In this episode, I'm going to interview Alexandra Gossink from I love The Seaside. Alexandra with her team has a small publishing company that makes travel surf books.
Imagine a type of content of Lonely Planet combined visual aesthetics of printed Monocle Magazine.
If you visited some surf shops in Europe, there is a very high chance you already spotted their books.
We discussed with Alexandra about how a successful Kickstarter campaign helped them to publish their first guide book, how they found distributors and a lot more!
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Transcription (automatic, sorry for typos)
[00:00:00] Peter: [00:00:00] Hey, I'm Peter and they are listening surfpreneurs podcast, where we interview inspiring servants or printers. And we discuss about their businesses and ideas. In this episode, I'm going to interview Alexandra from I Love Seaside. Aleksandra with her team has a small publishing company that makes treble serve books.
[00:00:20] Imagine a type of content of loneliness. The planet combined with visual aesthetics of printed Monaco magazine. If you visited some surf shops in Europe, there is a very high chance that you already spotted their boats. We discussed with Alexandra about how a successful Kickstarter campaign help them to publish their first guidebook, how they found distributors and a lot more, uh, hi, Aleksandra, uh, Uh, surfing those podcasts.
[00:00:49] Uh, we are going to chat today about, I love Seaside's guides and maybe first question that many people who know that [00:01:00] I love seaside guides, but for those who don't know, maybe if you can explain like very briefly, like in a few sentences, what is it?
[00:01:09] Alexandra: [00:01:09] Yeah, I'll try. Um, the, I love the seaside serve and travel guides are well, exactly what I say, like serve on travel guide.
[00:01:16] So, um, uh, travel guides for surfers and seaside lovers, not, uh, explaining only about the surf, but um, more the travel aspects. Uh, so. Where you can find a nice cafes, a good place to sleep, to eat, to drink. And there are some interviews and stories and background stories, and it's describing more the vibe of the place.
[00:01:45] And then, well, some historical facts, but it's not like a regular, not like your regular, a travel
[00:01:52] Peter: [00:01:52] guide. What I see super interesting on, on their guides is that, uh, [00:02:00] they're actually paper books, right? Like people can come buy a physical book and, and have it on their table in the living room. And, well, we are, we live in 2019.
[00:02:13] Everyone is trying to build something online, like online guides on like mobile apps. Yeah. So what was the reason behind the view? You're when let's call it old school and you, uh, you started to make paper
[00:02:28] Alexandra: [00:02:28] books. We love prints. We love beautiful magazines. We love photography and, um, you know, we love the dreamy bit of.
[00:02:41] Uh, living through a book, uh, giving you some ideas and some inspiration. Uh, so that's why we use books. And also because, um, I think a lot of our travelers are also maybe traveling in a van or a car and it's then it's, you know, it's, [00:03:00] it's easy to have in your glove department or just on your desk, on your, uh, front desk.
[00:03:05] And then, um, Yeah. It's for the love of books for the love of photography that we wanted to use books, but we're not, um, it's, it's not because we're old fashioned, but it's just w we, we love print and we don't think it's it's w we can, we think it's NEC use used next to all the devices we have now, um, uh, the internet and your laptop and your iPhone.
[00:03:36] It's all very easy. So you can have both, it's not that you have to choose. And we're also where we're thinking about, well, not thinking about we're working on, uh, an app, although it's, um, it's quite the big process. So it's, it's, it's gonna take some months before we're, uh, we're
[00:03:56] Peter: [00:03:56] there. So when you are saying [00:04:00] we, uh, who is real, how, how big is the team?
[00:04:04] Alexandra: [00:04:04] Uh, our core team is just treat people. It's a, it's me, Alexandra, I'm the writer and researcher. Um, and then there's a, you're John, my, my partner, also a partner in love. And, uh, he's a w we're traveling together. And we're doing the research together. Um, he does a lot of the handling and, um, the, um, uh, uh, how do you say to this distributing and stuff like that?
[00:04:34] Uh, and there's dim, dim broker to our, uh, designer. Um, well, he makes the guides beautiful as they are, and he's responsible for the logo and that sort of stuff. Um, but. The three of us, we with we, we also think of the concept. So it's not just one thing. So the concept and the others do it, it's the three of us come up with ideas.
[00:04:58] So it's like an [00:05:00] organically growing thing with the three of us. And then we work with freelancers. So I have a, like a steady proofreader, Gil, Gil Benny's who's from Jersey, from the islands. And she's working with us from the beginning, and then we have some freelance photographers. And now we also work with freelance writers.
[00:05:21] Peter: [00:05:21] What was the story behind the first book before you publish the first book? I know that you have previous experience in writing and publishing what probably helped or. To make the first guy, but how, how did, was it like a long term idea you always wanted to do? And one day I decided, okay, let's do it.
[00:05:44] Let's let's make the first guide or how, how did it start?
[00:05:48] Alexandra: [00:05:48] Well, yeah, the funny thing is that the name, I love the suicide. Uh, um, I got it in my head in and he said, I actually, uh, when I didn't have [00:06:00] the whole idea about a guide or sort of a travel guide, whatever, I just, um, I was at this point that I was working freelance as a travel writer already.
[00:06:10] Uh, and we were traveling a lot in our van spending the whole winter in Portugal, Spain, France, uh, For, for almost 10 years now we did that. So we already knew a lot. Um, but I didn't, uh, I was, I was at the point, like, yeah, yeah. I don't want to like constantly, uh, um, go to newspapers and magazines, like, Hey, I've got this nice idea and all, so, you know, just like selling my ideas, um, And I was walking through Arizona and it was a really sunny day.
[00:06:46] And I saw the shadow of two seagulls, like reflecting, uh, on the white streets of LA Sierra. And it popped in my head like, Oh, I love the seaside. And then I came [00:07:00] back in the camper van and I wrote it down and months after when I came home, I just, I bought the link. Like I love the seaside.com so that wasn't there already.
[00:07:12] And then, um, Yeah, just, uh, th the idea of the, of the book and the guide. It just sort of grew from my I, uh, my frustration in, uh, at first, um, because a lot of surfers and surf travelers, um, uh, like, like, for example, in, in saga, you have the inter Marsha, which is very handy, but there's also like the little market, uh, They like the local market that state that's open daily.
[00:07:45] Mmm. I always pointed people to the market like that. Okay. If the, enter my share for, for the convenience stuff, but really, really shop at the local market. It's it's, it's beautiful. And it's got nice [00:08:00] products. It's nice people. You support the, um, the local. Smaller businesses. Uh, so little things like that, um, popped up in my head.
[00:08:13] Like I, maybe I can do something with that. Or maybe first I thought write an article, but yeah, that's just an article then I thought maybe I'd just write a guide for women surfers. We're interested in a bit more than just a serve and then it gradually. Grew into, well, what, what is today? I'm talking to John, my partner, and then, uh, talking to them and his wife.
[00:08:43] So it gradually grew into this idea, like, yeah, let's make a surf and travel guide. And let's make it beautiful.
[00:08:51] Peter: [00:08:51] Well, it's beautiful. I love the name. It's a, I think it's a great name, especially that in surfing [00:09:00] industry, most of the projects are, has surf or surfing in the name and it's yeah, it's already kind of cliche because yeah, you are, you are making a surf guide basically.
[00:09:11] So why not to call it? Surf guides, uh, Southwest or surf guides, Morocco, because yeah, that's what exactly describe what is inside, but yeah, this side is nice. Nice branding.
[00:09:26] Alexandra: [00:09:26] Yeah. It's definitely more than just surfing. It's like really, really loving the seaside and everything about it and everything. Yeah.
[00:09:33] Yeah.
[00:09:33] Peter: [00:09:33] So, so, uh, How much time did pass from that moment you saw the shadow of the seagulls in that is Sarah until the first book was printed. Was it like six months or two years?
[00:09:50] Alexandra: [00:09:50] I'm very curious
[00:09:52] Peter: [00:09:52] to, yes.
[00:09:53] Alexandra: [00:09:53] Wow. Okay. On that first name and then from the idea [00:10:00] until like actually printing the book was three years.
[00:10:03] Yeah.
[00:10:04] Peter: [00:10:04] Yeah. But I guess that the next next guy for much faster, right. It was
[00:10:12] Alexandra: [00:10:12] once, once we did it and sort of figured out, well, not how it works, because we're still figuring it out, constantly learning. Um, um, the Northwest was, was, uh, done in year one, one and a half years, but, but it's. Always based on, uh, earlier travels.
[00:10:36] So we we've done the research trip, uh, in a few months, but we were before, like in Denmark, we were five years ago in Denmark. So we, we always start with what we know already. And then when we come back to do the actual research, we're just like really, really going to the places, asking people, [00:11:00] taking photographs.
[00:11:01] So that's like the practical stuff that we already know, like, Oh, okay. This is, this part is interesting because we've been there. We've talked to people. So this, yeah. That's how it grows.
[00:11:15] Peter: [00:11:15] So you need a lot of local knowledge before you
[00:11:18] Alexandra: [00:11:18] definitely
[00:11:20] Peter: [00:11:20] start to do
[00:11:20] Alexandra: [00:11:20] research. Yeah.
[00:11:23] Peter: [00:11:23] And so how, um, how did you start to sell the first books?
[00:11:28] You, I remember that you, I saw some article or something that you, you were doing a crowdfunding campaign, right.
[00:11:37] Alexandra: [00:11:37] For the first books.
[00:11:39] Peter: [00:11:39] So that was like how you sold the first books and how did it, how did it go, why you decided for the crowdfunding campaign and.
[00:11:48] Alexandra: [00:11:48] We sort of, yeah, we sort of a lot of things like, uh, because we believed in it, we were, we were sure it was going to work.
[00:11:55] And of course you never know, but because we w we believed in it, we thought, well, [00:12:00] if we believe in it, then we can find out if more people believe in it. Um, first we thought of investors or. Uh, bringing our own money, but everything, you know, it's like you get sleepless nights. If you do, like if you were on the money and stuff like that, we didn't want to do it.
[00:12:21] And then we thought, well, to make sure that other that were really noted other people like it as well. Uh, we can do a crowdfund, well, one, you get the funds to do it. Um, but more importantly, you know, it's, it's like a test. It's like a test. If, if your idea is really as good as you think it is, because if nobody, if nobody's interested, then, then nobody will back your project.
[00:12:49] And, uh, and the third reason that we, we found out was that it, uh, it's like a really good, um, PR machine it's and it [00:13:00] forces you to. To get out there and tell people about your projects and tell people about what you're planning to do, because if nobody knows, then you, you won't get the money. So, um, yeah, it's, it's like a, it works tree raise and it's, uh, it's.
[00:13:19] I, I can, I can recommend it to all people who have a great idea and who believe in it, try a crowdfund. You have your test. If, if other people like it as well.
[00:13:31] Peter: [00:13:31] I, yeah, I have seen this approach used by many of the surf and printers and business days. It works really well when you have a physical product, if you don't have a physical product.
[00:13:45] And also if you have a consumer product, so you are selling to, to end customers, but
[00:13:52] Alexandra: [00:13:52] like a preorder of your product. Yeah,
[00:13:55] Peter: [00:13:55] but their product is, is your book is perfect for it. So what was the goal for [00:14:00] this first crowdfunding campaign?
[00:14:02] Alexandra: [00:14:02] Um, um, correct. 16,000,
[00:14:08] Peter: [00:14:08] 16,000.
[00:14:10] Alexandra: [00:14:10] I see. No, no 12 now. Yeah, so actually have 12, 12,000.
[00:14:15] Hmm. I have to look that Bible. Sure. 12,000,
[00:14:19] Peter: [00:14:19] but anyway.
[00:14:22] Alexandra: [00:14:22] Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then, and we got 160%, so, um, yeah, we reached a hundred, we reached a hundred, uh, Within a, uh, we still had half of the time left, so, uh, so yeah,
[00:14:40] Peter: [00:14:40] so, so you're, so you sold, it's a crowdfunding, you sold basically somewhere around 600 books, right?
[00:14:47] If I just calculate
[00:14:49] Alexandra: [00:14:49] that. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:14:50] Peter: [00:14:50] Around the, around the number. And, uh, how does it, how does it work after the crowdfunding that, uh, Because you might like a lot of, uh, [00:15:00] PR and marketing to get people to back your crowdfunding campaign. But now I have hear them, the knowledge from the motorcycle I was, or no, it's not motorcycle is right, right next to my window.
[00:15:17] They're cleaning the streets. So let's make the bid and then I will cut this part because it's not, it wouldn't be pleasant for people to. Yeah, listen it. Yeah. Uh, is that guy with the machine, like removing the leaves from the
[00:15:35] Alexandra: [00:15:35] tree and he's got the years things
[00:15:37] Peter: [00:15:37] on, he has, I don't,
[00:15:43] um,
[00:15:48] uh, Yeah, I was, I was curious how, uh, how did you continue with the sale after the crowdfunding? Because you invested a lot of time into [00:16:00] the PR and marketing of your crowdfunding campaign. And then of course you wanted to sell some more books, right? That was it like, was it difficult or maybe I always, because I'm also the type of person that's I very rarely find a support some crowdfunding campaign because there is.
[00:16:19] Not 100% chance that it's going to be a successful and I'd rather rather buy the product even it's more expensive once the campaign ended. So I'm curious if there are more people than buying the book because they know that they're going to get it for 100% and relatively quickly, or it's an opposite.
[00:16:41] Alexandra: [00:16:41] Yeah, that's a good one. Um, Well, a lot of people have bought the book, uh, after the crowdfund because, uh, there were 600, about 600 sold in the crowdfund. We printed 5,000. Uh, [00:17:00] and it was so the first batch of 5,000 was so within seven months. So yeah, that was, yeah.
[00:17:11] Peter: [00:17:11] That's a lot.
[00:17:13] Alexandra: [00:17:13] Yeah. And then, and then we printed again, 5,000 and updated a little bit.
[00:17:18] And then that was, uh, sold within the year. So now we're on our third, already the third batch of the Southwest it's it's, it's a, it's a popular region. Of course.
[00:17:34] Peter: [00:17:34] Here's different. Between the regions in terms of like the interest of people. Yeah,
[00:17:41] Alexandra: [00:17:41] yeah. Yeah. The Southwest is always like, it's like our classics, like our best selling product, um, because it's a popular area. Uh, and the Northwest are, we also have, uh, uh, sold already the first Metro 5,000 and we're now in the second batch.
[00:18:00] [00:17:59] Um, but it didn't, it, it doesn't, uh, so as quickly as the Southwest and the Morocco guide Wells just out now, so we cannot, we don't know, uh, I mean now it's going really well, but that's because it's new and it's around Christmas. So yeah. We know if it's popular after shops start reordering, then we know if it's, uh it's uh, but it's um, yeah, the Southwest is, was going so quickly and, um, well we just, we, we, um, Mmm, we approached shops ourselves.
[00:18:42] And then from Germany, there was Mmm Mmm. A distributor interested in distributing the books in Germany. What of the countries? So, um, Switzerland and Austria. So we were very lucky with that. We didn't, because we were, we were [00:19:00] looking for a distributor and then one already came to us like, Oh, can we distribute your book?
[00:19:05] Well, yeah. Great. Yeah. Yep, yep. Yeah. Yep. And, um, for Portugal, we also have a distributor pretty quickly. And, um, in France, we just, uh, we, we dropped like dozens and dozens and dozens of, uh, of boxes of books and then told all the shops that were interested like, and it was in , it was a poems surfboards, um, that they can pick up, uh, their guides and their boxes achieve.
[00:19:39] And so it was easy for them because they didn't have to. Um, they, they didn't have to pay the shipping costs because they had, they could pick up their box there. And, uh, but now we have, uh, now we have a distributor for France and for Spain and the UK as well. So it's, yeah,
[00:20:00] [00:20:00] Peter: [00:20:00] you should update your website because I see my distributors.
[00:20:04] I have it now open the knife to distributors only for, for Germany port to go to. Okay. So
[00:20:11] Alexandra: [00:20:11] pretty fresh it's it's a it's it's only, uh, like two weeks or so.
[00:20:21] Peter: [00:20:21] So, uh, that was actually one of my, my next question. Is that how you. Uh, how do you approach distributors? So, because in this case of the German distributor, uh, Lang bread, uh, they approached you, right?
[00:20:38] Alexandra: [00:20:38] That was the, was that the first time the only one was sometimes people approached us, but then. When we asked a little bit deeper than they didn't have the experience to do it.
[00:20:53] Um, but it's, yeah, it's usually going like, uh, we're in a shop or we're [00:21:00] with maybe a friend who was in the surf business. And then we ask, ah, do you know someone in France who could distribute our books? So we do it a lot like this, and then somebody connects us with somebody. And, and this is how we got all our, the other distributors, like a connection fee, a friend who works in the surf business for an acquaintance.
[00:21:24] Yeah. And then just, um, when they connect, when, when we just ask where we just like in the blind contact, someone, it usually doesn't work out. Uh, but when we're connected by someone. Then they know, okay, this is my trusted partner. And if they trust them, then it should be good. Yeah. Yeah. When an introduction from someone, if it worked out pretty well,
[00:21:57] Peter: [00:21:57] and yeah, I also see on your [00:22:00] website that you have a nice network of, uh, of surf shops around.
[00:22:06] Around Europe selling, selling your books. Yeah. I'm I'm, I'm just curious because you were very smart with choosing the name. I love seaside. Yeah. It's it's started a thing,
[00:22:22] but it's, it's targeting the, the, the, the surf guides are targeting surfers, obviously. But yeah, it's the type of book I can imaging to give as a gift to anyone who likes seaside and maybe it's a occasional surfer. Doesn't have to be a surfer. And these people not always. Go to the visit the surf shops. So, yeah, I was just curious if you, uh, if you try to approach more mainstream distributors, like book distributors or, uh, bookstore chains or something like that.
[00:22:58] Alexandra: [00:22:58] Yeah. And, um, well, [00:23:00] in Holland it was, um, uh, it became easier because there was one, um, um, Let me say a publisher after releasing our first guy, that was a publisher and they came to us and they asked us, uh, to do like spinoffs of the, I love the seaside guides, but in Dutch. So we did four guides for them.
[00:23:23] Uh, one of France, one of Spain, one of Portugal, and one of the Nazi. And they're not aimed at surfers, but as you said, at people who love the seaside, um, And because they, uh, they publish the, our Dutch guides. They also, uh, take in, in their distributing, um, distributing, uh, how do you say distributing, uh,
[00:23:50] Peter: [00:23:50] uh,
[00:23:51] Alexandra: [00:23:51] business work?
[00:23:52] Uh, they, they take also our English guides. Um, so. There's like [00:24:00] one central place where all the bookshops in Belgium and, and, uh, and Holland can order their books. And, um, and they, they can order like one or two guys or maybe five guides. Uh, and these are all the shops that we cannot reach because of, we.
[00:24:20] Yeah. W w we can't go through the whole of Holland and approach every bookshop, like, eh, do you want no one to buy our guy? Usually they say, no, no, we're just buying from this one central place. Uh, so we're very lucky with that. And, uh, in England, we just, in UK, we just find found, uh, one place like that as well.
[00:24:45] So they are distributing to like normal bookshops. Or gift shops. Uh, so slowly, slowly where we'll yeah, we're working towards getting our guide in, in like yeah.
[00:25:00] [00:24:59] Peter: [00:24:59] More mainstream,
[00:25:01] Alexandra: [00:25:01] normal bookshops as well, because, because it's, it's selling there as well.
[00:25:06] Peter: [00:25:06] Yeah. I can imagine.
[00:25:12] So what's next. What are will that the next plans for I left seaside, I guess you want to, you want to launch more, more books? How, what are your plans to scale it? Do you want to. Use the same approach as before that you want your visit. Some places you already know you did the research and you want to do it like the same way, how we publish the previous guides.
[00:25:36] You want to publish the next guys, or maybe you have some ideas how to scale it in places that you don't even know.
[00:25:46] Alexandra: [00:25:46] Yeah, well, it's, that's, that's like the interesting point where we're now not now. Right now. We're we're, um, we're working on our next guide, which is going to be great Britain and Ireland, and we already did the research for [00:26:00] it.
[00:26:00] And it was the first time that we started working with co-writers with local people. Co-writing um, like we work with a girl in Cornwall and she did the Cornwall and Devon bit for us. Um, I just had contact with, um, a guy in Ireland who does a bit of Ireland for us. And, um, It's because it's all new for us.
[00:26:24] We had to find a way like, ah, yeah, but you have to write in this style. No, no. Use your own style. And um, don't forget to mention this. Don't forget to mention that. So it was a bit of a, yeah, a bit of a, it's a new thing. Uh, um, but it's yeah, it's working out pretty fine. Um, now that we know that, um, and we're finding a way to work with other people.
[00:26:54] We can think of expanding and going to other places. That's because we, [00:27:00] like, I've never been to California, but it's like a dream destination for me. Um, maybe I shouldn't go because then it's still a dream.
[00:27:08] Peter: [00:27:08] I can imagine that California can be even bigger bestseller than Southwest. I love seaside
[00:27:18] Alexandra: [00:27:18] what I'm thinking.
[00:27:21] I will use it. I will buy it,
[00:27:25] Peter: [00:27:25] but for some people maybe in California. Yeah,
[00:27:29] Alexandra: [00:27:29] exactly. So, so we're, um, we're trying to, well, already, now we're sort of, uh, you know, spreading the word, asking people to, you know, someone who could be exactly this, this, this, and then, um, yeah, we'll see. What, what, what, what the, um, what happens, who.
[00:27:49] Yeah, what, what the next step will be. Cause now, because we're now so busy with creating the new guy of the, of great Britain and Ireland. But [00:28:00] after we released that, we'll definitely go on a search. Like how do, how do we going to do that? So if there's people listening now,
[00:28:13] Peter: [00:28:13] it might be, there might be a high chance, but who knows?
[00:28:18] Uh, yeah. Okay. My last question is, uh, you have so much knowledge of. All displaces, the whole, the whole seaside of Europe and Morocco, let's say, uh, what are your, what are your three favorite places to go and serve? But only, not only because of the ways, but maybe also because of this like little things like local supermarkets or the nature.
[00:28:46] And so what are your three favorites locations?
[00:28:50] Alexandra: [00:28:50] Mmm. Yeah. Well, I'm glad you asked me three things because
[00:29:00] [00:29:00] people like what's your favorite place? Oh, that's too hard. That's too hard a question, but if I can pick three, Mmm. One would be honey SIA in Spain, in the North North of Spain because of its wild coast. Um, Obviously the waves and the bays, but also the, definitely the nature, the backdrop, um, and, uh, Mmm.
[00:29:30] For like the exotic bit, the, uh, I would say, uh, the South of Morocco around city uni. Mmm. And for like unbelievable beauty. I would say Norway. It's like, it's like mindblowing, mind-blowingly beautiful. Big lakes, big mountains. And yeah, definitely mind blowing, especially for us [00:30:00] Dutch here where it's like flat lens.
[00:30:04] Peter: [00:30:04] Yeah. So you very smartly, uh, recommend it. Locations in three different guides. So for everyone listening, if you want,
[00:30:20] Alexandra: [00:30:20] because the guide isn't there yet, but if I could choose a place only for its people, then I would say Ireland.
[00:30:29] Peter: [00:30:29] Bingo.
[00:30:30] Alexandra: [00:30:30] Yeah,
[00:30:31] Peter: [00:30:31] exactly. I have exactly the same experience. Yeah. I loved it that I haven't forgot about surfing. Surfing was not yet like. It was fun, but, uh, we didn't have good waves, but then the evening and night in bingo was just insane.
[00:30:49] It was, it was so good. Yeah. So you, you not recommended the Fort, uh, location from your, from your next guy. So anyone who is [00:31:00] listening, if you want to learn, learn about these places, you have to buy all these four guides. Uh, contact Aleksandra. Maybe she'll give you a discount for a bundle of four guides and, uh, or if you are, uh, interested to help, uh, to expand, I love seaside to the California or other places in the world.
[00:31:23] Uh, I will leave your contact in the. On the surf printer's website, uh, next to the podcast. So thank you again for, uh, finding the time for this interview.
[00:31:35] Alexandra: [00:31:35] Um,
[00:31:39] Peter: [00:31:39] thank you for listening this episode. If you are not in the serpent nurse community yet now is your time. We have a private Facebook group for online discussions, and from time to time, they organize local meetups. You go to surf burners.club to learn more.
