Travel books

Colleen Dunn Bates has managed to build a small empire on a single, self-published and self-distributed travel book. Hometown Pasadena is a travel guide for people who live in the city, and it’s become highly popular. It has sold 10,000 copies in the first year and is available in chain and independent bookstores and at Costco. I can get inspired by something like this.

Writer-photographer team, Marybeth Flower and Joe Bauwens have won the Independent Publishers Book Award in the Best Coffee Table Book category for Piazza: Italy’s Heart and Soul. The book was among entries from all 50 U.S. states, 8 Canadian provinces and 17 overseas countries. It must be good; they’re saying it should come with airline tickets.