Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/30/2010 -- GuideGecko.com, the innovative publishing platform for travel and lifestyle guides today launches its 2010 International Guidebook Writing Contest. Three winning titles will be showcased at the prestigious Insight Guides booth on the world’s largest book fair in Frankfurt, Germany, and the winner will be flown to the fair to meet and mingle with publishers from all over the world.

From now to September 15, writers worldwide can submit their own guidebooks on www.GuideGecko.com/writing-contest and stand a chance to jump-start into a professional writing career.

"This is a tremendous opportunity to meet international publishers and gain exposure to 299,000 visitors and 10,000 journalists", says Dr. Daniel Quadt, Founder and Managing Director of GuideGecko. "We are happy to partner with world-famous Insight Guides; showcasing one’s title on their booth is a big boost for any writer."

The contest is open to casual writers, bloggers and established authors. All travel, food, lifestyle and entertainment guidebooks with a minimum of 32 pages are welcome. Submissions can be new titles as well as existing titles previously published on
GuideGecko or elsewhere.

The winning titles will be selected by a jury of guidebook industry veterans. "We have assembled a jury of renowned travel writers and editors with Tom Le Bas, Nicholas Gill, Maralyn Hill and Tim Leffel. Their feedback alone makes it worth to participate", adds Quadt (jury profiles are included in the appendix).

The jury’s decision is augmented by popular online votes, starting with immediate effect. The submitted guidebooks will be published instantly and listed on GuideGecko's front page to receive maximum visibility. Viewers can choose to vote for and even order these guidebooks immediately. Participation in the contest is free and the authors receive full royalties and retain their copyrights.

The Frankfurt book fair takes place from October 6-10, 2010. The winner will fly with Lufthansa German Airlines and stay at contest sponsor Maritim Konferenzhotel Darmstadt while in Frankfurt.

Closing date for submission is September 15, and prize winners will be announced on October 1st. For more information, to enter the contest and place votes, please visit http://www.guidegecko.com/writing-contest.

About GuideGecko
GuideGecko is an innovative publishing platform and online travel bookstore for travel, lifestyle and entertainment guidebooks. GuideGecko currently offers more than 3300 guidebooks as print and PDF download, on 169 countries and 270 cities and regions around the world. All well-known series are available, including Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and Insight Guides, along with a large variety of less conventional titles such as Hedonist’s Guides and Trailblazer, amongst many others.

GuideGecko invites casual writers, bloggers and established authors to publish and sell their own guidebooks on http://www.GuideGecko.com. GuideGecko makes such guides available as PDF downloads and as printed books/booklets. Publishing is free and authors earn 50-75% on every copy sold. Become a writer and get published on GuideGecko!

For media enquiries, please contact:
Dr. Daniel Quadt
Email: media@guidegecko.com
Telephone: +65 94555974

Please see next page for short Jury Profiles and Contest Sponsors.

Jury Profiles

Tom Le Bas
Tom Le Bas is a Managing Editor with Insight
Guides. He has edited, commissioned and project
managed over 50 guidebooks. Before joining
Insight in 1998, he worked with Rough Guides in
London and Odyssey Publications in Hong Kong.
His favorite travel writers are Patrick Leigh-Fermor
and Paul Theroux.

Nicholas Gill

Nicholas Gill is a leading authority on food and
cultures of Latin America. His work has been
published in National Geographic Traveler, the
New York Times, and many other magazines. He
has written various guidebooks for Fodor's and
Frommer's, and recently launched his new website
New World Review.

Maralyn Hill

Maralyn Hill is the President of the International
Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association
(IFWTWA). She is also a writer, editor, broadcaster
and speaker. Maralyn has co-authored Our Love
Affairs with Food & Travel, featuring 90+ chefs
worldwide. Maralyn blogs at Where and What In
the World.

Tim Leffel

Award-winning travel writer Tim Leffel has circled
the globe three times and dispatched articles from
five continents. He is the author of The World's
Cheapest Destinations, now in 3rd edition. He is
also editor of the popular narrative webzine
Perceptive Travel.

Contest Sponsors

Insight Guides

Insight Guides is a world leader in visual travel
guides, with over 450 titles in four different series
and over 50 million copies sold in 14 languages.

Maritim Konferenzhotel Darmstadt

The Maritim Konferenzhotel Darmstadt is only 35
minutes by S-Bahn commuter train from the book
fair grounds in Frankfurt. It features 352 spacious
rooms and a pool with sauna and solarium.