David Jordan Rucksack Readers 25th Anniversary
David What about the challenges you’ ve faced or difficult decisions?
Jacquetta Perhaps the biggest ongoing challenge is commissioning the right titles. On many trails, there is no competing guidebook, which sounds great, but may reflect very low walker numbers.
And you have to learn by your mistakes. I’ ve had to learn to avoid being seduced into printing too many by the apparent economy of a long print run.
David What advice would you give to anyone considering getting into a publishing related venture? the guides, do you feel you’ ve maintained that over the years?
Jacquetta Yes, every book has the same four-part structure: route-specific planning and preparation, background info, concise route description and reference material. We also major on great photography, typically with about 100 photos in each book and 12-18 pages of mapping. And of course they’ re rainproof!
All generic advice about clothing and equipment and so on is on the website. I’ ve always been interested in the relationship between the website and the printed guidebook. The website is at the heart of our business. That’ s where the relationship with customers is built. Customers talk to us all the time. If there’ s something they don’ t like, or if something has changed on a route, they’ ll be quick to tell us. I really enjoy this dialogue.
The vision has been maintained, yes, and the structure has worked, but some things had to change. After Covid happened, suddenly we were giving away more books than we sold. Some of the stories were heart-breaking and I felt humbled that people were so pleased with a free guidebook.
We only ever had a couple of protests – far outweighed by the number of people who liked the change.
David What’ s been the most rewarding aspect of becoming a publisher?
Jacquetta The real pleasure has been in building a list, developing a house style, and having a distinctive methodology. We take very seriously the goal that people using our books do not get lost. If an author produces a route description, I’ ll test it by walking the route based on that text alone. If I have to get the map out, then we’ ll improve the description. If I am the author, then someone else will do the‘ stranger test’ for me. We commission the maps specially, and provide distances in both metric and imperial. The text, picture, caption and map all have to work together. It’ s like a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle, it’ s quite a challenge to make it all fit within 72 or 80 pages.
Jacquetta You have to do something different from what’ s already out there. We only do books for long-distance walks, not short walks, pub walks, doggie walks or whatever. Our main market is folk who want to spend about a week walking: that’ s our niche.
Be aware of the challenge: most people expect information to be online and free. Also avoid print on demand if you want the ultimate quality in colour repro. Colour publishing is a really complicated process. I started knowing nothing, and had a steep learning curve.
David Finally, what does the future hold for you, and for Rucksack Readers?
Jacquetta I tend not to plan too far ahead. Typically, I’ m completely immersed in the current project. On Friday that was literally! Wading knee-deep in the River Tay that had flooded its riverside path, just when I had gone to research our forthcoming guidebook.
Rucksack Readers can be found at www. rucsacs. com
OWPG members can receive a 25 % discount on books by quoting the code‘ owpg’
We had to look hard at costs. We’ d started out with a very expensive‘ concealed wirobinding’. It lies completely flat, but we had to find a more cost-effective method. So in 2000 we switched to perfect binding( glued and sewn), which was lighter and more pocket-friendly. I had expected to be criticised by customers for the change.
All photographs © Mike Bell and feature in the RR Cateran Trail guide, RRP £ 15.99.
OPPOSITE TOP: Den o’ Alyth; BELOW: Auchintaple Loch; ABOVE: Lochan; RIGHT: Glenisla.
Spring 2025 OUTDOOR FOCUS 7