can not scrimp. A golf course review book with photos will sell only based upon the quality of the photographs. You may be the next Hemingway, but most likely you are not the next Lambrecht. They can't be taken by you.

[Scott Macpherson]

I 'scrimped'. I took the cover photo myself. And, fortunately, the publisher thought it was taken by a professional  . Guess I got lucky huh?

scott

[Tom_Doak]

Matthew:

The most important distinction is whether you are going to publish a coffee table book for people to look at, or a book for people to read.

If it's a picture book, then the photographer will be (and should be) making most of the money from it.  There are LOTS of coffee table books about golf courses (including at least three about Irish golf courses), and they are all judged by the pictures, so to compete with the others you have to do it better visually (or have a stronger distribution network).

If it's a book for people to read, like Scott's, then the photos are secondary and meant only to illustrate the text.  In fact, it would be better to limit the number of photos and try to keep the price down for the potential golfing tourist.  The goal should be to draw attention to the hidden gems of Ireland which would round out the tourist's itinerary, although obviously you would cover the big and famous courses, too.  [There is a similar book for Scottish courses by David Hamilton, which I think has done reasonably well over the years.]

Overall, it is a tough market to crack.  Most true "golf course architecture" books sell less than 5,000 copies and it's difficult for anyone to make a profit on that, because at that expected level of sales, no one is going to spend a lot on advertising the book to try and sell more.  Unfortunately, that's why most of the new books we see are coffee-table books which are forgotten as quickly as we look through them.

[George Pazin]

A few years ago someone did a small book called Lazy Days At Lahinch. It featured many anecdotes about golf and life at Lahinch. I'd buy something like that that was generalized to all of golf and life on the emerald isle.

[Rick Sides]

Hey Matt,

Some people will pay good money for books like this, however, be careful about trying to get the book published.  Most golf courses require you to get permission from them to use any images and also may require a sum of money up front for rights to use their name or image.

[Ted Kramer]

For whatever it is worth . . .

As an avid reader and constant book store browser:
I'd be more likely to pick up, thumb through, and consider buying a book full of inctricate details on a single course, area, architect, or club than I would a general book about golf or golf courses.

I like details.

-Ted

[Kalen Braley]

I agree with Ted,

I do think however, it can be a healthy mix between photos and text.  Geoff's book on Alister Mackenzies CPC is the poster child for this IMO.  That book would be far less if it didn't have either all the fine photos or fine background information on the course.

[John Kavanaugh]

Matthew,

It is a fantastically horrible idea, noone will want your book as you and your friends are not capable of bringing a fresh take to an interested demographic.  That being said, and not to be one to burst a balloon without waiting lips for a new start, here goes.

There is a large soon to be dying in huge numbers baby boom demographic of third or so generation Irish/Scottish Americans.  We are all terribly bored with the current offerings in tombstones or grave markers, whatever your lingo may be.  We also have some need to attach ourselves to our ancestors from foreign countries due to our recently magnified shame of being the fuel that burns the fire of our worlds current destruction. Put all this together, along with the high price of commercial markers, and you have a need for someone to research the cemeteries of our ancestry, design/and or photograph a simple stone under like name or relative, and even three...build the marker from materials of the earth from which we once rose and should return.  There will be people, like Sweeney, who would even buy a low profile marker to decorate one of their homes.  The uses are limitless.  I see no reason why, given that someone in your class must have masonry skills, that you can build a nice stone for under $100 material costs.  Research would be fun, and a legit reason to get out of class to walk in the country side....and who knows, this may lead to an interesting book with a locked in market for every customer who has used your service.  Call your business Irocks.

[Aidan Bradley]

Dear Mr Young

I have made my living for the past 12 to 15 years photographing golf courses. In that time my images have graced many fine coffee table books and occasionaly on the cover. In all my days I have never received or heard of anyone else receiving between $5 and $15,000 for a cover. I mentioned this to a few of my contemporaries who laughed me off the phone. It is possible that at some stage somebody did get that amount and more power to them for doing so but it is far from the norm.

Aidan Bradley (not the next Larry Lambrecht)

[Phil_the_Author]

Aidan,

First of all, don't call me Mr., just Phil!

Check your messages and you'll see where I derived those numbers from.

Don't sell yourself short... One day people may be saying that Larry Lembrecht was the first Aidan Bradley!

[Aidan Bradley]

Phil,

I will accept that as a "back handed" compliment.......

[Phil_the_Author]

Aidan,

After checking out your website the compliment is most definitely FRONT of the hand!

[Anthony Gray]

 Matthew,


  There are many picture books out there. I believe a "How To" book would be more successful. How to arrange a tee time...what days are open for visitor play....where to stay options..... local places of interest.... where to dine....course history....Information that would want people to visit and experience more than golf in Ireland....Good Luck!!!!

[Rick Shefchik]

Matthew,

I agree with Anthony. The book he describes sounds more useful.

The other element I would include is brutally honest commentary. Take a step back from each course and ask yourself, "Despite all the praise this golf course may have received, and its historical place in the golf world, do I really like it? Do I arrive at the parking lot filled with giddy anticipation, and walk off the 18th green wishing I could go straight back to the first tee?" If not, why not?

Tom Doak wrote an important book almost three decades ago that we still talk about on this web site because it was totally honest, and totally indifferent to sacred cows. You may lack the critical skills he possessed at the time, but trust your instincts and write from the heart. Another "Confidential Guide" is waiting to be written.

[Rob Rigg]

Matthew,

One of the most interesting things about Ireland is the people, and golf is a great forum to meet and mingle with the locals.

The easiest place to meet and play with local golfers is at the open weeks that occur across the country during the summer.

For a couple of quid you can enter tournaments at county courses, have a really fun round and then a few pints with the lads afterwards. It is an opportunity to take in the craic at the 19th hole and get a feel for what the game means to people on the other side of the pond.

You will also get to play a bunch of different formats - best ball, stableford, scramble, etc.

Just a thought if you want to look into something that that might be a bit more original and would not be overly dependent on photography to make it work.

Slainte