I have just returned to London after having spent a month in Switzerland. Among other projects, I was working on my book ‘My Valais’. I met my publisher at Kümmerly+Frey’s office for the first time in person (all our discussions thus far were on skype) and I was handed over the printed promo-flyer (above and below). We had a good meeting and decided, that I should add a few more regions to the book.
We have since added a series from above Zermatt and also from a mountaineering trip I made in August specifically to take photos. I traversed the Weissmies, a 4000m peak above the Saastal. This trip was a bit of a surprise to me, as when I traveled to Switzerland, I did not have any such plans. Luckily, I did a lot of walking during the lockdown and am reasonably fit. It was a fantastic 2 days, with lots of walking, a bit of climbing, great views, and traversing a stunning glacier. Having fallen into a crevasse last year, I was pleased when we got over this glacier without me having another unnecessary adventure. It will be one of my favorite double pages in the book. Below just one of the photos (taken from the summit).
The book is taking shape. We have now decided on the cover and all the photos that will be included. We are at about 240 pages and I can’t wait to hold the first copy in my hands.
Friends have started to put in their orders, now I hope that corporate interest will follow. While the publisher will sell through all the traditional channels (bookshops, Amazon, etc), I can sell the book myself too. My target clients are hotels, apartment-buildings, holiday homeowners, and tourist offices in the Valais. If you know anybody that could be interested in a coffee-table book about the Valais, kindly make an introduction.
We have one page reserved for an advertisement. I am currently contacting companies to ask if they would like to show their name in the book. Ideally of course it should be a company that has a relationship with the Valais, hiking/mountaineering, or photography. Feel free to get in touch if you know someone that could be interested.
The next step is to finalise the text for the book. There won’t be much text, but it will be in three languages (German, French, and English). As you can probably guess having read this blog, writing is not my forte… thus I expect a few subtle changes 😉.
Enjoy the rest of the summer!
Franco