Do we have to be a café?

Not strictly, no. The guide is for coastal cafés, beach huts, restaurants, shacks, pop-ups, pubs, bars, food halls, bistros, delis, bars, containers, food trucks, tuk-tuks, bikes, vans and more. You might run a legendary beach shack or a high-end seafood restaurant: there’s room for everyone. We sought a concise name and a guide to coastal cafés summed it up. People who see this book in a shop display, or receive it as a gift, will know that it’s about finding memorable places to eat on the coast.

Define coastal?

Places should be either on the beach, on the promenade, on the coast, in a harbour or port town or village, or overlooking a coastline, port, harbour or beach. They should be near where sea meets land. Epic views are welcome. You should know - you should feel - that you’re at or very near the coast. Distance-wise, we’re looking at places that are as close to the coast or to signed coastal paths as possible. Think no more than a 20-minute walk (which is about a mile) from the coast, absolute maximum. Places that are directly on or which overlook the coast, sea, beach or waterfront will take priority over those that are further away, as there are limited pages in the book. (Some places will overlook the sea but could be a bit inland on higher ground - these still count.) If unsure, apply anyway and we’ll decide.

How do I apply to join the book for 2024?

Submit a quick initial application here if you’re interested in joining what we hope will be a huge hit in 2024. Are you right for the book? Well, if you’ve read the above and tick the boxes in terms of type, style and distance, we’re sure you’ll be ideal. We’ll then get back in touch within a week, with a response and a more in-depth form so that we can get all the details we need straight from the seahorse’s mouth. Details on FB pages and websites change often, so we like to get the key info directly from you.

How can I contact you?

Please email us or use our Social channels for now, see footer, thanks.

Where will the book be sold?

You’ll find Printslinger books for sale in Waterstones, in good bookshops and via online outlets such as Amazon in addition to on our own website. Did we mention that our new release is an Amazon No.1 best-selling and ‘Most Gifted’ guide? We thought so! You’ll also find them for sale at the places that feature in our guides and it’s these extensive, UK-wide networks that help make our locally-focused books such a success.

What other info will I need to provide?

Once your initial application is approved, the longer form will ask for opening hours, your closest signed coastal path, your house specialities, the story behind your business and the people in it, what’s a top local tip, that kind of thing. This is so we can do your place justice when we write it up (hundreds of coastal cafés have already been visited, but we might not have seen yours yet so this info is really helpful).

Who does the writing?

We do. It’s so the book hangs together and retains one voice. Feel free to direct us to URLs for great wording on your website, or to include as much detail as you want on your form. Then we’ll do your write up and we have final editorial sign off. We are real, authentic and earthy in our tone, and don’t like exaggeration or hyperbole. It keeps things plausible. If your food is just OK - if we’re all being realistic - but your staff are the best and your location alone is worth a 20-mile coastal walk, that’s what we’ll get across - and people will still come. We’ll be kind, entertaining and honest.

Who takes the pictures?

You will supply the images of your place and your food (or your views) for the book. We’ll supply an image guide to help. Don’t delay applying if you don’t have images yet: submit anyway and we’ll get to that after. If no suitable images arrive by our deadline, we reserve the right to use phenomenal stock photography instead…rather than that terrible picture of a crab sandwich you sent us (from your nan’s phone). Our visual standards are high, which helps make The Extra Mile a bestseller. Coastal Cafés will be a beautiful book.

Is it free to be in the book?

Printslinger is a tiny company working hard to publish a few brilliant titles each year. Our books help promote small food and drinks businesses across Great Britain and we’re in it to boost local trade, help people find you, and to promote local food. How we work is that everyone who makes it onto each book’s short-list ‘buys into’ the project. By this, we mean that a small payment essentially buys you one box of books in advance, which will be delivered hot off the press. This secures your page and helps us to ‘kickstart’ the launch of each new book on a local yet UK-wide scale, with word-of-mouth promotion (plus our in-house marketing machine) leading to new book sales for everyone. It really works. So although yes, there is a small outlay, you get books to that value and most places more than make this back through selling the books, while featuring in a full-colour, gorgeous guidebook. Some sell hundreds. See some Testimonials from them here.

How exactly will I be featured in the guide?

You’ll get one full-colour page with words and featuring between one and four of the images your supply. We’ll also include URLs and handles for your website and online presence. The final internal design of the guide will be completed in early 2024 and will include elements of your address, opening hours and contact details. There will be filters such as accessibility, parking, dog-friendly etc. Your business will feature in the Index and on the map that introduces your geographical section. If you have an EV charger you may feature in a separate EV map, too. So, plenty of chances to be seen.

What’s the deadline to join the collection?

Early spring 2024. Page proofs are being written and sent out from February onwards for the 100+ incredible venues already in the book, so we really need to hear from you ideally in February and March to feature you. Simply email us or use the Quick Apply form to touch base. If you fit our coastal bill, we’ll get back to you promptly to request further info (via an online form), hi-res imagery and to sort everything else out. For your best chance of inclusion, before we fill up and before you get too busy prepping for summer, apply now.

Can we promote the book ourselves?

Absolutely! We’re looking at a launch date of around 1 July and encourage launch events, plus will help you market the book with Social Media assets and downloadable things to use your end like posters, leaflets, even pull-up banner templates. If you want a particular marketing asset and you don’t find it in our Owners Area, we’ll do our best to create it for you. We’ll be continuing our own Social Media and Marketing activity for the book throughout the year, to help up book sales and to increase awareness of your wonderful local businesses. Visit the Shop to learn a bit more about marketing, PR and our bestselling guide, The Extra Mile.

Is that book image the finished product?

No, it’s a mock-up of a potential look and a potential title and strapline: the design process is ongoing. The finished book will be soft cover and may look different (although we do love this cover).

Further questions?

Contact us today (opens email).