Booked!

I return to Prague in a few weeks to update the Fodor's guidebook to the Czech Republic again, and I must say that I'm looking forward to it. On the surface, guidebook writing is kind of horrible. It's very repetitive and there are lots of capsule reviews where you don't get to say anything. Oh, and you're also quite limited by the "intended audience" of the book in question, whether they're middle of the road, jetsetting hipsters, or smug backpackers. Plus, of course, the pay isn't great.

Still, I like guidebook work, at least for a few weeks a year. You get more than a surface impression of a place. It's less than you'd learn as a resident, but that's also the point--guidebooks, for the most part, shouldn't be fully written by residents, since their view of a city tends to come with a set of assumptions that visitors don't have. (I say that as someone who had to answer questions about the safety of New York's subways for many, many years)

There's a zen quality to seeing that many hotels or restaurants in just a short amount of time. In fact, one would hope that a newly hired restaurant critic would do the same thing, sending him or herself to a restaurant boot-camp to get snapshot of how things are at the moment. Places slip very fast; I'm sure that in the two years since I last updated the restaurants some have closed, others that were great are  now terrible and, I hope, there will be plenty of surprising new spots as well. Restaurants (and hotels) never stay as they are; it's a new day, every day. Just look at the Gansevoort or The Hotel on Rivington to see that something that seemed edgy a few years ago now feels dated. 

Guidebook assignments are just about the last part of travel writing that creates a level of expertise. You do end up learning something during the writing process, and that's less and less the case these days. The economics of freelancing make it very hard to spend time with any subject unless you're Michael Lewis or Mark Bowden. There will come a time when guidebooks don't make sense in their current form. Perhaps there will be a full-on switch to crowd-sourcing; I don't know. But for the time being, let's try and support a genre of travel writing that forces the writer to learn something in the process. 

Comments

[Jenny T]

Actually, a lot of guidebooks are now written by residents. It really depends on the series (Fodors tends to use outsiders). I think there's a plus to guidebooks written by locals as you'll get someone who has a really in-depth knowledge of the place. As for "capsule" reviews: again, that's Fodors. Other series go into greater depth. It's a fun, if grueling job, and one that's really of use. A good guidebook writer will know what's worthwhile in a place because they'll have tested it all (or close to all). You can't say the same for folks who simply post their opinions on message boards (especially where hotels are concerned).

[pam]

I've done guidebook work, I found it tedious as hell and decided I'm not constitutionally set up for it. I'm glad there are people who like it and honestly, a good guide book is a thing of pleasure, print killing web resources or no.

I disagree with the idea that readers should support a product or industry or whatever that forces the producers to learn. I don't books for the benefit of the author any more than I buy shoes for the benefit of the manufacturers. I realize that's a stretch, but I'm guessing you see my point. We should buy guidebooks because they're excellent companions prior to or during a trip and the author's education? Well, that's a nice byproduct but is it really a consumer's goal?

[Alex]

@Jenny T: Time Out uses only locals, I believe, while LP uses a mix. And both of those have capsule reviews, as far as I know. I was using capsule to distinguish between, say, a feature in Traveler or some such. Anyway, I actually like the idea of teaming an outsider and a local into some kind of travel writer buddy comedy. And let's be honest, guidebooks hire locals because they can't afford to send their own writers for the most part.

@pam Every time I finish a guidebook assignment, I swear it'll be the last, so I hear ya. Consumers buy guidebooks for a variety of reasons, but I was actually suggesting that the travel writing community should be more supportive of the niche.

[Brian]

Nice, thoughtful post Alex. I for one hope a full-on switch to crowd-sourcing doesn't happen: there's nothing quite like poring through an actual printed guidebook, making notes, wearing it down, circling, tearing pages out, etc. Content accessed via mobile devices has its place, to be sure, but I guess I enjoy the "traditionalist" aspect of using the physical guidebook more.

[pam]

@Alex: Support, from this travel writer, granted. I'm poking through a guidebook now with an eye toward reviewing it and again, I say, a decent guidebook is a fine thing indeed.

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